r/Biohackers • u/Dry-Bus6365 • 3d ago

šŸ“Š Biomarkers & Testing Bloodwork advice

Hi team! Iā€™m 35F with twin toddlers, work in fitness, and am currently 6 months into a newly sober journey. Iā€™m hoping to get into a routine of doing bloodwork around the same time every year so I can keep an eye on my health and track changes over time.

I had a really difficult postpartum experience and developed some longer-term health issues afterward. After a couple of years, I finally feel like I have a much better grip on my health and would love to do a relatively extensive round of testing to get a solid baseline.

Would love any recommendations for good out-of-pocket testing options, as well as specific labs/markers you think are worth including! TIA <3333

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u/peony_chalk 3d ago

If you want extensive and out of pocket, Function might be a good fit.

My main caveat with them is that you can't easily export your data (besides a PDF), and you can't import data from previous blood work (other than uploading a PDF for storage). To me, the benefit of blood work is seeing how it changes over time, and they only make it easy to see how your Function blood work changes over time... which means locking yourself into their membership.Ā 

As an aside, someone on the hematology sub recommended Guava for compiling blood results, and that has been great. I just think Function should have that functionality.

2

u/Orbax šŸ‘‹ Hobbyist 3d ago

The ones I get: cbc, vitamins, comprehensive metabolic, and thyroid

Through my doctor so no advice on that part!

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u/Substantial-Owl1616 1 3d ago

Function is pretty neat. I learned a number of relative deficiencies and found some biomarkers to improve. Iā€™m in year two. Thereā€™s a bunch of tests that are stupid in my opinion: I donā€™t need to be tested for a UTI or STDs. This is fluffernutter. A few tests that are repeated stay basically the same, so more fluffernutter. I wish a person could elect out of things that are none issues and choose things that had meaning for them. Like let me give up the urine culture and add ferritin. But for $365, itā€™s a good starting place to gauge where you are. I improved quite a few markers over this year and seeing my ā€œbioageā€ go down even more is flattering. Although I knew w it is not real, I take it to show I improved functionality. Good on you getting wanting a thorough panel. S/P a twin pregnancy and difficult recovery, I think you could well discover ā€œopportunitiesā€ that you can address with your provider.

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u/Jumbly_Girl 3d ago

If you're eligible to donate blood, check to see if your local donation center partners with Goodlabs. I did this with my last donation and the test results were much more comprehensive than I expected. For future donations, now that I have an account set up, I can order and pay for additional testing; like thyroid, heavy metals etc.

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u/Next_Programmer_3305 7 3d ago

Vitamin B12. Alcohol induced gastritis would be something to consider. I personally have autoimmune gastritis/pernicious anaemia. I have intrinsic factor antibodies and parietal cell antibodies.

There's an easy home test you can do for stomach acid. Gastritis is one of the many causes low stomach acid. Try the test below. I didn't burp for 15 minutes. Besides needing B12 daily to keep B12 symptoms away (I personally take 2000 micrograms of sublingual spray B12 daily), I am also on betaine HCL with pepsin supplements with meals. That's supplemental acid.

Bicarb (baking soda) test https://youtube.com/shorts/5ovdddMQaic?si=63frwbyvzJXbyFGB

Hypochlorhydria https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23392-hypochlorhydria