The Blood Work I’d Ask For (If I Wanted Real Answers)

The Blood Work I’d Ask For (If I Wanted Real Answers)

If you’ve ever been told “your labs are normal” but you don’t feel normal this is for you.

Fatigue. Hair thinning. Anxiety. PMS. Brain fog. Weight changes. Irritability. Poor sleep.

Basic labs don’t always tell the full story.

Here’s what I would personally ask for (and what we often discuss with patients who want a deeper look):

🩸 Full Thyroid Panel (Not Just TSH)

Most doctors only run TSH. That’s not enough.

Ask for:

• TSH

• Free T4

• Free T3

• Reverse T3

• Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) antibodies

• Thyroglobulin antibodies

You can have “normal TSH” and still have thyroid dysfunction.

🔥 Inflammation Markers

• hs-CRP

• Homocysteine

Low-grade inflammation is often missed but drives so many symptoms.

🧬 Iron Panel (Not Just Hemoglobin)

• Ferritin

• Serum iron

• TIBC

• Transferrin saturation

Low ferritin is one of the most overlooked causes of fatigue and hair shedding in women.

🌞 Nutrient Status

• Vitamin D

• B12

• Folate

• Zinc

Optimal is not the same as “within range.”

🧠 Cortisol + DHEA-S

Your stress hormones matter. Especially if you feel wired and tired.

🩸 Full Metabolic Panel

• Fasting glucose

• Fasting insulin

• Hemoglobin A1C

• CMP

Insulin resistance can show up years before blood sugar becomes abnormal.

❤️ Advanced Lipids

• ApoB

• Lipoprotein(a)

These tell you more than total cholesterol alone.

🌿 Sex Hormones (Cycle Timed)

• Estradiol

• Progesterone

• FSH

• LH

• Testosterone

Timing matters here — especially progesterone (day 19–21 of a 28-day cycle).

🚨 EBV / Immune Markers (When Indicated)

In certain cases:

• EBV panel

• Mycoplasma

• Autoimmune markers

Chronic immune activation can be missed for years.