Source comparison
Interpreting Post-Protocol Lab Results: What Changes Are Expected vs Concerning
IGF-1 (ng/mL) 150–350 (age-dependent) 300–450 (upper-normal to mildly elevated) >500 or 500 suggests excessive dosing; 110 or rising HbA1c GH
This comparison does not assign a generated winner or score.
- IGF-1 (ng/mL)
- 150–350 (age-dependent)
- 300–450 (upper-normal to mildly elevated)
- >500 or <150
- IGF-1 >500 suggests excessive dosing; <150 indicates non-response or underdosing
- Fasting Glucose (mg/dL)
- 70–99
- 85–105 (mild elevation expected)
- >110 or rising HbA1c
- GH antagonises insulin. Mild glucose elevation is normal, but persistent elevation >110 mg/dL warrants dose reduction
- HbA1c (%)
- <5.7
- <5.9
- ≥6.0
- HbA1c ≥6.0% indicates impaired glucose tolerance. Discontinue peptides and reassess metabolic health
- TSH (mIU/L)
- 0.5–4.5
- 0.8–3.5 (slight suppression possible)
- <0.5 or significant drop from baseline
- TSH suppression below 0.5 mIU/L suggests central hypothyroidism from chronic GH excess. Reduce dose or cycle off
- Lipid Panel (mg/dL)
- Total cholesterol <200, LDL <100, HDL >40
- Improved HDL, reduced LDL (GH improves lipid metabolism)
- Rising LDL or triglycerides
- GH typically improves lipid profiles. Worsening lipids may indicate dietary issues or metabolic dysfunction unrelated to peptides
- IGF-1 elevation is the primary success metric. A therapeutically effective CJC-1295 no DAC & Ipamorelin protocol should elevate IGF-1 by 40–100% from baseline within 8–12 weeks. If your baseline IGF-1 is 200 ng/mL and post-protocol is 210 ng/mL, the protocol isn't working. Either the peptides are underdosed, degraded during storage, or you're a non-responder to that particular dosing regimen. Conversely, IGF-1 >500 ng/mL suggests excessive dosing that increases acromegaly risk without additional therapeutic benefit.
- Glucose changes are expected but should remain mild. Fasting glucose rising from 85 mg/dL to 95 mg/dL is normal GH-mediated insulin resistance. Glucose rising from 85 mg/dL to 115 mg/dL is concerning and suggests the peptide protocol is pushing you toward pre-diabetes. HbA1c is the more reliable long-term marker. It integrates glucose control over 90 days. If HbA1c rises from 5.2% to 5.8%, you're approaching pre-diabetic range and should reduce dosing frequency or duration.
- Thyroid suppression happens in approximately 15–20% of subjects running continuous GH-elevating protocols beyond 12 weeks. TSH dropping from 2.0 mIU/L to 0.6 mIU/L is borderline. Monitor closely. TSH dropping below 0.5 mIU/L with unchanged free T3/T4 indicates central suppression, not primary thyroid dysfunction. This resolves within 4–8 weeks after discontinuing peptides, but chronic suppression can reduce metabolic rate and negate some benefits of the GH protocol.