Steroid blood test & IPED monitoring · Dundee · Adults 18+

A steroid blood test, without the lecture.

A steroid blood test shows what androgen use is doing to your hormones, liver, kidneys, cholesterol and blood — usually well before you would feel anything at all. Thinking about starting, mid-cycle, or ten years in: we are not here to talk you out of it. We are here to check what is actually happening, so problems get caught early instead of found out the hard way.

Book a free 10-minute call
Call 07857 761328

This service is for adults aged 18 and over only. We cannot test, monitor or advise anyone under 18 on IPED use.

Confidential
Non-judgemental
Results explained in person
Repeat every 8–12 weeks

1Why a baseline matters
2Pros and cons of testing
3What is in the panel
4What we screen for
5How it works
6Prices and FAQs

Regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland

GMC-registered doctors

Results explained face to face

Dundee city centre · adults 18+

Start here

Steroids, androgens, IPEDs — what we mean

Same group of drugs. Different words, depending on who is talking.

IPEDs — image and performance enhancing drugs — is the umbrella term now used for substances people take to change how their body looks or performs, rather than for a diagnosed medical condition. It covers anabolic steroids, growth hormone, peptides, SARMs, and the fat-loss and hormone-modulating drugs often run alongside them.

Anabolic steroids are the biggest group within that. In current clinical guidance you will see them called androgens or anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). We use those terms on this page where the clinical detail matters, and plain English everywhere else.

Most people searching for this end up typing something like “steroid blood test”, “steroid bloods” or “blood work before a cycle”. That is what this page is about. If you are using other IPEDs alongside androgens, tell us — some need extra or different monitoring.

Adults 18 and over only

This is not a judgement about anyone’s age or training. It is a clinical and legal boundary we do not move. If you are under 18, we cannot offer you testing, monitoring or advice on IPED use, and we would encourage you to speak to your own GP.

You do not need a referral

This is a standalone monitoring service. It does not change your registration with your own GP, and we will not contact anyone without your say-so. If a result needs someone else to see it, we will discuss that with you first.

The point of a baseline

Why a steroid blood test matters more than how you feel

Feeling fine and having normal bloods are two different things.

A baseline is simply a set of results taken before you start, or as close to the start as you can manage. On its own it does not tell you much. Its value is entirely in what it lets us compare against later.

Androgens affect your hormones, liver, kidneys, cholesterol, red blood cells and heart. Two people can feel exactly the same and have completely different bloods underneath — one on a first cycle, one five years in.

That is why the comparison matters. Test you once, and a result outside the range only tells us something is off. Test you against your own baseline, and the same result tells us three things: how far it has moved, how quickly, and whether it is going somewhere we need to act on.

This is not about scaring you, and we are not going to pretend monitoring makes androgen use safe. It is a tracking tool. Most of what androgens do to your blood results happens quietly, and the heart and circulation are the clearest example — those changes build over years and give very little warning along the way.¹

Three moments a steroid blood test earns its keep

Before you start

Test first and any change we see afterwards can be put down to the drugs, rather than guessing at what normal ever looked like for you.

During a cycle

Repeat testing catches rising blood pressure, deteriorating liver function or a lipid profile heading the wrong way while it is still reversible.

After you stop

A clear before-and-after lets us tell you honestly what is likely to recover on its own and what may need active management.

Already started? Come anyway.

Later is better than never. A first panel taken mid-cycle still gives us a fixed point to track from, and it still picks up anything that already needs attention.

The honest picture

The pros and cons of a steroid blood test

We would rather be straight with you than oversell it. Testing is not free, not painless, and not a guarantee.

What testing genuinely gives you

Early warning instead of late discovery. High blood pressure, an unfavourable cholesterol shift, liver strain, thickening of the blood — these develop quietly. Regular bloods are the only realistic way to see them coming.
An informed decision, properly informed. Some effects reverse if caught early and use is stopped or adjusted. Others become permanent the longer they are left. Knowing which one you are looking at changes what “informed” actually means for you.
Protection from wrong conclusions later. If you ever have a health scare, pre-use bloods on file help a doctor work out whether it is related to IPED use, unrelated, or something you already had — rather than starting from nothing.
A confidential, non-judgemental review. You do not have to justify your decision to use IPEDs in order to be monitored for it.

What a steroid blood test will not do

A normal result is not a green light. Bloods show what they are designed to measure, at the moment they are taken. A normal panel today does not rule out something developing before your next one.
Blood tests carry their own small risks. Bruising and discomfort are common; fainting or a minor infection at the needle site are rare. That applies to any blood draw.
Testing does not reduce the underlying risk. The cardiovascular, hormonal, liver and psychiatric risks of androgen use exist whether or not you get tested. Monitoring catches problems. It does not prevent the process causing them.
Some changes are only partly reversible, or not at all — even when picked up early. Certain hormonal and physical changes persist well after stopping.
It is a running cost, not a one-off. A proper panel plus repeats every 8–12 weeks is an ongoing commitment. We think it is worth it, and it is only fair to say so plainly.

Our view, for what it is worth

For almost anyone using IPEDs, the benefits of monitoring clearly outweigh the downsides — which is why we offer it and why we recommend it. But the decision to test, like the decision to use, is yours.

The panel

What is in the steroid blood test, and why

Nothing on this list is filler. Each test tracks a specific, recognised effect of androgen use.

Core steroid blood test panel

Test	What it is looking for
Hormone profile — total and free testosterone, LH, FSH, oestradiol, prolactin, SHBG	Androgen use suppresses your own hormone production through feedback on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. A baseline shows what your hormones looked like before suppression starts, so we can track how far it goes and, later, how well it recovers.
PSA (prostate-specific antigen)	Androgens act on prostate tissue. A baseline PSA gives a reference point for any future check.
Full blood count (FBC)	Androgen use drives red blood cell production and can increase platelet stickiness — both raise clotting risk. The FBC is one of the earliest and most sensitive markers of this.
Urea and electrolytes (U&E)	Kidney function and salt and water balance. Androgen use is associated with sodium and fluid retention, and sustained high blood pressure damages the kidneys over time.
Liver function tests (LFT), including gamma-GT	Liver strain, particularly with oral 17-alpha-alkylated compounds. Gamma-GT is more liver-specific than the other enzymes, which also rise from muscle breakdown after heavy training.
Thyroid function (TFT)	Thyroid status affects metabolism and can cause — or be mistaken for — fatigue, mood change and weight fluctuation that get attributed to IPED use.
HbA1c	Androgens and growth hormone can raise blood glucose at supratherapeutic doses. HbA1c averages the last two to three months rather than giving a single snapshot.
Lipid profile	Androgen use commonly lowers protective HDL cholesterol and raises LDL. It is one of the most consistent findings in the literature and a direct contributor to long-term cardiovascular risk.

Added where they are relevant

Test	When we would suggest it
Heart rhythm recording	If you report palpitations, skipped beats or an irregular pulse. We use a six-lead handheld recorder in clinic and go through the trace with you the same visit. See our heart rhythm recording page for exactly what it does and does not pick up.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV screening	If you inject — and particularly if needles, vials, barrels or any other equipment have ever been shared, even once, even years ago.
Creatine kinase (CK)	If you are getting muscle-related symptoms, to separate muscle breakdown from genuine liver enzyme changes on your LFTs.
Repeat FBC with differential, or a clotting screen	If your baseline count shows a significantly raised red cell count or haematocrit.
Blood pressure and brief physical examination	Taken alongside your bloods at the baseline appointment, and worth repeating each time we review your panel. Androgens raise vascular resistance and blood pressure, and blood pressure left high for years does more quiet damage than almost anything else on this page.

What no ECG can tell you

Thickening of the heart muscle is the change most people want ruled out, and no ECG rules it out. Tested against ultrasound scans in androgen users specifically, the best ECG criteria picked up only about a third of thickened hearts — and that was on a full hospital 12-lead.³ Only an echocardiogram answers that question properly, and we do not perform one.

What we do is a six-lead rhythm recording, which is good at exactly that: atrial fibrillation, skipped beats, an irregular pulse. If your history or symptoms point towards a structural problem, we will say so plainly and put it in writing, so you can take it to your GP or a cardiologist.

We will not push tests you do not need

You see the reason for every test before anything is taken. If something is unlikely to add useful information for you, we will say so rather than adding it to the bill.

System by system

What a steroid blood test screens for

General information from the clinical literature, not a prediction about you. Individual risk varies enormously with dose, compound, duration and route.

Heart and circulation

Raised blood pressure, unfavourable cholesterol changes, thickening of the heart muscle, arrhythmias, increased clotting risk and accelerated narrowing of the arteries. Long-term, this is where the most serious risk sits, which is why blood pressure and lipids are on every repeat panel.¹ Many of these changes reverse if they are caught and dealt with early. Some structural ones do not.

Hormones and fertility

Androgens switch off your own testosterone production while you are taking them. In men that usually means the testicles shrink, sperm count falls, and breast tissue can develop. In women it changes periods, and some effects on the voice, body hair and clitoris do not reverse.

How well things come back depends mostly on how long you have used. Under a year, most men recover within months of stopping. After several years it can take far longer, and it is not always complete.

Liver

Usually mild enzyme changes that settle on their own. Oral 17-alpha-alkylated compounds put the most strain on the liver, and can occasionally slow bile flow enough to cause jaundice and itching. Enzymes that keep climbing across two or three panels are the ones worth acting on early.

Mood and mental health

Mood swings, irritability and anxiety while using, and occasionally something more serious. Low mood in the weeks after a cycle ends is common and usually settles on its own. It can also be hard enough that people start the next cycle sooner than they meant to. If that is where you are, tell us — it is far easier to manage than to ride out.

Skin and appearance

Some reversible: acne, oily skin. Some not: hairline recession, stretch marks, voice changes, and hair growth patterns in women.

Infection

Risk from shared needles or equipment, independent of the drug itself, plus local infection or abscess at injection sites.

None of this is an argument against testing

It is the argument for it. This is exactly why regular monitoring matters more here than it would for most medications — and why we would rather see you every eight to twelve weeks than not at all.

How it works

How often, and what happens next

Four steps. No results sent by text with no explanation attached.

Baseline test, ideally before you start

Bloods taken in clinic in Dundee, with your blood pressure and a brief physical check at the same appointment. If you have already started, we take the baseline now — later is better than never.

Results reviewed and explained in person

We go through every result with you: what it means, what is normal for you, and what — if anything — needs attention. You leave with it written down.

Repeat panel every 8 to 12 weeks

While you are using, we recommend repeating the core panel on that schedule so we are tracking trends rather than single snapshots. A number moving fast matters more than a number sitting slightly outside the range.

Ongoing, and still judgement-free

If something needs a closer look — with us or with a specialist — we will tell you plainly and put it in writing for you to take with you. Should you decide to stop or change what you are using, we can track your recovery the same way.

When to seek urgent care

Chest pain, breathlessness at rest, fainting, or signs of a serious infection at an injection site are not things to wait for a routine appointment for. Contact NHS 111, or 999 if it is severe.

Prices

What a steroid blood test costs

All-inclusive: the appointment, the doctor’s time, the laboratory fees and the results consultation.

What you get	Price
Baseline panel — the core tests above	Quoted on requestBloods taken in clinic, laboratory fees included
Baseline panel plus blood pressure and physical review	Quoted on requestThe full first appointment, including your results consultation
Repeat panel, every 8 to 12 weeks	Quoted on requestCore panel repeated so we can track the trend
Added tests — heart rhythm recording, hepatitis and HIV screening, creatine kinase	Quoted on requestPriced individually and agreed with you before anything is taken

We quote this panel directly rather than listing one price here, because what you actually need depends on what you are using and how long for. Call or WhatsApp us and you will have a figure before you book anything. Nothing is ever added to your bill without you agreeing to it first, and if a test is unlikely to tell us anything useful for you, we will say so. Our full fee list shows every other service we offer.

Get a price before you book

Call or WhatsApp 07857 761328 for a quote, or send us a message through the contact page. You can also talk to a GP first: the free 10-minute call costs nothing, with ten slots released each week from 8am to 8pm.

Call or WhatsApp for a quote
Message us instead

Before you book

Questions people actually ask

Mostly about confidentiality, and about whether we are going to lecture them. The answer to the second one is no.

Confidentiality and judgement

Will you try to talk me out of using?

No. We will always be honest with you about the risks, and we will support you properly if you ever want to stop. But this service exists to help you monitor your health, not to pressure your decision in either direction.

Do I have to tell you everything I am using?

It helps enormously — we cannot interpret a hormone panel well without knowing what is in you and for how long. But we are not going to judge you for it, and it stays confidential. The more accurate the picture, the more useful the monitoring.

Will this go on my NHS record, or get back to my own GP?

Not without your agreement. This is a private service and your records stay with us. If we find something that genuinely needs your GP or a specialist to know, we will explain why and ask you first. In an emergency, normal duty-of-care rules apply, as they would with any doctor.

Do I need a referral, or to register with you as my main GP?

Neither. This is a standalone monitoring service and it does not affect your registration with your usual GP.

The steroid blood test itself

I feel completely fine. Do I still need a steroid blood test?

Yes, and that is rather the point. Most of what we are checking for causes no symptoms until it is advanced — blood pressure, cholesterol, early liver and kidney change, and a rising red cell count all sit silently for a long time. Feeling fine and having normal bloods are two separate things.

Is this only for anabolic steroids, or other IPEDs too?

The core panel is built around androgen use specifically. If you are also using growth hormone, peptides, SARMs, or fat-loss or hormone-modulating drugs, tell us — some of those need additional or different monitoring, and we will adjust the panel rather than pretending one list covers everything.

Can women use this service?

Yes. The panel is adjusted — the hormone profile differs, PSA does not apply, and we would discuss menstrual changes and the effects that are not reversible. Everything else about how we work is the same.

Is this the same as TRT monitoring?

There is a lot of overlap in the bloods, but it is not the same conversation. Prescribed testosterone replacement at physiological doses and supratherapeutic IPED use carry different risks and different monitoring priorities. Tell us which you are doing and we will test accordingly.

What if something comes back abnormal?

We explain exactly what it means, what — if anything — needs to change, and whether it warrants specialist review. Plenty of the changes we find are manageable or reversible when they are caught early, which is the whole reason for testing on a schedule.

Practical

Is there an age limit?

Yes. This service is for adults aged 18 and over only. We cannot test, monitor or advise anyone under 18 on IPED use.

Where do I go, and how long does it take?

The HEAL Physiotherapy Building, 14 Dudhope Street, Dundee DD1 1JU. Allow a full appointment for the baseline — bloods, blood pressure and a brief examination, plus time to talk properly about what you are using.

How do I book a steroid blood test?

Start with the free 10-minute call if you want to ask questions first, or book an appointment directly. You can also phone or WhatsApp 07857 761328, or email care@ourgp.co.uk.

Evidence

Where this steroid blood test panel comes from

Not our invention. It follows published primary care guidance.

The core panel on this page follows the 2024 clinical practice guideline for primary care published in the British Journal of General Practice, which sets out the essential blood tests for patients using androgenic anabolic steroids: testosterone, oestradiol, liver function, HbA1c, urea and electrolytes with blood pressure, full blood count, and lipids.¹ We add thyroid function, PSA and SHBG because they change how the rest is interpreted.

It follows the same harm-reduction principle used by NHS services such as the Edinburgh Steroid Clinic: adults who continue to use IPEDs still benefit from monitoring and support, whether or not they intend to stop.² That model works, and we see no reason for people in Dundee and Tayside to have to travel for it.

The monitoring interval we recommend, and the guidance on when a result needs repeating rather than referring, come from the same guideline. It exists partly because interpreting these results without clinical context leads to unnecessary referrals — which is another good argument for having the same clinician look at your bloods each time.

Where a steroid blood test stops being enough

Where the evidence says a test will not do the job, we say so on this page rather than quietly leaving it out. That is why the heart section is worded the way it is: no ECG, ours or a hospital one, reliably detects a thickened heart muscle in androgen users, so we point you towards a scan instead of implying we have covered it.³

Gibbons J, et al. Essential blood testing in the patient using androgenic anabolic steroids: a clinical practice guideline for primary care. British Journal of General Practice 2024;74(741):187. bjgp.org/content/74/741/187
NHS Lothian Harm Reduction Team, Edinburgh Steroid Clinic. services.nhslothian.scot/harmreductionteam/edinburgh-steroid-clinic
Evaluating ECG criteria for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy in anabolic-androgenic steroid users. JACC: Advances 2025. The best-performing ECG criteria reached 31 to 34 per cent sensitivity against echocardiography, and the authors recommend echocardiography for long-term users. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12830151
BMJ Best Practice. Anabolic steroid use disorder — clinical overview of diagnosis, investigations, monitoring and complications of androgen use.

OUR GP is the trading name of SRS Health Group Limited, an independent clinic regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. All our doctors are on the GMC register. This page gives general information about a health monitoring service. It is not medical advice on whether to start, continue or stop using image and performance enhancing drugs, and it is not an endorsement of their use.

This service is for adults aged 18 and over only. Which tests are appropriate for you is a clinical decision made with a doctor at your appointment, and no result can rule out every possible harm. Prices are quoted to you directly and confirmed before anything is taken. If you have chest pain, are breathless at rest, are fainting, or have signs of a spreading infection at an injection site, do not wait for an appointment — contact NHS 111, or 999 if severe.