Hey everyone,
Following up on my previous posts regarding my lab rat’s Tesamorelin protocol. We are currently finishing Week 3 of the study, and I’m looking for some collective wisdom on managing the ceiling for the remaining 9 weeks.
Current Subject Stats & Labs:
- Protocol: 1mg Tesamorelin daily.
- Baseline IGF-1: 200 (Z-score: +0.2).
- Current Observations: The subject is tolerating the 1mg dose remarkably well. No edema, no carpal tunnel symptoms, and zero joint sensitivity noted in the logs so far.
The Research Dilemma:
The subject is scheduled for mid-point bloodwork next week. Based on the lack of side effects and the subject's initial responsiveness, I am anticipating an IGF-1 reading of 300+ . This would push the rat significantly past the upper reference range (~293 ) for its age bracket.
I am planning a 12-week total duration for this run, but I’m debating whether to keep the pedal down:
- Path A: Maintain 1mg/day and hold the IGF-1 at 300+ for the full 12 weeks.
- Path B: Titrate the dose down to 0.5mg/day to bring the IGF-1 back into a "high-normal" range (approx. 260–280 ).
Questions for the Community:
- For those who have pushed a subject into the supraphysiological range (300+ ), did you find the benefits to visceral adipose tissue reduction were significantly better than the 270 range, or is it a case of diminishing returns?
- If the subject is currently "side-effect free" at Week 3, is it common for the standard Tesa sides (water retention/glucose issues) to manifest later in the cycle if the dose isn't lowered?
- Given that Tesa's efficacy is dependent on the subject's endogenous pituitary response rather than being linear, is there any research-backed reason to avoid keeping the IGF-1 elevated at 300+ for the full 12-week block?
I’m trying to decide if "more is better" for this specific subject or if I should play it safe and keep the rat within a more natural peak. Any data points from your own labs would be appreciated!