I was told by several people(some on this site) that rips were garbage. This was crappy news for a novice such as myself who had just thrown a tall stack on them. I got achey joints after two days, but was told that didn't mean anything. I retained water, was told that meant squat. I had a serum test done(32.9ng/ml) and Igf-1(178, but I was on another gh just 6 weeks prior) and STILL some said it didn't mean anything. So I waited 4weeks and had my igf-1 tested again. I tried 4ius right off and couldn't handle the sides.
1st week 2ius Ed
2week 2ius ed
3week 3ius Ed
4week 4ius Ed.
My second test came back 391. I would say my stuff is legit. In my opinion, and I'm a newb, serum+igf-1 test could help answer your question. If you don't have insurance you can get both tested for $130 at labcorp.