Is it normal to feel worse before better? Nobody told me that.

Print the page. Not on a coverage denial but the pattern is familiar.

Worth repeating that this is not medical advice and the answer often depends on who you are.

This is the kind of post the forum exists for.

Personal experience, labelled as such, is exactly right here. Nobody is prescribing.

Is a baseline blood test really necessary before starting something like this?

Photograph everything before you open it. Ten seconds, settles most disputes.