GH Secretagogues
CJC, Ipamorelin, Sermorelin, MK-677.
Carb cutoff before GHRH injection — how strict
Protocol says no calories 2-3 hours pre-injection for GHRH compounds because elevated insulin blunts GH response. How strict does this have to be? Is 30 grams of carbs 90 min before going to kill my p
Ipa 200 → 300 mcg dose plateau, diminishing returns
Ran Ipa 200 mcg 3x daily for 10 weeks, great response. Bumped to 300 mcg for the last 4 weeks thinking more = more. IGF-1 at end of 200 mcg phase was 246. IGF-1 at end of 300 mcg phase was 254. Subjec
MK-677 — the one pill option, and its baggage
MK-677 (ibutamoren) is the only GHS that works orally. Long half-life, GHSR agonist like Ipa but with very different kinetics — tonic elevation instead of pulsatile. Pros: - One pill, once daily - St
IGF-1 test timing — when to draw
Running CJC+Ipa 3x daily. Planning IGF-1 draw at week 8. When in the cycle (time of day, relation to last dose, fasted or not) gives the most meaningful number?
Prolactin on hexarelin-heavy stack — when to panic
Ran hex 150 mcg 3x daily + CJC no-DAC for 5 weeks. Prolactin at baseline was 9 ng/mL, at week 4 is 31. Reference range top is 20. Not getting gyno symptoms but the number is concerning. Drop hex? Add
Cycle structure — 8 on / 4 off vs 4 on / 2 off
Standard GHS cycle advice is 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off. But I've seen some protocols running 4 on / 2 off on rotation. Is the 8/4 cadence evidence-based or just community convention?
Timing — pre-bed vs AM fasted vs pre-workout
For a 3x/day CJC+Ipa protocol, what's the consensus on timing? Pre-bed is sacred, everyone agrees. But for the other two doses: - AM fasted pre-breakfast (30-45 min before first meal) - Midafternoon
CJC-1295 WITH DAC — who's still running it
DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) extends CJC half-life to 6-8 days. Weekly injection, tonic GH elevation, much easier compliance. With Ipa on DAC protocol, the GHRP is still pulsatile but the GHRH backgro
GH axis suppression fear — will GHS tank my natural production
Worry that's been sitting in my head: if I run GHS for 8 weeks, does my pituitary 'forget how' to pulse GH on its own and I'm stuck needing exogenous support to feel right? Seeing mixed things online
Tesamorelin for visceral fat — off-label protocols and what actually works
Tesamorelin is the only GHRH analog with a real human trial indication (HIV-associated lipodystrophy). 1-2 mg daily, FDA-approved for reducing visceral adipose tissue. The efficacy in that population
GHRP-2 vs GHRP-6 — and when appetite stimulation is a feature
GHRP-6 is infamous for ravenous hunger. GHRP-2 has some appetite effect but way less. Both are older GHRP compounds that have been partially displaced by Ipa and Hexarelin. Where GHRP-6 actually wins
Sleep on GHRH+GHRP is disproportionate to any other effect — why
I've tried every GHS combo. Sermorelin alone, Ipa alone, Hexarelin, CJC+Ipa, MK-677. The single most reproducible effect across all of them is sleep depth. Everything else (body comp, recovery, mood)
CJC-1295 no-DAC + Ipamorelin — the workhorse stack, 3 years of notes
Running CJC no-DAC + Ipa in various cycles since 2022. This is the GHS stack for a reason — it's the only one that reliably moves IGF-1, doesn't spike prolactin or cortisol, and you can run it for yea
Hexarelin — the one nobody talks about honestly
Hexarelin is a GHRP like Ipamorelin but it hits harder and bundles more side effects. Specifically: - Strongest GH pulse of the GHRP class - Also bumps prolactin and cortisol noticeably (unlike Ipa wh
Sermorelin vs Ipamorelin — which actually feels like something
Ran sermorelin 300 mcg pre-bed for 8 weeks. Barely noticed anything. IGF-1 went from 154 to 178. Subjective effects: maybe slightly better sleep, maybe slightly warmer hands. Vague. Swapped to Ipa 20
GHS vs GLP-1 for fat loss — settle this
Seeing a lot of 'GHS for recomp' posts and I want to push back because I've done both back to back and the comparison isn't close. 16 weeks GHS (CJC+Ipa 200/100 3x daily, 8wk on/4wk off, then 8 more