Tesamorelin for visceral fat — off-label protocols and what actually works
34 posts
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 is strong.
Off-label for non-HIV visceral fat: some people swear by it, some think it's no better than CJC no-DAC. I'm running it for the first time and want to hear from people who've done direct comparisons or have before/after imaging.
My protocol: Tesa 1.4 mg pre-bed, Sub-Q abdomen, 12 weeks planned. Starting waist 39.5", DEXA at week 0 and week 12 for visceral AT measurement specifically.
10 Replies
212 posts
Tesamorelin has unique affinity and pharmacokinetics that CJC no-DAC doesn't match. It's not just 'another GHRH analog.' The visceral AT reduction in Egrifta trials was 15-20% in 26 weeks, which is not a placebo-sized effect.
The off-label case outside HIV is less characterized but the mechanism is the same — tesa drives stronger and more sustained IGF-1 elevation than sermorelin/CJC. You'd expect similar visceral effects in non-HIV populations with visceral adiposity.
- CJC-1295 no DAC · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
34 posts
@dexa_devotee that delta is encouraging. Did your IGF run high on it? I'm watching that because 1.4 mg feels like it should push IGF harder than what I see people report.
47 posts
Ran tesa 1.4 mg 14 weeks, paired DEXA. Visceral AT: -18.2%. Subcutaneous abdominal: -6%. Total body fat: -3.8%. Waist: -1.4". That's the ratio people should understand — tesa hits visceral disproportionately.
47 posts
@apob_reader IGF went from 192 to 298 at week 8, held 280s through end. That's higher than CJC+Ipa would typically get me. Tesa pushes harder at the pituitary.
35 posts
Tesa tends to transiently worsen insulin sensitivity more than CJC/Ipa. Watch fasting glucose. It usually normalizes after discontinuation but can be uncomfortable mid-cycle.
117 posts
Non-HIV off-label tesa doesn't have the RCT backing of the on-label use. Mechanism-wise it should work but expect the effect size to be different in different populations. Non-HIV visceral fat has different drivers than HIV lipodystrophy.
34 posts
Factoring in the glucose warning. Adding fasting glucose weekly and A1c at week 6 and 12.
73 posts
Tesa + CJC/Ipa at the same time is overkill and often degrades outcomes because you're overdriving GHRH receptor. Pick one GHRH — either tesa OR CJC, not both. Ipa can stack with either.
- BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
- GHK-Cu · 2 mg · nightly topical · topical
20 posts
yeah the glucose thing is making me hesitate a bit. been reading that tesa can tank insulin sensitivity for some people mid-cycle and I'm already borderline pre-diabetic from years of being dumb. thinking of just doing the weekly fasting glucose monitoring like @apob_reader mentioned but also gonna ask my doc if an A1c baseline before I start would be smart. has anyone here had to bail on tesa early because of glucose issues or did it all come back normal after you stopped?