MK-677 — the one pill option, and its baggage
46 posts
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
- Strong IGF-1 response (often 50-80% increase at 25 mg)
- Good sleep effect (GHSR agonism, same mechanism as Ipa)
Cons:
- Water retention at 25 mg is pronounced. Wrist puffiness, morning bloat.
- Hunger increase is real and persistent — not a short-term side effect
- Insulin resistance and fasting glucose bump, significant in some people
- Tonic elevation disrupts natural pulsatile GH architecture more than injectable GHS
My take: great for someone who will never stick to injection schedule. Not ideal for people who can inject — CJC+Ipa gives most of the benefit without the water/hunger/glucose problems. What's the panel think?
7 Replies
205 posts
Solid summary. The tonic vs pulsatile point is the most important — MK-677 at continuous agonism downregulates the GHSR partially over time, which is why people report 'it stops working after 8 weeks.' Injectable GHRP pulses preserve receptor sensitivity much better.
- 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
33 posts
The glucose response is a real concern. I ran MK 25 mg for 10 weeks, fasting glucose went from 84 to 104, HOMA-IR from 1.1 to 2.3. Not prediabetic but clearly worse. Reversed within 4 weeks off.
31 posts
The hunger is the disqualifier for cutting. People put MK in their cut stack and then wonder why they can't hit macros. MK is a bulk-only compound for most.
41 posts
Dose-dependence on side effects is steep. MK at 10 mg is mostly tolerable. At 25 mg the water retention becomes real. A lot of people who hate MK ran it too high.
119 posts
MK-677 is the compound most likely to make a novice overestimate what GHS can do — IGF-1 bump looks great on paper, weight goes up, appetite is up, 'I must be growing.' Actually mostly water, some LBM maybe, mostly not what they think. Needs careful expectation management.