Glucose on GH peptides — what I learned the hard way
33 posts
Public service post because this catches people who don't know to watch for it.
Context: Started a CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin protocol for body comp / sleep stuff. Previously healthy. Normal fasting glucose, HbA1c 5.1.
Timeline:
- Week 0: Started 100mcg CJC / 200mcg Ipa pre-bed.
- Week 4: Fasting glucose 94 (from baseline ~85). CGM showing morning spikes.
- Week 8: FBG 103. Ran a repeat HbA1c — 5.5.
- Week 10: Stopped. Within 3 weeks FBG was back to 87.
What happened: GHRH + GHRP combo pushes GH/IGF-1 up, GH is counter-regulatory to insulin, insulin sensitivity degrades, fasting glucose drifts. This is textbook and I should have known, but I didn't, and nobody who sold me the vials mentioned it.
Mitigations I've since learned:
- Morning dose, not pre-bed (less overnight GH exposure overlapping with dawn phenomenon).
- Lower doses than the standard 100/200 — some people fine on 50/100.
- CGM baseline before starting, monitor during.
- Metformin is an option but if you need it, reconsider whether you need the peptide.
- Time-restricted eating seems protective.
What I'd tell new users: if you're using GH peptides for 'longevity,' you're trading tomorrow's aging for today's insulin resistance. Think hard about that tradeoff.
What's your experience? Anyone run long-term without this showing up?
17 Replies
46 posts
Linking this thread in the beginner FAQ. The glucose/GH tradeoff is underdiscussed relative to how common this protocol is.
- Sermorelin · 200 mcg · 5x/wk AM · sub-Q
- BPC-157 · 250 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
205 posts
Agree with all of this. The only thing I'd add: the effect is dose- and frequency-dependent. 100/200 every night is a heavy protocol. 50/100 3x/week is much gentler and gets most of the GH pulse benefit with less metabolic cost.
- 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
32 posts
I've had patients on low-dose tirzepatide + GH peptides for body comp reasons. Anecdotally the glucose degradation is blunted. Also the weight loss from GLP-1 can be so aggressive that combining it with a muscle-preserving GH agent makes sense. I'd still monitor FBG and HbA1c quarterly.
44 posts
Anyone running GH peptides alongside a GLP-1? I'd bet that combo is protective on the glucose side but nobody I know has characterized it.
- Tirzepatide · 5 mg · weekly · sub-Q
27 posts
Running MK-677 (oral GHRP mimetic) is even worse on this axis because it's 24/7 elevation. People think because it's oral it's lighter and the opposite is true metabolically.
- Sermorelin · 300 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
94 posts
My protocol now: CJC only (no Ipa), morning, 100mcg MWF. GH pulse is smaller but glucose stays put. Split the difference.
- CJC-1295 no DAC · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- BPC-157 · 250 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
33 posts
Great point on the lipids. My ApoB was up ~8% at week 8 and I attributed it to other variables. In retrospect almost certainly partial peptide contribution.
31 posts
One thing I don't see discussed: GH peptides can also nudge ApoB and lipids in some people. Glucose is the loud signal, lipids are the quiet one. Check both.
12 posts
Running CJC-only MWF for a year, FBG stable, HbA1c stable. This is the protocol to use if you want GH benefits without the metabolic cost. I wouldn't run the heavy combo ever again.
115 posts
Worth noting that the GH/insulin-resistance relationship is one of the better-established findings in endocrinology. This isn't controversial or peptide-specific. Exogenous GH has done this in acromegalics since forever.
19 posts
This thread is why I chickened out of starting CJC/Ipa last fall. Saved me from a mess I didn't fully understand.
36 posts
In 2019 I ran CJC/Ipa for 14 months and ended up prediabetic. Took 8 months off and aggressive diet/exercise to get A1c back under 5.5. Don't repeat my mistake.
- Tesamorelin · 1 mg · daily AM · sub-Q
33 posts
4-6 weeks at moderate doses is unlikely to cause lasting issues. The degradation is cumulative. But baseline + recheck is always worth the $30.
27 posts
How much of this applies to short-term use purely for injury recovery? 4-6 weeks?
8 posts