Sermorelin
Taken to lift growth hormone
GHRH 1-29, formerly Geref
Match every finding to its exact substance, formulation, route and study population. A related molecule or approved medicine does not validate a catalog vial.
Simplified drawing of a chain of 29 amino acids
At a glance
Why people take it. And what backs it up.
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Boost growth hormone with age
Early human studies
Anti-aging clinics prescribe nightly shots to offset age-related growth hormone decline; in old men, two weeks of shots reversed that decline.
Sources (3)
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“this compound effectively stimulates the production and release of HGH, which is crucial for maintaining various bodily functions and combating the effects of HGH decline associated with aging.”
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ForumReddit r/Peptides: reply in a thymosin alpha-1 dosing thread (November 2021) (opens in a new tab)
“I currently take sermorelin 2mg mixed with 2mls water. I inject 0. 3ml per evening for anti aging results.”
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“short term sc administration of GHRH to healthy old men reverses age-related decreases in GH and IGF-I”
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Build muscle, trim fat
Small study: slight strength gain only
Many hope for more muscle and less fat, as a gentler alternative to growth hormone shots.
Sources (4)
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ClinicAgelessRx (longevity telehealth): Sermorelin Injection page (opens in a new tab)
“Supports energy, lean muscle mass, and strength by encouraging the body to replenish its own growth hormone gradually—without the risks of synthetic HGH.”
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ClinicElite Health Center NYC (clinic): “Sermorelin Dosage Calculator” (opens in a new tab)
“Bodybuilders often turn to Sermorelin to support muscle growth, fat loss, and recovery.”
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“Two of six measures of muscle strength, upright row (P < .02) and shoulder press (P < .04), and a test of muscle endurance, abdominal crunch (P < .03), improved.”
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TrialVittone et al., Metabolism, 1997 (PubMed abstract): body composition (opens in a new tab)
“GHRH treatment did not change weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, DEXA measures of muscle and fat”
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Sleep deeper
People report it, not studied
Many take it at bedtime partly for deeper sleep, a benefit clinics often promote.
Sources (3)
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ForumReddit r/Peptides: reply in “Anybody here used DSIP for sleep?” (November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
“Sermorelin gives me deep sleep and clear headedness in the morning”
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ForumReddit r/Peptides: reply in “DSIP is disappointing” (May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
“I researched and went against DSIP and got Sermorelin instead. Best sleep I’ve had since I was a kid.”
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ClinicElite Health Center NYC (clinic): “Sermorelin Dosage Calculator” (opens in a new tab)
“When used under medical supervision, Sermorelin peptide therapy can help support lean muscle growth, boost metabolism, and improve sleep and overall vitality.”
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Recover faster
People report it, not studied
Active people and bodybuilders use it hoping to recover faster from hard training.
Sources (2)
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“It aids in quicker recovery and faster muscle gain, making physical activity more manageable and providing additional energy for challenging workouts.”
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ClinicElite Health Center NYC (clinic): “Sermorelin Dosage Calculator” (opens in a new tab)
“Bodybuilders often turn to Sermorelin to support muscle growth, fat loss, and recovery.”
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Evidence briefing
Sources checkedWhat the sources support.
Sermorelin acetate was historically FDA-approved as Geref, including for childhood growth-hormone deficiency. Products were discontinued in 2008 and approval withdrawn effective June 2009; FDA found no safety/effectiveness basis for withdrawal. Current products are not the former Geref.
Historical approval does not establish adult anti-aging benefit or approve current preparations.
The research. What’s been studied.
TapClick a dotted word to see what it means.
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Early human studies
Historical pediatric use
Geref was previously approved for children with growth-hormone deficiency, but that product’s FDA approval was withdrawn in 2009.
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Early human studies
Adult body-composition research
Small, older studies reported changes in or lean body mass; they do not establish an approved anti-aging use.
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Unverified
Current approval status
Sermorelin is not currently an FDA-approved medicine. Past approval of Geref does not approve compounded or research products.
What do these labels mean?
- Human evidence: approved-drug data or larger human studies, within the populations and uses studied.
- Early human studies: small, preliminary or limited human studies.
- Animal & lab studies: animal or laboratory findings that do not establish effects in people.
- Unverified: a proposed use or claim without verified supporting clinical evidence.
How each claim was reviewed (4)
Reported effects and evidence.
A citation may support, qualify or correct a claim. Read the study scope; a laboratory result is not an established benefit in people. Each review covers a claim as it was first collected; the tiles above show the collection’s current wording.
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Human pharmacodynamic / pediatric trial evidence
Review of “Natural growth hormone release”
Sermorelin stimulates pituitary growth-hormone release; describe observed timing only for the cited study.
Limitations and applicability. GHRH stimulation does not prove that every administration reproduces a normal physiological pulse pattern.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Natural growth hormone release
Signals the pituitary to release GH in its normal pulses.
Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record sermorelin:benefit:1 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Historical pediatric clinical evidence
Review of “Growth in children”
Historical pediatric trials studied growth in children with growth-hormone deficiency. Label Geref approval as historical and indication-specific.
Limitations and applicability. Past product approval must be separated from current marketed availability and adult use.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Growth in children
Was an approved treatment that increased growth in children with growth-hormone deficiency.
Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record sermorelin:benefit:2 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Small older human studies; mixed molecular identities
Review of “Body composition in older adults”
Older GHRH studies were small and mixed. Do not attribute lean-mass or IGF-1 benefits to sermorelin without matching the exact tested analogue.
Limitations and applicability. The 11-man GHRH-(1-29) study found no IGF-1 or body-composition change. Another trial used an Nle27-substituted analogue, requiring identity qualification.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Body composition in older adults
Small, older studies in older adults found higher IGF-1 and modest gains in lean body mass.
Original label: early. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record sermorelin:benefit:3 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Unknown — no direct primary source verified. Unsupported comparative safety claim
Review of “Built-in safety limits”
Sermorelin acts through the pituitary. A lower risk of hormone excess versus injected GH has not been established by the sources verified here.
Limitations and applicability. No direct comparison establishing lower excess-GH risk was verified. Physiological feedback is not clinical safety proof.
Unknown: no direct primary source verified. This does not mean that no research exists.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Built-in safety limits
Your body’s feedback system still limits GH, lowering the risk of excess compared with injecting GH itself.
Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record sermorelin:benefit:4 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
The research in detail
Evidence category
Small or older human studies
Geref sermorelin products were discontinued by the sponsor in 2008; FDA withdrew the approvals effective June 18, 2009, and determined they were not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons. Pediatric growth-hormone deficiency was a historical indication. Adult anti-aging claims rest on small, older studies.
Evidence is assessed claim by claim above. Regulatory approval, study design, findings and relevance are separate questions; there is no single evidence score.
Risks and unknowns. What to know first.
Collected cautions follow. These are not an exhaustive or independently validated safety assessment; claim references do not automatically support every caution.
- Injection-site reactions, flushing and headache.
- The general concerns about long-term raised IGF-1 apply.
What people report
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User reports
A user reported bright-red flushing and being wide awake all night after a bedtime 200 mcg dose, then weeks of poor sleep and a resting heart rate up by about 10–20 beats a minute.
Source: Reddit r/Sermorelin: “Sensitive to Sermorelin” (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
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Case report
An FDA review of its adverse-event database found a report of lasting elbow joint pain in a man injecting a compounded ipamorelin + sermorelin product for two months.
Source: FDA briefing document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, 29 October 2024 (opens in a new tab)
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User reports
One user who switched from tesamorelin reported IGF-1 falling from 276 to 114 ng/mL while on 500 mcg sermorelin plus ipamorelin.
Source: Reddit r/Sermorelin: “IGF has crashed while taking Sermorelin” (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Published dosing records. What the trials used.
Historical label and trial records for the named product, route, population and indication. These records are not a personal schedule or a validated regimen for a catalog vial. Source attribution does not establish applicability.
Geref trial (children)
Growth hormone deficiency in children: the Geref International Study Group trial (1996) in 110 previously untreated children who had not reached puberty
Source: Thorner et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 (Geref International Study Group) (opens in a new tab)
- Every day
- 30 mcg/kg
- How
- Injection under the skin
- How often
- Once a day, at bedtime
- How long
- Up to 1 year in the trial
- This was a children’s dose. Sermorelin was never approved to treat adults: the FDA says Geref was approved only to treat short stature from growth hormone deficiency in children.
- The dose is 30 mcg for each kilogram of the child’s body weight.
- In the trial, average growth speed rose from 4.1 cm a year before treatment to 7.2 cm a year after 12 months.
These doses were tested in clinical trials under medical supervision. They aren’t approved for use, and a research vial is not the product that was tested.
Community protocols. Reported online. Not clinically validated.
Community reports Collection date: 30 Sep 2026The standard clinic and telehealth protocol is 200–300 mcg injected under the skin at bedtime, often 5 nights a week, for 3–6 months, sometimes raised to 400–500 mcg.
More about this
Older bodybuilding-forum advice says sermorelin works poorly alone and pairs it with a growth-hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP).
Nightly anti-aging protocol
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Clinic: Perfect B clinic: “Sermorelin Dosage: What the Charts Leave Out”
- Clinic: Eden (telehealth clinic): sermorelin dosage guide
- Clinic: Elite Health Center NYC: sermorelin dosage
- Forum: Reddit r/Sermorelin: “IGF-1 Levels: what should I aim for?” (September 2026)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- 200–300 mcg (0.2–0.3 mg); sometimes raised to 400–500 mcg
- How often
- Once a day at bedtime; many clinics use 5 nights a week
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- Timing
- Bedtime, on an empty stomach
- How long
- 3–6 months
- Ramp
- Some start at 100 mcg and move to 200–300 mcg
- A clinic writing about this dose says it comes from compounding-pharmacy practice, not from an adult dosing guideline.
- Syringe “units” depend on how much water is added, and unit confusion is common in forum posts.
Sources (4)
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ClinicPerfect B clinic: “Sermorelin Dosage: What the Charts Leave Out” (opens in a new tab)
“The figure repeated across nearly every sermorelin dosage chart online is 0.2 mg to 0.3 mg, injected subcutaneously once daily at bedtime, sometimes escalating toward 0.5 mg.”
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ClinicEden (telehealth clinic): sermorelin dosage guide (opens in a new tab)
“Standard treatment protocol involves 0.2 ml (300 mcg) administered five nights per week”
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ClinicElite Health Center NYC: sermorelin dosage (opens in a new tab)
“Adjusted up to 0.4 to 0.5 mg per day based on individual response.”
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ForumReddit r/Sermorelin: “IGF-1 Levels: what should I aim for?” (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
“I started at 100 mcg and just upped to 200 mcg.”
Paired with a GHRP
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Forum: Reddit r/Peptides wiki (Datbtrue article archive)
- Forum: Reddit r/Peptides wiki (Datbtrue article archive)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- About 100 mcg of each peptide per shot (the forum “saturation dose”)
- How often
- Once to three times a day
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- Timing
- Before bed; extra doses after workouts or in the morning
- Ramp
- Start with one bedtime dose at half the saturation dose, then build up
- The argument is that a GHRH such as sermorelin alone gives unreliable growth-hormone release, so it is paired with a GHRP such as GHRP-6 or ipamorelin.
- Compounded sermorelin + ipamorelin combinations are also sold by clinics.
Sources (2)
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ForumReddit r/Peptides wiki (Datbtrue article archive) (opens in a new tab)
“Sermorelin (GHRH) by itself was not very effective at raising IGF-1 levels. However when he added GHRP-6 with it at saturation dose”
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ForumReddit r/Peptides wiki (Datbtrue article archive) (opens in a new tab)
“Saturation dose is defined as either 100mcg or 1mcg/kg of bodyweight in the studies. For the most part it is treated as 100mcg.”
Show all 3 protocolsShow fewer protocols
High dose
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Forum: Reddit r/Tesamorelin: “From Sermorelin to Tesamorelin+Ipamorelin” (August 2026)
- Forum: Reddit r/Sermorelin: “Dosage” (August 2026)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- 500 mcg–2 mg
- How often
- Once a day
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- Timing
- Bedtime
- One user said going from 200–300 mcg to 500–600 mcg added little; another had been taking 2 mg a day by mistake.
Sources (2)
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ForumReddit r/Tesamorelin: “From Sermorelin to Tesamorelin+Ipamorelin” (August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
“I’ve also tried increasing Sermorelin to 500–600 mcg, but it didn’t seem to provide much additional benefit.”
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ForumReddit r/Sermorelin: “Dosage” (August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
“Is the dose really 0.2 mg? Confused me has been doing 2 mg daily.”
Where the numbers come from
Compounding-pharmacy and anti-aging-clinic convention: a clinic writing about the 0.2–0.3 mg figure says it has no professional-society guideline behind it. The advice to pair it with a GHRP traces to the forum writer “Datbtrue”, whose articles are archived in the r/Peptides wiki.
Home-made sprays and serums
Home-made nasal spray. Community recipes. Not tested.
Original source recordsHide
Sermorelin’s peptide, GHRH(1-29), was tested intranasally in 1980s–90s trials. Absorption was only 3–5%; in a 6-month children’s trial some developed antibodies and most had sneezing, runny nose or burning, and the authors concluded it was not suitable in that form. Today users mention looking for vendor ‘nasal sermorelin’, but no home recipe was found.
Best evidence: Clinical trials of intranasal GHRH(1-29)-NH2 (Wilton 1993, healthy men; Hümmelink 1993, children with GH deficiency). No current pharmacy formula or home recipe found.
Trial dosing of intranasal GHRH(1-29) (reference, not a home recipe)
Original source-specific report. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Exact form and route are limited to the source’s description.
- Study: Wilton et al. Pharmacokinetics of GHRH(1-29)-NH2 after intravenous or intranasal administration – Acta Paediatr Suppl (1993)
- Study: Hümmelink et al. Intranasal GHRH(1-29)-NH2 in children with GH deficiency – Acta Paediatr Suppl (1993)
- Forum: Reddit r/Peptides, u/jacknic15 (comment, 2023-04-12)
Ingredients and methodHide the recipe
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| GHRH(1-29)-NH2 (sermorelin) | about 50 mcg per kg body weight per dose | Active |
- How it’s used
- Children: 50 mcg per kg, insufflated into the nose 3 times a day for 6 months.
- In healthy men, about 50 mcg/kg by nose was roughly as strong as 1 mcg/kg by vein.
Sources (3)
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“Absorption of GHRH(1-29)-NH2 through the nasal mucosa was found to be low, and the bioavailability was only 3-5%.”
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“GHRH, 50 micrograms/kg, was insufflated intranasally three times per day over 6 months.”
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ForumReddit r/Peptides, u/jacknic15 (comment, 2023-04-12) (opens in a new tab)
“Having a hard time finding a reputable source for nasal spray swrmorelin”
How the method was put together, step by step with its sources
Editorial synthesis and reported strength comparison
This synthesized method combines source records. It has not been validated for preparation, sterility, compatibility, absorption or storage. Select a reported strength to inspect the arithmetic; no strength is selected for you.
No amounts were found in the reviewed recipe records for this one. What was found is under “Original source records”.
The general method for home-made nasal sprays, with its sources
Good to know
- Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9–1.1% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Its label covers mixing injections, not nasal use; EU labels warn of allergic reactions.
- Some use store-bought saline nasal spray for its preservatives: often benzalkonium chloride, which can irritate the nose with long use, and sometimes benzyl alcohol.
- Never tap water: it is not sterile, and CDC researchers warn against it for nasal rinsing.
What people report
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Study
In the 6-month children’s trial, most reported sneezing right after each dose, a runny nose and mild burning; three developed antibodies and absorption fell over time. The authors concluded it was ‘not suitable in its present form for use in children’.
Source: Hümmelink et al., Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993 (PubMed 8329828) (opens in a new tab)
Research notes
Forum material on sermorelin is thin compared with clinic material; the main subreddit has about 1,000 members. Clinics say the 0.2–0.3 mg figure is a convention, not an evidence-based dose.
Nasal spray
The trials used GHRH(1-29)-NH2; the brand name sermorelin (Geref) is the same peptide, but these were not trials of today’s compounded products.
Taken with
What it is. In plain English.
A GHRH analogue whose former FDA-approved Geref products were discontinued and had approval withdrawn in 2009; no sermorelin product is currently FDA-approved.
A shortened copy of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone. The first 29 amino acids carry the full activity of the natural 44-amino-acid hormone.
It is designed to stimulate pituitary growth-hormone release. Claims that it preserves natural pulses or avoids meaningful risks are not established for currently sold products.
Reviewed 2026-10-01.
Structure. A close relative’s structure.
Related structure
Natural human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (, mint green) bound to the GHRH receptor (gray): the hormone that sermorelin is a piece of. Also part of the experiment, but not drawn: a G protein, an antibody fragment, lipids and cholesterol.
How it differs. This is natural GHRH, the full hormone of 44 amino acids. Sermorelin is its first 29 amino acids with an amide on the end. Only the first 28 are resolved here, and they match sermorelin’s sequence exactly.
7CZ5, Zhou et al., 2020. Rendered with Mol* (Sehnal et al., 2021) from RCSB PDB data (Berman et al., 2000).
Specs. The facts at a glance.
- Length
- 29 amino acids
- Sold as
- Sermorelin 5 mg
- Regulatory status
- No sermorelin product is currently FDA-approved. Geref was discontinued in 2008 and its FDA approvals were withdrawn effective June 18, 2009, for reasons other than safety or effectiveness. prohibits sermorelin.
- Also known as
- GHRH 1-29, formerly Geref
Sources. What this page rests on.
Every source behind this page, with what it says and when it was checked, is in the Source library.
Sermorelin in the Source library
Original overview and research notes · annotated 2026-10-01
Historical collection text. Read alongside the claim corrections above; identity or evidence qualifications may supersede this wording.
Stimulates your own growth hormone
The first 29 amino acids of GHRH; once an FDA-approved drug for children with growth problems.
A shortened copy of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone. The first 29 amino acids carry the full activity of the natural 44-amino-acid hormone.
It signals the pituitary to release growth hormone in natural pulses, keeping the body’s own feedback limits in place.
Used in children with growth-hormone deficiency in the 1990s, where it worked but less well than growth hormone itself. Adult “anti-aging” use rests on small, older studies.
Original status record: Formerly FDA-approved as Geref, discontinued in 2008 for reasons other than safety or effectiveness. Now available only through compounding pharmacies or as a research chemical, and banned by WADA.