Animal data onlyNot FDA approved

Dihexa side effects

Also known as: PNB-0408 · N-hexanoic-Tyr-Ile-(6) aminohexanoic amide · Dihexa acetate · Hexanoyl-Tyr-Ile-Ahx-NH2

Updated Oct 24, 202645 sources

8 side effects reported for Dihexa: 0 from studies and labels, 8 from users and guides. 8 come with the ways people manage them.

Cognitive

Dihexa overview

Side effects users and guides report

What people post and what dosing guides list. These are reports, not measured rates.

From users and guides8

Community reports, competitor and vendor guides, media.

Headache in the first days
Commonly reported on forums, usually gone by day 2 or 3
How people manage it
- Usually passes without action; lower the dose if it returns.
Brain fog, fatigue or sleepiness
Occasional reports, including one user dozing off within 2 hours of a 4 to 8 mg capsule
How people manage it
- The user halved the dose; others move dosing to the morning.
Irritability, anger or anxiety
Occasional reports
How people manage it
- Users stopped or cut the dose.
Skin burning or rash from DMSO
Common with transdermal use; some switch to oral because of it
How people manage it
- Patch-test DMSO first; some dilute it to about 40% before applying.
Garlic-like DMSO odor
Reported by DMSO users, more noticeable with larger volumes
How people manage it
- Concentrate the solution so less DMSO is needed per dose.
Increased hunger
One user report; it stopped when dosing stopped
How people manage it
- No action reported.
No noticeable effect
Frequent reports, sometimes blamed on fake or underdosed product
How people manage it
- Users point to third-party testing of the product before judging it.
Theoretical cancer concern
Mechanistic reasoning only; no study has shown it
How people manage it
- People with a cancer history usually avoid HGF/c-Met boosters.

Who should avoid it, and what not to combine

Active or past cancerCondition
HGF and c-Met drive cell growth and blood-vessel formation and are overactive in some cancers, so boosting them is a theoretical risk.
DMSO sensitivityCondition
Most non-oral use relies on DMSO, which burns or rashes some skin.

How much is known

Animal data only

All Dihexa data come from rats, mice and cells. The developers' rat work (scopolamine and aged-rat maze tests at 0.05 to 2 mg/kg) underpins the hype, but the two HGF mechanism papers were retracted in April 2025 after a university committee found altered images, and the 2013 key paper carries an expression of concern. One independent 2021 mouse study found memory benefits. The related human drug, fosgonimeton, failed its Alzheimer's trials.