Beginner
Timing and details
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Limited human dataNot FDA approved
Ipamorelin
Also known as: Ipamorelin acetate · Ipa
Updated 21 sources
Ipamorelin is a five-amino-acid peptide that triggers a short burst of your own growth hormone. It is a GH secretagogue, not GH. People like it because, in the animal work that defined it, it released GH without the cortisol bump other GHRPs cause. Human data are short IV studies only, so the doses people run come from guides and community convention.
Quick facts
- Half-life
- About 2 hours after IV infusion in healthy men. Subcutaneous half-life has not been published.
- Routes
- Subcutaneous injection
- Reported dose ranges
- 100 to 400 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
- Vial sizes
- 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg
- FDA status
- Not FDA approved
- WADA
- Prohibited
What people use Ipamorelin for
- Deeper sleep with a bedtime shot
- Recovery from training
- Body recomposition
- Anti-aging and GH optimization
- The GHRP half of a GHRH plus GHRP stack with CJC-1295, sermorelin or tesamorelin
How it is thought to work. Ipamorelin binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) on the pituitary and fires a GH pulse. In rats and swine it did not raise ACTH or cortisol beyond what GHRH does, even at more than 200 times the dose needed for half its GH effect. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 did. That is where the 'selective' label comes from. In humans, GH peaked 0.67 hours after an IV dose and then faded.
Ipamorelin dosing
10 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.
Injected10
Beginner ramp
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Standard
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Forum convention
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Self-logged doses
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5 on, 2 off
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Standalone start
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Educational chart
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Once or twice daily
Daily total
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Full Ipamorelin dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.Vial strengths and syringe units
Every Ipamorelin vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
| Water | Strength | 100 mcgdose, units | 200 mcgdose, units | 300 mcgdose, units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide† | 1 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 200.2 mL | 300.3 mL |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide† | 0.667 mg/mL | 150.15 mL | 300.3 mL | 450.45 mL |
| 5 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 2.5 mg/mL | 40.04 mL | 80.08 mL | 120.12 mL |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 1.667 mg/mL | 60.06 mL | 120.12 mL | 180.18 mL |
| 10 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide† | 5 mg/mL | 20.02 mL | 40.04 mL | 60.06 mL |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide† | 3.333 mg/mL | 30.03 mL | 60.06 mL | 90.09 mL |
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.† Water volume sourced for a different vial size. The math is exact either way.Water volumes from
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: Ipamorelin in syringe units, with the math shown.What people report
What Ipamorelin users write on Reddit, counted post by post. These are reports, not measured rates or advice.
Community-reportedFrom 900 Reddit posts and comments, last mined Oct 23, 2026r/Peptides, r/Biohackers, r/Peptidesource, r/PeptideDiscussion
Doses people report for Ipamorelin
Goal not stated103 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 200 mcg | 23 |
| 250 mcg | 17 |
| 100 mcg | 15 |
| 150 mcg | 12 |
| 300 mcg | 12 |
Muscle growth34 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 100 mcg | 7 |
| 200 mcg | 7 |
| 250 mcg | 5 |
| 300 mcg | 4 |
| 500 mcg | 3 |
Weight loss13 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 200 mcg | 2 |
| 300 mcg | 2 |
| 500 mcg | 2 |
Left out: 2 mentions given in syringe units, which mean different doses in different mixes; 2 mentions far outside every sourced protocol, most likely vial sizes or typos.
How often
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Once a day | 69 |
| 5 days on, 2 off | 27 |
| Twice a day | 20 |
| Three times a week | 3 |
Most mentioned alongside
Side effects people mention
Flushing14 mentions
Most common fix: none (2)
Poor sleep11 mentions
Most common fix: switch to morning dosing (4)
Water retention10 mentions
Fatigue7 mentions
Fast heart rate7 mentions
Dizziness6 mentions
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Ipamorelin side effects
What trials and labels report, kept apart from what users and guides report. Frequencies are worded as each source states them.
Reported in studies and labels1
From clinical trials and regulatory documents.
Adverse events in the IV surgery trial
Any adverse event: 87.5% on ipamorelin vs 94.8% on placebo in 114 patients after bowel surgery
Reported by users and guides6
From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.
Headache
Guides report it as mild, mostly in weeks 1 to 2
How people manage it
- Hold the dose and recheck in 3 to 7 days. If it lasts past 2 weeks, cut the dose by 25 to 50%.
Water retention or bloating
Reported early in a protocol; guides link twice-daily stacked protocols to more fluid retention than once nightly
How people manage it
- Hold the dose and recheck in 3 to 7 days. If it lasts past 2 weeks, cut the dose by 25 to 50%.
Hunger
Some report mild hunger, less than with GHRP-6
Vivid dreams
Reported with bedtime dosing
Injection-site irritation
Reported by guides
Brief stomach upset
Reported by guides in weeks 1 to 2
Storage
Powder (before mixing)
- Temperature
- 2 to 8 °C
Fridge at 2 to 8 °C, or frozen at -20 °C. One guide allows room temperature away from light. Guides quote 18 to 24 months for the powder.
Mixed vial
- Temperature
- 2 to 8 °C
- Use within
- 28 days
Fridge, 2 to 8 °C. Guides give 21 to 30 days. One notes the 28-day limit comes from the preservative in bacteriostatic water, not from ipamorelin stability data. No ipamorelin stability study was found.
Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water
Mixing. 2 mL in a 5 mg vial is the most repeated choice across guides. 3 mL gives a weaker mix for finer dosing. Use the calculator for units.
Stacks people report
Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
CJC-1295 no DAC 100 mcg with ipamorelin 200 to 300 mcg in one syringe, 2 to 3 times daily. A GHRH analog plus a GHRP hits two receptors at once. Some add CJC-1295 with DAC at 2 mg a week instead.
Tesamorelin 2 mg plus ipamorelin 200 mcg, before bed.
Sermorelin and ipamorelin, 200 to 300 mcg each, in one nightly shot.
- Hgh fragment 176 191
Paired for fat loss.
Paired for injury recovery.
Compare Ipamorelin
Evidence and legal status
Evidence: limited human data
Human data are a Phase 1 PK study and Phase 2 ileus trials, all IV and lasting up to 7 days. There are no efficacy data for GH-related or body-composition use and no long-term safety data. FDA also lists a literature report of serious adverse events, including death, with IV use.
FDA and WADA
Not FDA approved
An approval withdrawn, or removed from FDA's compounding lists.
Not FDA approved for any use. Ipamorelin acetate is in 503B Category 2 (added September 29, 2023) and appears among withdrawn 503A nominations. It is not on the 503A category lists dated May 14, 2026.
FDA's listed concerns are immunogenicity and serious adverse events reported with IV use. WADA 2026 names ipamorelin under S2.2.4, banned at all times.
WADA: Prohibited
Ipamorelin questions
How much ipamorelin per day?
Most guides land on 200 to 300 mcg per shot, 1 to 3 times a day. Self-logged doses cluster at 200 to 400 mcg. Beginners often start at 100 to 200 mcg once a day before bed.
When is the best time to take it?
Before bed on an empty stomach, so the shot stacks on your natural nighttime GH pulse.
Why split it into several shots instead of one big one?
In the human IV study, GH peaked and faded within about an hour, and the response flattened at higher concentrations. A bigger single dose is not a proportionally bigger pulse.
How much water do I add to a 5 mg vial?
2 mL is the common choice and gives 2.5 mg/mL. Some guides use 3 mL for a weaker mix.
Does ipamorelin raise cortisol?
Not in the rat and swine studies that defined it, even at very high doses. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 did. Human cortisol data at self-use doses were not found.
Is ipamorelin FDA approved?
No. It is not approved for any use and sits in 503B Category 2 for compounding.
What is the half-life of ipamorelin?
About 2 hours, measured after IV infusion in healthy men.
Do I need to cycle it?
Guides run 8 to 16 weeks on with 4 to 6 weeks off, or 5 days on and 2 off each week. One guide calls 5 on, 2 off a convention, not a trial finding. No trial has tested cycling.
How long until I notice anything?
One guide says sleep changes in 1 to 2 weeks and body composition in 4 to 8 weeks. There is no human efficacy data behind those timelines.
Does ipamorelin make you hungry?
Some people report mild hunger. It is less than with GHRP-6.
Can I mix it with CJC-1295 in one syringe?
Guides say yes.
How does ipamorelin compare with MK-677?
MK-677 (ibutamoren) is an oral, long-acting GH secretagogue. Ipamorelin is injected and short-acting. FDA placed ibutamoren in 503A Category 2 over heart-failure risk.
Is it banned in sport?
Yes. WADA lists it under S2.2.4, banned at all times.
How long does a mixed vial last?
About 28 to 30 days in the fridge, per guides.
What human studies exist?
Only IV studies. A PK study dosed healthy men by infusion, and a Phase 2 trial gave 0.03 mg/kg IV twice daily for up to 7 days after bowel surgery. Time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 vs 32.6 hours on placebo, not a significant difference. A second dose-finding trial with 320 people finished, but results were not found.
Ask about Ipamorelin
Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.
Sources
21 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 23, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.
Clinical study5
- Ipamorelin Phase 2 ileus (Beck 2014)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Ipamorelin PK-PD (Gobburu 1999)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Sermorelin review (Prakash & Goa 1999)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
Regulatory4
- Certain bulk drug substances, safety risksFDA · checked Oct 23, 2026
- 503A bulk drug substance categories (May 14, 2026)FDA · checked Oct 23, 2026
- WADA Prohibited List 2026WADA · checked Oct 23, 2026
Competitor guide10
- How to reconstitute CJC-1295 + ipamorelinPeptidesExplorer · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Ipamorelin 5 mg vial protocolPeptideDosages · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Ipamorelin dosage chartPeptideDeck · checked Oct 23, 2026
Community-reported2
- Performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis (Dominikowski 2026)PMC · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Ipamorelin peptide page (self-logged doses)PeptIQ · checked Oct 23, 2026