Forum convention
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Some human trialsFormerly approved as Geref
Sermorelin
Also known as: Sermorelin acetate · GRF 1-29 NH2 · GHRH (1-29) · Geref
Updated 20 sources
Sermorelin is the first 29 amino acids of your body's own GHRH, the shortest piece that still works. It tells the pituitary to release growth hormone in its normal pulses. It was once an FDA-approved drug (Geref) for children with GH deficiency, then pulled from the market for commercial reasons, not safety. Today it is a clinic and self-use staple at 200 to 300 mcg before bed.
Quick facts
- Half-life
- Minutes. 10.4 minutes after IV dosing in rats, about 4.3 minutes in a review table, and 10 to 20 minutes per guides.
- Routes
- Subcutaneous injection
- Reported dose ranges
- 100 to 500 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
- Vial sizes
- 5 mg, 6 mg, 10 mg
- FDA status
- Formerly approved as Geref
- Brand names
- Geref: Discontinued. Sold as a 0.05 mg ampule (NDA 019863) and 0.5 and 1 mg vials (NDA 020443).
- WADA
- Prohibited
What people use Sermorelin for
- Clinic anti-aging and GH optimization programs
- Better sleep with a bedtime shot
- Recovery and body composition
- Paired with GHRPs alongside testosterone therapy in men's health clinics
How it is thought to work. Sermorelin binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary and triggers a GH pulse. Because it works through your own pituitary, the normal somatostatin brake stays in place, guides note. It is cleared within minutes. Subcutaneous dosing delivered about 4% of the exposure of an IV dose in rats.
Sermorelin dosing
11 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.
Injected11
Self-logged doses
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Standard nightly
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Advanced nightly
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12-week arc with IGF-1 check
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Lower start for smaller adults and most women
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Stacked with ipamorelin
Performance block
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Anti-aging course
Educational chart
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Clinic regimen with GHRP-2 and GHRP-6
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Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Full Sermorelin dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.Vial strengths and syringe units
Every Sermorelin vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
| Water | Strength | 200 mcgdose, units | 300 mcgdose, units | 500 mcgdose, units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg vial | ||||
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 1.667 mg/mL | 120.12 mL | 180.18 mL | 300.3 mL |
| 6 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 3 mg/mL | 6.70.067 mL | 100.1 mL | 16.70.167 mL |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 2 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 150.15 mL | 250.25 mL |
| 6 mLCompetitor guide | 1 mg/mL | 200.2 mL | 300.3 mL | 500.5 mL |
| 10 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 5 mg/mL | 40.04 mL | 60.06 mL | 100.1 mL |
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.Water volumes from
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: Sermorelin in syringe units, with the math shown.What people report
What Sermorelin users write on Reddit, counted post by post. These are reports, not measured rates or advice.
Community-reportedFrom 673 Reddit posts and comments, last mined Oct 23, 2026r/Peptides, r/Biohackers, r/Peptidesource, r/PeptideDiscussion
Doses people report for Sermorelin
Goal not stated24 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 0.2 mg | 3 |
| 100 mcg | 3 |
| 200 mcg | 3 |
| 300 mcg | 3 |
| 500 mcg | 3 |
Weight loss10 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 300 mcg | 5 |
| 750 mcg | 2 |
Muscle growth5 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 300 mcg | 2 |
Left out: 2 mentions given in syringe units, which mean different doses in different mixes.
How often
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 5 days on, 2 off | 16 |
| Once a day | 16 |
Most mentioned alongside
Side effects people mention
Sleep disturbance10 mentions
Most common fix: take in the morning (2)
Flushing5 mentions
Water retention4 mentions
Tingling4 mentions
Itching4 mentions
Dizziness4 mentions
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Sermorelin side effects
What trials and labels report, kept apart from what users and guides report. Frequencies are worded as each source states them.
Reported by users and guides5
From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.
Facial flushing
One of the two most commonly reported events in studies; transient. Exact rates were not in the abstract
Injection-site pain or redness
One of the two most commonly reported events in studies. Guides see mild redness in weeks 1 to 2
Joint pain, swelling or carpal tunnel symptoms
Treated by guides as stop signals, not as reported rates
How people manage it
- Guides check IGF-1, fasting insulin and HbA1c at baseline and at weeks 6 and 12, and titrate to upper-normal IGF-1 for age.
Raised fasting glucose
Treated by guides as a stop signal
How people manage it
- Guides check fasting insulin and HbA1c at baseline and at weeks 6 and 12.
Hypersensitivity
Treated by guides as a stop signal
Storage
Powder (before mixing)
Room temperature or fridge, per guides.
Mixed vial
- Temperature
- 2 to 8 °C
- Use within
- 28 days
Fridge, 2 to 8 °C. Guides give 28 days to 6 weeks. One calls sermorelin one of the less stable peptides once mixed, so the shorter window is the safer read.
Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water
Mixing. 2 mL in a 6 mg vial is the most common choice. One guide mixes any vial to 1 mg/mL so the math stays simple. The old Geref product came as a 0.05 mg ampule and 0.5 and 1 mg vials.
Stacks people report
Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
200 to 300 mcg of each in the same nightly shot. GHRH plus GHRP hits two receptors at once.
A clinic record review gave GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 at 100 mcg each with sermorelin, 3 times daily; IGF-1 rose from 159.5 to 239.0 ng/mL in 14 compliant men. Guides also add GHRP-6 at 100 to 200 mcg before bed for bulking, for the hunger.
- Mk 677
Stack protocol pages pair sermorelin with oral MK-677.
Some add CJC-1295 with DAC at 2 mg a week. Other guides call that redundant, since both act on the GHRH receptor.
Compare Sermorelin
Evidence and legal status
Evidence: some human trials
Historic FDA approval backed by pediatric GH-deficiency growth data over 12 to 36 months, plus diagnostic use. No body-composition trials in adults. Adult use rests on clinic practice and guide conventions.
FDA and WADA
Formerly approved as Geref
An approval withdrawn, or removed from FDA's compounding lists.
Once FDA approved as Geref: a 0.05 mg ampule (NDA 019863, approved December 28, 1990) and 0.5 and 1 mg vials (NDA 020443, approved September 26, 1997). Both are discontinued. FDA determined they were not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons.
Not on FDA's 503A category lists dated May 14, 2026, or the compounding safety-risk page. WADA 2026 names it under S2.2.4 as a GHRH analogue, banned at all times.
WADA: Prohibited
Sermorelin questions
How much sermorelin per day?
200 to 300 mcg nightly is the clear center. Adult guides range from 100 to 500 mcg.
What is the sermorelin dose in units or mL?
It depends on how much water you add. A 6 mg vial with 2 mL gives 3 mg/mL. Use the calculator to turn your dose into mL and syringe units.
When should I inject it?
At bedtime, fasted. Guides ask for 90 minutes to 3 hours without food first.
What dose do women use?
One guide starts most women and smaller adults lower, at 100 to 150 mcg. Another frames it by weight at about 1 to 2 mcg/kg.
What dose do men use?
The same 200 to 300 mcg nightly center. In a clinic record review, men on testosterone therapy took 100 mcg 3 times a day alongside GHRP-2 and GHRP-6.
Is sermorelin FDA approved?
It was, as Geref. Both Geref products are now discontinued.
Why was Geref pulled?
For commercial reasons. FDA determined it was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons.
What dose did the approved drug use?
30 mcg/kg nightly under the skin for children with GH deficiency, and 1 mcg/kg IV as a diagnostic test. That pediatric dose is far higher per kg than adult clinic doses, so guides that anchor on it are mixing populations.
How long until results?
One guide says sleep in 1 to 2 weeks and body composition in 6 to 12 weeks. There are no adult trial data behind those timelines.
Does it raise IGF-1?
In one clinic record review with GHRPs, IGF-1 rose from 159.5 to 239.0 ng/mL. Nightly bedtime dosing raised GH in healthy older men over 6 weeks, as cited by a guide.
Should I run it 5 days on, 2 off?
It is common in guides and optional in most of them.
What dose for muscle growth?
Guides give 300 to 500 mcg. No trial supports a muscle effect.
How is sermorelin different from HGH?
Sermorelin makes your own pituitary release GH, so somatostatin feedback stays in place, guides say. HGH replaces the hormone directly.
Is it banned in sport?
Yes. WADA lists it under S2.2.4, banned at all times.
Ask about Sermorelin
Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.
Sources
20 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 study6
- GHS treatment in hypogonadal men raises IGF-1 (Sigalos 2017)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Sermorelin review (Prakash & Goa 1999)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Ipamorelin PK-PD (Gobburu 1999)PubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
Regulatory5
- Drugs@FDA Geref records (openFDA)FDA · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Determination that Geref was not withdrawn for safety or effectivenessFederal Register · checked Oct 23, 2026
- 503A bulk drug substance categories (May 14, 2026)FDA · checked Oct 23, 2026
Competitor guide7
- Sermorelin 5 mg vial protocolPeptideDosages · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Sermorelin dosage guidePeptideDeck · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Sermorelin dosage chartPeptidesExplorer · checked Oct 23, 2026
Community-reported2
- Performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis (Dominikowski 2026)PMC · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Sermorelin (self-logged doses)PeptIQ · checked Oct 23, 2026