Also known as: Somatropin · HGH · Human growth hormone · rhGH · Recombinant human growth hormone · Growth hormone · HGH 191aa
Updated 35 sources
Every Somatropin (HGH) protocol on file, 10 in all, labelled by where each number came from.
Who: Adults with diagnosed growth hormone deficiency, on a prescription. Maintenance doses vary widely between people and between men and women.
Timing: Subcutaneous, rotating thigh, buttocks or abdomen.
Note: The label's usual start is about 0.2 mg/day. Dose steps follow clinical response and serum IGF-1, and the dose comes down if IGF-1 runs above the age range or side effects appear. Women on oral estrogen may need more.
Who: Adults with GH deficiency; the label says this regimen is not recommended for obese patients.
Who: Adults with GH deficiency; not recommended for obese patients.
Who: Children with growth failure from GH deficiency, under a pediatric endocrinologist.
Note: The per-day figure is the label's own conversion of the weekly dose. Genotropin and Omnitrope give 0.16 to 0.24 mg/kg/week in 6 to 7 daily injections. Stop for growth once the growth plates close.
Who: Children with growth failure from GH deficiency.
Note: The per-day figure is the label's own conversion of the weekly dose.
Who: Adults with HIV-associated wasting on antiretroviral therapy.
Timing: At bedtime.
Note: By weight band: 6 mg above 55 kg, 5 mg at 45 to 55 kg, 4 mg at 35 to 45 kg. Every other day is an option for people at risk of glucose intolerance.
Who: Adults using HGH off-label. Not an approved use; supply for it is unlawful in the US.
Note: Community-reported range. In trials of healthy older adults, GH brought small body-composition changes and more side effects, and the authors said it cannot be recommended for anti-aging. In mg, 1 to 2 IU is 0.33 to 0.67 mg, already above the label start of about 0.2 mg a day for adults with diagnosed GH deficiency.
Who: Adults using HGH off-label.
Timing: Morning, bedtime or split; above 3 to 4 IU users commonly split it in two to ease water retention.
Note: No trial has compared morning, bedtime or split schedules. Users commonly start at 2 IU and step up over weeks while checking IGF-1 and fasting glucose. In mg, 2 to 4 IU is 0.67 to 1.33 mg a day, several times the label start of about 0.2 mg a day for adults with diagnosed GH deficiency.
Who: Adults using HGH off-label, usually alongside anabolic steroids.
Note: Trials in young athletes found more lean mass but no strength gain, with more swelling and fatigue. One guide frames 4 to 6 IU as short-term only. In mg, 4 to 8 IU is 1.33 to 2.67 mg a day.
Who: Adults using prescription or gray-market HGH off-label.
Note: Numb hands during sleep are the side effect users most often report as the dose climbs; the usual response is to drop back or split the dose.
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
| Water | Strength | 2 IUdose, units | 4 IUdose, units | 0.15 mgdose, units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg vial | ||||
| 1 mLRegulatory | 5 mg/mL | 13.30.133 mL | 26.70.267 mL | 30.03 mL |
| 5 mLRegulatory | 1 mg/mL | 66.70.667 mL | 133.31.333 mL2 draws | 150.15 mL |
| 5.8 mg vial | ||||
| 1.14 mLRegulatory | 5.088 mg/mL | 13.10.131 mL | 26.20.262 mL | 2.90.029 mL |
| 10 mg vial | ||||
| 1 mLRegulatory | 10 mg/mL | 6.70.067 mL | 13.30.133 mL | 1.50.015 mL |
| 4 IU vial | ||||
| 1 mLRegulatory† | 4 IU/mL | 500.5 mL | 1001 mL | 11.30.113 mL |
| 1.14 mLRegulatory† | 3.51 IU/mL | 570.57 mL | 1141.14 mL2 draws | 12.80.128 mL |
| 2 mLCompetitor guide† | 2 IU/mL | 1001 mL | 2002 mL2 draws | 22.50.225 mL |
| 5 mLRegulatory† | 0.8 IU/mL | 2502.5 mL3 draws | 5005 mL5 draws | 56.30.563 mL |
| 10 IU vial | ||||
| 1 mLCompetitor guide | 10 IU/mL | 200.2 mL | 400.4 mL | 4.50.045 mL |
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 5 IU/mL | 400.4 mL | 800.8 mL | 90.09 mL |
| 12 IU vial | ||||
| 1 mLRegulatory† | 12 IU/mL | 16.70.167 mL | 33.30.333 mL | 3.80.038 mL |
| 1.14 mLRegulatory† | 10.53 IU/mL | 190.19 mL | 380.38 mL | 4.30.043 mL |
| 2 mLCompetitor guide† | 6 IU/mL | 33.30.333 mL | 66.70.667 mL | 7.50.075 mL |
| 5 mLRegulatory† | 2.4 IU/mL | 83.30.833 mL | 166.71.667 mL2 draws | 18.80.188 mL |
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: Somatropin (HGH) in syringe units, with the math shown.Diluent: The co-packaged diluent for branded vials; bacteriostatic water for generic vials
Water volumes sources use: 1 mL, 1.14 mL, 2 mL, 5 mL
Swirl gently, never shake: shaking can denature the protein. Pens and cartridges come premixed or mix inside the device. Pick one water volume for generic vials and write it on the vial; changing it silently doubles or halves the dose drawn.
For adults with diagnosed GH deficiency, labels start at about 0.2 mg a day (0.15 to 0.3 mg) and adjust every 1 to 2 months by IGF-1. Off-label, community ranges are 1 to 2 IU a day for wellness, 2 to 4 IU for fat loss and 4 to 8 IU for bodybuilding. In mg those community ranges run from 0.33 to 2.67 mg a day (3 IU per mg), well above the label starting dose.
3 IU. That is the labelling convention for somatropin, which is why a Humatrope 6 mg cartridge is also labelled 18 IU.
With a 10 IU vial and 1 mL of bacteriostatic water, 2 IU is 20 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. With 2 mL of water it is 40 units. Use the calculator for your own vial.
It depends on the product: 28 days for Genotropin and Humatrope cartridges, 21 days for an Omnitrope vial, 14 or 28 days for Zomacton vials depending on the diluent. One guide gives 14 to 21 days for generic vials in bacteriostatic water.
13 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.
Back to the full Somatropin (HGH) page for side effects, storage, stacks and legal status.