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Limited human dataFDA 503A Category 1

VIP

Also known as: Vasoactive intestinal peptide · Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide · Aviptadil · RLF-100

Updated 28 sources

A 28-amino-acid neuropeptide the body makes in the gut, brain, lungs and immune system. It relaxes blood vessels and airways and calms inflammation. Most people who use it do so as a compounded nasal spray, the final step of the Shoemaker protocol for mold illness (CIRS). Its human evidence is real but patchy: an approved ED injection in Europe, small inhaled studies, and a large COVID trial that failed.
Calculate with VIPDosage chart

Quick facts

Half-life
  • About 1 minute in the blood after IV infusion in healthy volunteers. Enzymes such as NEP and DPP-IV break it down fast.
Routes
  • Nasal
  • Subcutaneous injection
  • Other route
Forms
  • Nasal spray (50 mcg per spray)
  • Vial (powder)
  • Other form
Reported dose ranges
  • 50 to 200 mcg (nasal)
  • 50 to 500 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 25 to 100 mcg (other route)
Vial sizes
  • 10 mg, 5 mg
Chemistry
  • 3,326.8 g/mol · C147H237N43O43S · CAS 40077-57-4
FDA status
  • FDA 503A Category 1
WADA
  • Not confirmed

What people use VIP for

  • CIRS or mold illness: the last step of the Shoemaker protocol, as a nasal spray
  • Brain fog, fatigue and breathing symptoms in CIRS communities, and as a general anti-inflammatory
  • Erectile dysfunction, as the VIP plus phentolamine injection Invicorp (Europe)
  • Studied for pulmonary hypertension and sarcoidosis (inhaled) and COVID respiratory failure (IV, no benefit)

How it is thought to work. Binds the VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors and raises cAMP inside cells. That relaxes smooth muscle, widens blood vessels and airways, and turns down inflammatory signals; in sarcoidosis it increased regulatory T cells in the lungs. It also acts in the brain's circadian clock.

VIP dosing

15 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.

CIRS4

CIRS, nasal spray (trial dose)

Amount
50 mcg
How often
Four times a day
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
At least 18 months in the trial
Timing and details

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CIRS, clinic nasal protocol

Amount
50 mcg
How often
4 to 8 sprays a day, alternating nostrils
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Timing and details

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CIRS, nasal spray (community)

Amount
50 mcg
How often
4 to 8 sprays daily
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
30 days or more
Timing and details

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CIRS, nasal both nostrils (guide)

Amount
100 mcg
How often
Four times a day, one 50 mcg spray in each nostril
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
3 to 6 months
Timing and details

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Nasal spray2

Nasal spray, stepped up (community)

Amount
50 to 200 mcg
How often
Twice daily, stepping up every two weeks then monthly
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
8 to 12 weeks
Titration (3 steps) and details

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Nasal spray, conservative start (guide)

Amount
50 mcg
How often
Once or twice daily
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
1 to 2 weeks, then increase
Timing and details

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SubQ2

SubQ, three times weekly then weekly (guide)

Amount
250 to 500 mcg
How often
250 mcg three times weekly to start, then 500 mcg weekly
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Timing and details

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SubQ (community)

Amount
50 to 100 mcg
How often
Once daily
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
4 to 8 weeks
Timing and details

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Other protocols: injected5

SubQ start (guide)

Amount
50 mcg
How often
Once daily
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
1 to 2 weeks
Timing and details

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SubQ standard (guide)

Amount
100 mcg
How often
Once or twice daily
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
Ongoing; no standard cycle or washout
Timing and details

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SubQ higher dose (guide)

Amount
200 mcg
How often
Once or twice daily
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
Ongoing

SubQ clinic-style (guide)

Amount
200 mcg
How often
Five days a week
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
Ongoing

SubQ range (guides)

Amount
50 to 200 mcg
How often
Daily, once or twice
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
4 to 12 weeks

Other protocols: other, other form2

Pulmonary hypertension (single inhaled test dose)

Amount
100 mcg
How often
One inhaled dose
Route
Other, other form
Timing and details

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Erectile dysfunction, with phentolamine (trial dose)

Amount
25 mcg
How often
As needed, up to 12 injections over 6 months in the trial
Route
Other, other form
Timing and details

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Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Full VIP dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.

Vial strengths and syringe units

Every VIP vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
VIP: concentration and U-100 syringe units for each vial size and water volume
WaterStrength50 mcgdose, units100 mcgdose, units200 mcgdose, units
5 mg vial
2 mLCompetitor guide2.5 mg/mL20.02 mL40.04 mL80.08 mL
10 mg vial
3 mLCompetitor guide3.333 mg/mL1.50.015 mL30.03 mL60.06 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: VIP in syringe units, with the math shown.

VIP 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 labels2

From clinical trials and regulatory documents.

  • Facial flushing

    With 40% of 1,711 penile injections of VIP plus phentolamine; also at the highest IV dose in volunteers

  • Faster heart rate and lower diastolic blood pressure

    With IV VIP in healthy volunteers

Reported by users and guides6

From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.

  • Dizziness, lightheadedness or low blood pressure

    Among the most reported short-term effects, from blood-vessel widening

    How people manage it

    • Stop and seek clinical guidance if strong flushing or dizziness follows a dose; slower injection is a commonly reported mitigation under supervision.

  • Loose stools or diarrhea

    Commonly listed; VIP drives intestinal secretion

  • Headache

    Mild, among the most reported effects in guides; 77 PeptIQ app logs

  • Nausea

    Transient, at higher doses in guides; the most logged side effect in the PeptIQ app (83 logs)

  • Rising lipase or pancreatitis

    Called the main documented risk by one guide; lipase did not rise in the 20-person CIRS trial

    How people manage it

    • Check lipase before starting and during use; stop and get care if lipase rises or belly pain starts.

  • Nasal or airway irritation

    The main concern with chronic nasal or inhaled use

All 8 VIP side effects and how people manage themEvery management tip, who should not use it, and side-effect questions.

Who should avoid it

  • History of pancreatitis or raised lipaseCondition

    VIP can affect the pancreas; protocols gate on a normal lipase.

  • Low blood pressureCondition

    VIP widens blood vessels and can lower pressure further.

  • Blood pressure medicinesSubstance

    Its blood-pressure effect could add to antihypertensive drugs.

  • Pregnancy or breastfeedingCondition

    Safety not established.

  • Active cancerCondition

    VIP receptors are overexpressed on some tumors, a theoretical concern.

  • Nasal MARCoNS or ongoing mold exposureCondition

    The CIRS protocol says VIP will not work while these remain and requires a negative MARCoNS culture first.

Storage

Powder (before mixing)

Temperature
-20 °C

Freezer at -20 C for long-term storage. Other guides say room temperature or the fridge, out of light, or -20 to 4 C.

Mixed vial

Temperature
2 to 8 °C
Use within
7 to 30 days

Fridge at 2 to 8 C, not frozen. Guides disagree on how long: 7 to 14 days, 28 days, 3 to 4 weeks or 30 days. One guide suggests freezing single-use aliquots instead.

As supplied

Compounded nasal spray: follow the pharmacy's own storage and expiry label.

Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water

Mixing. Applies to research vials only; the nasal spray comes ready-made from a pharmacy. Guides disagree on diluent: one says bacteriostatic water only, another lists sterile saline. Doses are tiny, so draws are only a few units.

Stacks people report

Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
  • BPC-157

    Gut repair alongside the systemic anti-inflammatory effect, a common pairing in CIRS treatment.

  • Thymosin Alpha-1

    Immune support in complex CIRS cases; a niche pairing.

  • NAD+

    Cellular energy support in chronic illness, listed as a common stack by one guide.

  • Retatrutide

    The most co-logged compound among PeptIQ app VIP users (12 co-reports). Usage data, not a rationale.

Compare VIP

Evidence and legal status

Evidence: limited human data

Human data exist but rarely for the way people use it. The CIRS nasal spray rests on one open-label, single-clinic trial of 20 patients published outside PubMed. Inhaled VIP had small open studies in sarcoidosis (n=20) and pulmonary hypertension (n=20 single dose; n=8). The best controlled result is the VIP plus phentolamine ED injection. IV aviptadil failed in COVID respiratory failure (n=461).

FDA and WADA

FDA 503A Category 1

On FDA's list of bulk substances under evaluation for compounding.

Not FDA approved as a drug in the US. FDA's 503A list (updated May 14, 2026) puts vasoactive intestinal peptide in Category 1, under evaluation. A 2019 FDA proposed rule would leave VIP off the compounding bulks list; it has not been finalized. IV aviptadil was reported refused a COVID emergency use authorization.

VIP is not named on the WADA 2026 list. S0 covers substances with no current human approval anywhere; aviptadil with phentolamine (Invicorp) is accepted for erectile dysfunction in NHS Scotland, so S0 should not apply on its wording, but no WADA source says so. Guides say Category 1 substances may be compounded meanwhile under FDA's interim policy.

WADA: Not confirmed

VIP questions

What is VIP peptide?

Vasoactive intestinal peptide is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide the body makes in the gut, brain, lungs and elsewhere. It relaxes blood vessels and smooth muscle and helps calm inflammation. Its drug name is aviptadil.

What is VIP peptide used for?

Mostly as a nasal spray for CIRS (mold illness), as the last step of the Shoemaker protocol. In Europe a VIP plus phentolamine injection treats erectile dysfunction. It has also been studied inhaled for pulmonary hypertension and sarcoidosis, and IV for COVID lung failure, where it did not help.

What is the VIP nasal spray dose?

In the 2013 CIRS trial, 20 patients took 50 mcg four times a day by nasal spray for at least 18 months. Clinic protocols describe 50 mcg per spray, often 4 to 8 sprays a day in alternating nostrils, with the first dose given in clinic.

What is the VIP subcutaneous dose?

Guides describe 50 to 200 mcg per injection, and 100 mcg twice daily is the most discussed plan. PeptIQ app users most often log 50 to 100 mcg per injection. No trial has tested subQ VIP for these uses.

Is VIP nasal spray the same as VIP injection?

No. The spray is made by a compounding pharmacy at about 50 mcg per spray and needs no mixing. Research vials are mixed at home and dosed in syringe units. Do not convert one into the other.

Where does VIP fit in the Shoemaker protocol?

It is the final step, step 12 on the protocol's own site. Entry criteria are a normal lipase, a negative MARCoNS nasal culture, a normal HERTSMI-2 building score and a normal VCS test. The site says VIP will not work while exposure or MARCoNS remain.

Why do VIP protocols check lipase?

Lipase is a pancreas marker, and guides treat a rising lipase or new belly pain as the signal to stop. The CIRS protocol requires a normal lipase before starting. In the 2013 trial, lipase did not rise.

What are the side effects of VIP?

Mostly effects of widened blood vessels: flushing, lightheadedness, low blood pressure, a faster heart rate, headache, nausea and loose stools. Flushing came with 40% of injections in the ED trial. Guides flag the pancreas as the key thing to monitor.

What is the half-life of VIP?

About one minute in the blood after an IV infusion, measured in healthy volunteers. That is why guides split doses through the day and why long-acting versions are being developed.

Is VIP FDA approved, and can pharmacies compound it?

VIP is not an FDA-approved drug. FDA's 503A list, updated May 14, 2026, puts it in Category 1, under evaluation. A 2019 proposed rule would leave it off the bulks list, but that rule is not final, so compounded nasal sprays remain available by prescription.

Did aviptadil work for COVID-19?

No. In the TESICO trial of 461 hospitalised patients, IV aviptadil did not improve recovery at day 90 and deaths were similar (38% vs 36%). The trial was stopped for futility.

Does VIP help erectile dysfunction?

As Invicorp, an injection of 25 mcg VIP with phentolamine, yes for many men: 75% responded vs 12% on placebo in a controlled trial. It is accepted for restricted use in NHS Scotland after oral drugs fail. It is not the nasal or subQ product.

Is VIP banned by WADA?

VIP is not named on the 2026 Prohibited List. The catch-all S0 class only covers substances with no human approval anywhere, and aviptadil is approved in Europe, but WADA has not addressed VIP directly. Athletes should check with their anti-doping agency.

How do you reconstitute a VIP vial?

One guide mixes a 10 mg vial with 3 mL of bacteriostatic water for about 3.33 mg/mL, so 50 mcg is 1.5 units, 100 mcg 3 units and 200 mcg 6 units on a U-100 syringe. Such small draws are hard to measure, so check with the calculator.

How long does mixed VIP last?

Guides disagree: 7 to 14 days, 28 days, 3 to 4 weeks or 30 days in the fridge. Pharmacy nasal sprays carry their own expiry date.

Ask about VIP

Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.

Sources

28 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.

Reference work2

  1. Aviptadil (CID 16132300) computed propertiesPubChem · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. PubChem aviptadil (CID 16132300) synonymsPubChem (NCBI) · checked Oct 24, 2026

Vendor guide1

  1. VIP (10 mg) product pageVendor product page · checked Oct 24, 2026

Competitor guide9

  1. VIP peptide dosing guidepeptidedosingprotocols.com · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) reportoutliyr.com · checked Oct 24, 2026
  3. Save VIPsurvivingmold.com · checked Oct 24, 2026

Community-reported1

  1. VIP community protocols and anecdotal reportspeptideprotocolwiki.com, via a competitor guide · checked Oct 24, 2026