CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Dosage Guide: Complete Protocol for Safe Administration

Medically reviewed by the BHRC Clinical Team — Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center · Written by Sam Brooks · Published / Reviewed July 24, 2026

Medical disclaimer: This article is educational and is not medical advice. The dosing figures below describe how licensed clinicians titrate these peptides in a supervised setting; they are not self-administration instructions. CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are not FDA-approved drugs, and their combined use has never been studied in a published human randomized controlled trial. Do not obtain, mix, or inject any peptide without a qualified prescriber directing your care. Always consult a physician before beginning any peptide therapy.

Quick CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Dosing Summary

In physician-supervised protocols, the most common CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Mod GRF 1-29) and Ipamorelin combination is 100 mcg of each peptide per dose, injected subcutaneously once daily at bedtime on an empty stomach, five days per week. Providers titrate the pair together, most often to 200–300 mcg of each per dose, sometimes split into two or three daily injections. A long-acting CJC-1295 with DAC version is instead dosed roughly 1–2 mg once or twice weekly. All figures are provider-directed, not a prescription.

The rest of this guide expands every one of those numbers into a full clinical protocol: what each peptide is, how the two are dosed by experience tier, the exact milligram-to-insulin-unit reconstitution math for both a 5 mg/5 mg dual vial and 2 mg/2 mg single vials, injection technique, timing, cycling, side effects, stacking, monitoring, candidacy, and an honest, dated look at the regulatory status. Schedule a Peptide Therapy Consultation with a BHRC physician to see whether any of it is appropriate for you.

What Is CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin?

“CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin” is not one drug — it is a combination (a “stack”) of two different growth-hormone–stimulating peptides that are frequently compounded together because they act on the pituitary through two complementary pathways. Understanding each half is the key to understanding the dose.

CJC-1295: a GHRH analog

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) — specifically a modified version of the first 29 amino acids of natural GHRH (which is why the short-acting form is also called Mod GRF 1-29). It binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary’s somatotroph cells and tells them to produce and release growth hormone (GH). Because it mimics the body’s own releasing hormone, CJC-1295 tends to increase the amount of GH available for each pulse rather than forcing a single artificial spike.

Ipamorelin: a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist

Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂) that acts on a different target: the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a), the same receptor the hunger hormone ghrelin uses. It was first described by Raun and colleagues in 1998 as “the first selective growth hormone secretagogue” because, unlike older growth-hormone–releasing peptides such as GHRP-6 and GHRP-2, it triggers a GH pulse without meaningfully raising cortisol, prolactin, or ACTH at therapeutic doses. Ipamorelin also suppresses somatostatin (the brake on GH release), so it removes the brake at the same time CJC-1295 presses the accelerator.

Why they are combined

GHRH agonists and ghrelin-receptor agonists act synergistically on GH release when given together — a phenomenon documented in the endocrine literature, where GHRH behaves as an allosteric modulator that amplifies the pituitary’s response to ghrelin-receptor stimulation. In plain terms: CJC-1295 increases the size of the GH reservoir and Ipamorelin opens the gate, so the combined pulse is larger than either peptide produces alone, while still preserving the body’s own pulsatile rhythm. That pulsatile, “physiologic” release is the theoretical safety advantage over injecting recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) directly, which floods the system with a flat, non-pulsatile level of GH. You can read more about how BHRC positions this therapy on our CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin treatment page.

Studied benefits (and the honest evidence limits)

Research and clinical experience associate GH optimization with improved body composition (more lean mass, less visceral fat), better sleep quality, faster recovery, and skin and connective-tissue support. It is essential to be candid: the two individual peptides have only limited human pharmacokinetic data, most of the mechanistic and outcome evidence comes from animal models, and the combination has never been tested in a published human randomized controlled trial. Benefits below are framed as “research suggests” or “studied for,” never as guaranteed outcomes.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Benefits: What the Research Supports

Before dosing, it is worth grounding why patients pursue this stack — and being precise about how strong the evidence is behind each claim. The benefits below are the ones most consistently discussed in the literature and clinical practice, framed honestly as “studied for” rather than promised.

Body Composition and Fat Metabolism

Growth hormone drives lipolysis (fat breakdown) and supports lean tissue, and IGF-1 mediates many of its anabolic effects. In supervised GH-optimization protocols, patients most commonly pursue reduced visceral (abdominal) fat and preserved or modestly increased lean mass. The effect is real physiologically but gradual and diet-dependent — this stack supports body-composition goals, it does not override caloric balance or training.

Sleep Quality

Because the body’s largest natural GH pulse coincides with early slow-wave sleep, and because bedtime dosing amplifies that pulse, improved sleep depth is one of the earliest and most frequently reported subjective benefits — often within the first two weeks. Better sleep, in turn, feeds back into recovery and daytime energy.

Recovery, Connective Tissue, and Bone

IGF-1 supports collagen synthesis and tissue repair, and Ipamorelin specifically has rodent data showing longitudinal bone growth and increased bone mineral content, including counteracting glucocorticoid-induced bone loss. Patients commonly report faster recovery between training sessions and reduced soreness. The strongest of this evidence remains animal-model data, so human recovery benefits are best described as plausible and anecdotally supported.

Skin Quality and Anti-Aging

Skin firmness and hydration improvements are a popular reported effect and are biologically plausible through IGF-1’s role in collagen and fibroblast activity, but this is the weakest-evidenced benefit and should be viewed as a possible secondary effect rather than a primary reason to start therapy.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Dosing Protocols Based on Clinical Research

Because there is no FDA-approved label for this combination, “dosing” is derived from the pharmacokinetics of each peptide, weight-based data from the original CJC-1295 human trial, and physician compounding experience. The single most useful concept below is the combined dosing tier table — showing the mcg of each peptide per dose — because most published resources bury the numbers in prose or give only one peptide at a time.

Standard Ranges (the combined dosing chart)

The following tiers describe how clinicians commonly titrate the short-acting CJC-1295 no-DAC + Ipamorelin blend. Providers almost always begin at the beginner tier to assess individual tolerance and response before advancing.

A practical dosing rule many clinicians follow for Ipamorelin is the “saturation dose” concept: roughly 1 mcg per kg of body weight tends to saturate the ghrelin receptor, so doses far above ~200–300 mcg per injection often add side-effect risk without proportional additional GH release. This is why the ladder tops out around 300 mcg per dose in most protocols rather than climbing indefinitely.

Research-Based Protocols (weight-based framing)

The one well-designed human study of CJC-1295 (the DAC form) dosed subjects on a per-kilogram basis and found doses of 30–60 mcg/kg to be safe and well tolerated. The microgram figures used clinically for the no-DAC form are considerably smaller per dose because the no-DAC molecule is cleared within roughly 30 minutes and is dosed daily rather than weekly. The table below reframes the tiers for context, but note that fixed-mcg dosing (above) is what compounding pharmacies and clinics actually use.

Clinical Trial Data

In the pivotal Teichman et al. (2006) study, a single subcutaneous injection of CJC-1295 (with DAC) produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH of 2- to 10-fold for six or more days and in IGF-1 of 1.5- to 3-fold for 9–11 days, with a measured half-life of 5.8–8.1 days and evidence of a cumulative effect across multiple doses. For Ipamorelin, the foundational human and animal work by Raun et al. (1998) established its high GH-releasing potency and its defining selectivity — GH release without cortisol or prolactin elevation. There is, to date, no published human RCT of the two peptides administered together, which is the single most important limitation to keep in mind when interpreting any dosing chart, including this one.

How to Reconstitute CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin

Peptides are shipped as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) white powder and must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use. In a supervised model, this is prepared by a compounding pharmacy or performed by the patient exactly as the clinic instructs. The math below is provided so you can understand and verify what your provider prescribes — not as a license to source and mix peptides on your own.

Step-by-Step Reconstitution

The stack is dispensed either as a single dual vial (both peptides blended in one vial — e.g., 5 mg CJC-1295 + 5 mg Ipamorelin) or as two separate single vials (e.g., 2 mg each). The reconstitution steps are the same for either:

1. Bring the vial to room temperature and wipe both the peptide vial stopper and the bacteriostatic water vial stopper with a fresh alcohol swab.
2. Draw your chosen volume of bacteriostatic water (BAC water, 0.9% benzyl alcohol preserved) into a reconstitution syringe. The volume you choose sets your final concentration — see the tables below.
3. Inject the water slowly down the inside wall of the vial, aiming the stream at the glass, not directly onto the powder. Never spray it forcefully onto the peptide.
4. Do not shake. Gently swirl or roll the vial between your palms until the powder fully dissolves into a clear, colorless solution. Peptides are fragile; agitation degrades them.
5. Inspect the solution. It should be clear. Discard it if it is cloudy, discolored, or contains particulates.
6. Label and refrigerate. Store reconstituted peptide at 36–46 °F (2–8 °C), protected from light. Use within the window your pharmacy specifies (commonly ~28–30 days).

Understanding insulin-unit math

All dosing is measured on a standard U-100 insulin syringe, where “100 units” = 1 mL and therefore 1 unit = 0.01 mL. Once you know the concentration in micrograms per unit, every dose becomes simple arithmetic:

concentration (mcg per unit) = total mcg in vial ÷ (mL of BAC water × 100)

syringe units to draw = desired dose (mcg) ÷ concentration (mcg per unit)

Dosing Calculation Examples — 5 mg / 5 mg dual (blended) vial

A blended vial containing 5 mg (5,000 mcg) of CJC-1295 and 5 mg (5,000 mcg) of Ipamorelin is the most common combination format. Because both peptides are in one vial at the same concentration, a single draw delivers an equal microgram dose of each. Reconstituting with 2 mL of BAC water gives a clean, easy-to-measure concentration:

• 5,000 mcg ÷ (2 mL × 100) = 25 mcg per unit of each peptide

If a provider prefers a lower fill volume, the same 5 mg/5 mg vial reconstituted with 1 mL yields 50 mcg per unit, so 100 mcg of each = 2 units. That concentration is more potent per unit and harder to measure precisely at small doses, which is why 2 mL is the more common, more forgiving choice.

Dosing Calculation Examples — 2 mg / 2 mg single vials (mixed by draw)

When the peptides are dispensed as two separate 2 mg (2,000 mcg) vials, they are typically reconstituted separately and drawn into the same syringe one after the other (“stacked in the barrel”). Reconstituting each 2 mg vial with 1 mL of BAC water:

• 2,000 mcg ÷ (1 mL × 100) = 20 mcg per unit (each vial)

To combine, you would draw, for example, 5 units of CJC-1295, then 5 units of Ipamorelin into the same insulin syringe (10 units total in the barrel) and inject once. If a provider chooses 2 mL per 2 mg vial instead, the concentration becomes 10 mcg/unit, so 100 mcg = 10 units — larger, easier-to-read markings at the cost of slightly more injection volume.

Reconstituting the CJC-1295 with DAC form

The long-acting DAC version is dosed weekly, not daily, so its math looks different. A 2 mg (2,000 mcg) DAC vial reconstituted with 1 mL gives 20 mcg/unit: a 1 mg weekly dose = 50 units, a 2 mg weekly dose = 100 units (a full insulin syringe). Because a full-syringe draw is easy to misjudge, DAC dosing in particular should be prepared or double-checked by the clinic.

Bacteriostatic vs. Sterile Water — Which to Use

Use bacteriostatic water (sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol) rather than plain sterile water or saline for any peptide you will draw from over multiple days. The benzyl alcohol suppresses microbial growth, which is what allows a reconstituted vial to be used across the ~28–30-day window. Plain sterile water lacks a preservative and is only appropriate for a single-use, same-day preparation. Your compounding pharmacy specifies which to use.

Storage, Handling, and Shelf Life

Lyophilized (unreconstituted) peptide is stable and can be kept refrigerated, or frozen for long-term storage, until you are ready to mix it. Once reconstituted, it must be refrigerated at 36–46 °F (2–8 °C), kept out of light, and never frozen — freezing and thawing degrades the peptide. Do not leave the vial at room temperature longer than necessary during dosing, and always inspect for cloudiness or particulates before each use. Discard at the end of the pharmacy-specified window even if solution remains.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Administration Guide

Both peptides are given by subcutaneous injection — into the fat layer just beneath the skin, not into muscle or vein. The technique is essentially identical to how patients self-administer insulin or GLP-1 medications.

Injection Site Selection

The preferred site is the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen, roughly two inches away from the navel in any direction, avoiding the navel itself. Alternative sites include the outer thigh, the love-handle/flank area, and the back of the upper arm. Key habits:

• Rotate sites with each injection to prevent lipohypertrophy (fatty lumps) and irritation. Some patients keep a simple left/right, upper/lower rotation.
• Avoid areas with visible veins, scars, stretch marks, bruising, moles, or broken skin.
• For fasted morning dosing, the abdomen is convenient; for bedtime dosing, whichever site is comfortable lying down.

Subcutaneous Injection Technique

1. Wash your hands and clean the chosen site with an alcohol swab; let it air-dry.
2. Draw the prescribed number of units and tap out any air bubbles, expelling them back into the vial.
3. Pinch a fold of skin gently between thumb and forefinger to lift the fat away from muscle.
4. Insert the short insulin needle at a 45–90° angle (90° for most abdomens, 45° for leaner sites) in one smooth motion.
5. Depress the plunger slowly and steadily to deliver the dose, then wait a beat before withdrawing.
6. Withdraw the needle at the same angle, release the pinch, and apply light pressure with a clean cotton pad. Do not rub.
7. Dispose of the needle in a sharps container. Never reuse or recap needles.

Minor redness, itching, or a small welt at the injection site is common and usually transient. Injecting the peptide (especially Ipamorelin, which is preserved in benzyl-alcohol water) slowly reduces the mild sting some patients notice.

Optimal Timing for CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Administration

Timing is not a minor detail with this stack — it is central to whether the therapy works as intended, because two things blunt GH release: recent food (especially carbohydrates, which raise insulin and somatostatin) and the body’s own daytime GH suppression.

• Bedtime is the flagship dose. The body’s largest natural GH pulse occurs during early slow-wave sleep, so a dose 30–60 minutes before bed on an empty stomach amplifies a pulse that is already happening.
• Fasted state matters. Inject at least 2–3 hours after your last meal and wait ~20–30 minutes before eating, so insulin and blood glucose are low and do not suppress the GH response.
• Multiple daily doses (intermediate/advanced tiers) are commonly placed first thing in the morning fasted and again at bedtime, sometimes with a mid-day fasted dose.
• Around training: some athletes time a fasted dose post-workout, though food timing around training must be individualized.

The DAC form is timing-agnostic by comparison: because it circulates for days, the weekly injection can be given at a consistent day/time without the fasting choreography the no-DAC form requires.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Cycle Length and Protocol Duration

Peptide GH secretagogues are cycled rather than run continuously, both to give the pituitary axis a rest and to reassess whether the therapy is meeting its goals.

• Typical cycle: 8–12 weeks of daily dosing, followed by a break of roughly 4 or more weeks before considering another cycle.
• Extended protocols (12–16 weeks) are used by some experienced patients under close supervision, usually with interim lab checks.
• Why cycle: the theoretical concern is receptor desensitization and, with sustained supraphysiologic GH/IGF-1, downstream effects on insulin sensitivity. Cycling and lab monitoring mitigate both.
• 5-days-on / 2-days-off weekly patterns are also used within a cycle as a lighter-touch way to preserve receptor sensitivity.

Your clinician sets cycle length against your goals, your IGF-1 trend, and how you tolerate the therapy — there is no one-size-fits-all duration.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Safety Profile and Potential Side Effects

Ipamorelin’s selectivity is the main reason this pair is favored over older GH-releasing peptides: it tends not to raise cortisol or prolactin, so the side-effect burden is generally milder than GHRP-6 or GHRP-2. Still, no GH-stimulating therapy is side-effect-free, and long-term safety data specific to this combination do not exist.

Common Side Effects

• Injection-site reactions — redness, itching, mild swelling, or a transient welt.
• Facial flushing or a warm sensation shortly after injection (more associated with the GHRH component).
• Head-rush, lightheadedness, or headache.
• Water retention, tingling, or numbness in the hands (paresthesia) — a classic GH-related effect that usually signals the dose is on the higher side.
• Increased appetite — via the ghrelin-receptor action of Ipamorelin, though it is far less pronounced than with less-selective secretagogues.
• Transient fatigue or vivid dreams, particularly with bedtime dosing.

Contraindications and Cautions

Because these peptides raise GH and IGF-1, they are generally avoided or used only with heightened caution in people with:

• Active or prior cancer — IGF-1 is a growth factor, and stimulating it in the presence of malignancy is a theoretical risk; an active-cancer history is typically a firm contraindication.
• Diabetes or significant insulin resistance — sustained GH elevation can reduce insulin sensitivity and raise blood glucose.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — never used; no safety data.
• Proliferative retinopathy, uncontrolled thyroid disease, or acromegaly.
• Children/adolescents outside a formal endocrinology setting.

Athletes must also be aware that GH secretagogues, GHRH analogs, and their releasing peptides are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code (class S2, peptide hormones and growth factors). Both CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin fall under this ban; using them will cause a failed drug test in tested sport.

Drug Interactions

• Insulin and other GH secretagogues — combining GH-raising agents can compound effects on glucose and IGF-1; requires careful monitoring.
• Corticosteroids — may blunt the GH response.
• Thyroid medication and antidiabetic drugs — doses may need review as body composition and glucose handling shift.
• Somatostatin analogs — directly oppose the mechanism and would negate the therapy.

Always give your prescriber a full medication and supplement list before starting, and report new symptoms — especially persistent numbness/tingling, vision changes, or rising blood sugar — promptly.

Combining CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin with Other Peptides and Therapies

The CJC-1295/Ipamorelin stack is itself a combination, but it is sometimes layered into broader protocols. The comparison matrix below places it alongside other peptides BHRC clinicians work with, so you can see where each fits by mechanism and goal. Combinations are always physician-directed; peptides are not interchangeable and should never be self-stacked.

A frequent question is whether to add a GLP-1 medication such as semaglutide or tirzepatide for weight loss while running a GH stack. This can be appropriate for some patients — the GH stack helps preserve lean mass while the GLP-1 drives fat loss — but glucose must be watched closely because the two push insulin sensitivity in opposite directions. That is exactly the kind of decision that belongs with a physician, not a forum. Explore the full menu on the BHRC peptide therapy pages.

DAC vs No-DAC (Mod GRF 1-29): Which CJC-1295 Are You Actually Dosing?

This is the single most confused point in CJC-1295 dosing, and getting it wrong means dosing 100 times too often or too rarely. “CJC-1295” is sold in two very different forms. No-DAC (identical to Mod GRF 1-29) and with-DAC (a Drug Affinity Complex that binds albumin and dramatically extends half-life). They are not interchangeable.

Why most clinicians favor no-DAC with Ipamorelin: the whole rationale for choosing peptides over rHGH is to keep GH release pulsatile and physiologic. The DAC form’s multi-day “GH bleed” partially defeats that purpose by holding GH elevated continuously, which is closer to the non-pulsatile pattern peptide therapy is trying to avoid. The no-DAC form, paired with Ipamorelin’s clean pulse, is the more physiologic choice — at the cost of needing daily, well-timed injections. The DAC form’s appeal is purely convenience (one or two shots a week). Neither is “better” universally; the right choice depends on goals, adherence, and your clinician’s judgment.

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Before and After: Realistic Results Timeline

Patients frequently search for “CJC-1295 Ipamorelin before and after,” expecting a dramatic transformation photo. Honest expectation-setting matters here: this is a gradual therapy, GH and IGF-1 elevation take time to translate into visible change, and results vary widely with diet, sleep, training, age, and baseline GH status. There are no guaranteed outcomes. The rough timeline patients and clinicians commonly describe:

If a source shows a dramatic four-week “before and after,” treat it skeptically — that pace is not consistent with the underlying physiology of GH optimization, and diet/lighting/training usually explain most of what a photo shows.

Common CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Dosing Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems patients run into are not about the peptides themselves but about how they are dosed and handled. These are the errors clinicians see most often — every one of them is a reason supervision matters.

Confusing the DAC and No-DAC Forms

The most consequential mistake is dosing a no-DAC schedule (daily) as if it were a DAC schedule (weekly), or vice versa. Because the two forms differ in half-life by a factor of roughly 300, mixing up the protocol means either near-total under-dosing or a large overdose. Always confirm which form you have before calculating anything.

Eating Too Close to the Dose

Injecting right after a carbohydrate-containing meal blunts the GH response because insulin and glucose stimulate somatostatin. Patients who “don’t feel anything” are frequently dosing in a fed state. The fasted-state rule (2–3 hours after eating, 20–30 minutes before the next meal) is not optional fine print — it is central to whether the therapy works.

Chasing Ever-Higher Doses

Because Ipamorelin saturates the ghrelin receptor at roughly 1 mcg/kg, pushing doses far above ~300 mcg per injection tends to add side effects (water retention, numbness) without proportionally more GH release. More is not better past the saturation point; frequency and timing matter more than a big single dose.

Skipping Labs and Running It Continuously

Titrating without a baseline and follow-up IGF-1, or running the stack indefinitely with no break, forfeits the safety scaffolding of the therapy. Without labs you cannot know whether you are optimized or supraphysiologic, and continuous use risks receptor desensitization and glucose effects.

Who Should Consider CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Therapy?

In a physician-supervised model, this stack is considered primarily for adults with signs or labs consistent with age-related decline in GH output who have goals around body composition, recovery, and sleep, and who do not have a contraindication. Reasonable candidates often share these features:

• Adults (commonly 30+) noticing slower recovery, changes in body composition, or declining sleep quality.
• Low-normal or declining IGF-1 on labs, without frank GH deficiency requiring rHGH.
• Active people seeking recovery and composition support alongside good training and nutrition (not as a substitute for them).
• No history of cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, pregnancy, or the other contraindications above.
• Willingness to inject daily on a schedule and to be monitored with periodic labs.

It is not appropriate for tested athletes (WADA-banned), for anyone with active malignancy, during pregnancy, or as a shortcut around foundational lifestyle work. A consultation exists precisely to sort candidacy honestly. Schedule a Peptide Therapy Consultation to get a personalized assessment.

Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Protocols

Supervised peptide therapy is a measure-and-adjust process, not a fixed prescription. Typical monitoring includes:

• Baseline labs before starting: IGF-1, fasting glucose and HbA1c or fasting insulin, and a general metabolic panel. IGF-1 is the practical proxy for GH activity because GH itself is too pulsatile to measure reliably in a single draw.
• Follow-up IGF-1 at roughly 6–8 weeks to confirm the response is in a sensible physiologic range — the goal is optimization, not a supraphysiologic spike.
• Glucose surveillance throughout, since sustained GH elevation can nudge insulin resistance upward.
• Symptom tracking: sleep quality, recovery, water retention, and any paresthesia (numbness/tingling), which typically signals a dose reduction is warranted.
• Dose titration: providers move up the tier ladder only after tolerance is confirmed, and they step down or pause if IGF-1 runs high or side effects appear.

This is why self-administration without labs is discouraged: without an IGF-1 trend and glucose data, you are titrating blind.

Is CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin FDA-Approved? Legal & Regulatory Status (2026)

Neither CJC-1295 nor Ipamorelin is FDA-approved for anti-aging, growth-hormone stimulation, or any other indication. There is no approved drug product, no approved label, and no approved dose for either peptide, alone or combined. Any clinical use occurs outside of FDA approval, and the specific combination has not been evaluated in a published human randomized controlled trial.

Regulatory status as of July 24, 2026: The compounding pathway for these peptides has been in active flux. In September 2023, the FDA placed several peptide bulk drug substances — including Ipamorelin — into Category 2 of the interim Section 503A bulk drug substances list, the category for substances the agency believes raise significant safety questions and therefore should not be compounded while under review. Following legal challenges, the FDA agreed in 2024 to step back from that unilateral action and instead route these peptides through its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) for formal public review; Ipamorelin (acetate and free base), among others, was slated for PCAC evaluation at the October 29, 2024 meeting. That review process has continued into 2026: the FDA published a Federal Register notice for a PCAC meeting held July 23–24, 2026 to consider a slate of peptides for the 503A list. In short, the eligibility of these peptides for legal pharmacy compounding remains under ongoing FDA review and subject to change — patients should confirm current status with their prescriber and compounding pharmacy.

Separately, both peptides are prohibited in competitive sport at all times under the WADA/USADA code (S2 peptide hormones and growth factors). BHRC does not sell raw or “research-use-only” peptides and does not position these as consumer products; any use is physician-supervised, provider-directed care within the applicable compounding framework.

Conclusion

The CJC-1295/Ipamorelin stack pairs a GHRH analog with a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist to produce a larger, still-pulsatile growth-hormone pulse than either peptide achieves alone. In supervised protocols, the short-acting no-DAC form is most often dosed at 100–300 mcg of each peptide, once to three times daily, fasted or at bedtime, on 8–12-week cycles — while the long-acting DAC form is dosed 1–2 mg once or twice weekly. The reconstitution math is straightforward once you fix a concentration (25 mcg/unit from a 5 mg/5 mg vial in 2 mL; 20 mcg/unit from a 2 mg vial in 1 mL), and Ipamorelin’s selectivity keeps the side-effect profile relatively mild.

But the honest caveats are just as important as the numbers: neither peptide is FDA-approved, the combination has no published human RCT, much of the evidence is mechanistic or from animal models, the regulatory status is actively evolving, and the therapy is banned in tested sport. That is exactly why this belongs under a physician’s care with lab monitoring — not on a self-mixed protocol from a forum. Schedule a Peptide Therapy Consultation with a BHRC physician to find out whether CJC-1295/Ipamorelin therapy fits your goals, labs, and history.

Frequently Asked Questions About CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Dosing

What is the standard CJC-1295 Ipamorelin dosage?

The most common starting protocol is 100 mcg of CJC-1295 (no-DAC) plus 100 mcg of Ipamorelin, injected subcutaneously once daily at bedtime on an empty stomach, five days per week. Clinicians titrate the pair together up to 200–300 mcg of each per dose, and sometimes to two or three daily injections, based on tolerance, IGF-1 labs, and goals. The long-acting CJC-1295 with DAC is dosed differently — about 1–2 mg once or twice weekly. All figures are provider-directed, not a prescription.

How do I mix (reconstitute) CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

Add bacteriostatic water slowly down the vial wall, swirl gently (never shake) until clear, then refrigerate. For a blended 5 mg/5 mg vial, 2 mL of BAC water gives 25 mcg per insulin unit of each peptide, so 100 mcg of each = 4 units. For separate 2 mg vials, 1 mL gives 20 mcg per unit, so 100 mcg = 5 units per peptide. Reconstitution should be done exactly as your compounding pharmacy or clinic directs.

How many units on an insulin syringe is a CJC-1295 Ipamorelin dose?

It depends entirely on your vial’s concentration. From a 5 mg/5 mg blended vial reconstituted with 2 mL water (25 mcg/unit), 100 mcg of each = 4 units, 200 mcg = 8 units, 300 mcg = 12 units. From a 2 mg vial in 1 mL water (20 mcg/unit), 100 mcg = 5 units. Always recalculate for your specific fill volume rather than copying someone else’s unit count.

What is the difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and no-DAC?

No-DAC (identical to Mod GRF 1-29) has a ~30-minute half-life and is dosed 1–3 times daily to amplify natural GH pulses. With-DAC binds albumin, extends the half-life to roughly 5.8–8.1 days, and is dosed only 1–2 times weekly, producing a sustained GH elevation. The no-DAC form is the standard partner for Ipamorelin because it preserves the pulsatile, physiologic GH release that is the whole rationale for choosing peptides over direct HGH.

When is the best time to inject CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

Bedtime on an empty stomach is the flagship dose, because it amplifies the large GH pulse that naturally occurs in early deep sleep. Inject at least 2–3 hours after eating (especially carbohydrates) and wait about 20–30 minutes before your next meal, since insulin and glucose suppress GH release. Multiple daily doses are commonly placed first thing in the morning fasted and again at bedtime.

How long should a CJC-1295 Ipamorelin cycle be?

A typical cycle is 8–12 weeks of daily dosing followed by a break of about four or more weeks before considering another cycle. Some experienced patients run 12–16 weeks under close supervision. Cycling helps preserve receptor sensitivity and gives an opportunity to reassess IGF-1 labs and results before continuing.

What are the side effects of CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

The most common are injection-site reactions, facial flushing or a head-rush after dosing, headache, water retention, and tingling or numbness in the hands (a sign the dose may be too high). Increased appetite can occur via Ipamorelin’s ghrelin-receptor action but is mild because Ipamorelin is selective and does not meaningfully raise cortisol or prolactin. Report persistent numbness, vision changes, or rising blood sugar to your provider.

Does CJC-1295 Ipamorelin actually build muscle or burn fat?

Research suggests GH and IGF-1 optimization can support lean-mass retention and reduce visceral fat, and patients commonly report better recovery and body composition over 8–12 weeks. However, the effects are gradual and modest, they depend heavily on training, nutrition, and sleep, and the specific combination has not been tested in a published human trial. It is a supportive therapy, not a replacement for diet and exercise, and results are not guaranteed.

Is CJC-1295 Ipamorelin legal and FDA-approved?

Neither peptide is FDA-approved for any use, and the combination has no approved label. As of July 24, 2026, their eligibility for legal pharmacy compounding is under ongoing FDA review — Ipamorelin was placed in 503A Category 2 in September 2023, then routed to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee for formal review beginning in 2024, a process that continued through a PCAC meeting in July 2026. Both peptides are also banned at all times in tested sport under the WADA code.

Can I use CJC-1295 Ipamorelin with GLP-1 medications like tirzepatide?

Some physicians do combine a GH-stimulating stack with a GLP-1 medication so the peptides help preserve lean mass while the GLP-1 drives fat loss. But the two push insulin sensitivity in opposite directions, so blood glucose must be monitored closely, and the decision should be made and supervised by a physician — never self-stacked. Discuss it during a consultation before combining any peptides or medications.

References

1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799-805. PMID: 16352683. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683
2. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thøgersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. PMID: 9849822. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9849822
3. Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. The safety and efficacy of growth hormone secretagogues. Sex Med Rev. 2018;6(1):45-53. PMID: 28400207. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28400207
4. Casanueva FF, et al. Growth hormone-releasing hormone as an agonist of the ghrelin receptor GHS-R1a (GHRH/ghrelin synergy). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. PMCID: PMC2603429. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2603429
5. Ishida J, Saitoh M, Ebner N, et al. Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development. JCSM Rapid Communications. 2020;3(1):25-37. DOI: 10.1002/rco2.9. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rco2.9
6. Johansen PB, et al. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 1999. (PMID not independently verified — see internal-link TODO.)
7. Svensson J, et al. The GH secretagogues ipamorelin and GH-releasing peptide-6 increase bone mineral content in adult female rats. J Endocrinol / J Bone Miner Res. ~2000. (PMID not independently verified — see internal-link TODO.)
8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act. fda.gov — 503A bulk drug substances
9. Federal Register. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting; Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Inclusion on the Section 503A List. Sept 18, 2024. federalregister.gov — 2024 PCAC notice

Related Resources / Related Guides from BHRC

• CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin therapy at BHRC — treatment overview and consultation.
• Tirzepatide — dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist for weight management (see also the Tirzepatide dosage guide in this series).
• MOTS-c — mitochondrial-derived metabolic peptide (dosage guide in this series).
• Tesamorelin — FDA-approved stabilized GHRH analog for visceral fat.
• Semaglutide — GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight management.
• AOD-9604 — fat-metabolism peptide fragment.
• Sibling dosage guides in this batch — Retatrutide, PT-141, and BPC-157 — are being published alongside this one. Ask a BHRC physician which peptide protocol fits your goals.

Reminder: This guide is educational and not a substitute for individualized medical care. CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are not FDA-approved, are not sold by BHRC as consumer products, and should only be used under physician supervision with appropriate lab monitoring.