CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
GHRH analog + Ghrelin-receptor agonist (synergy stack)
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is a two-peptide combination used to raise the body's own growth hormone release: CJC-1295 is a growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog and ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist. It is used in practitioner protocols for IGF-1, sleep and body composition. Neither peptide is FDA-approved; there are small human studies of each separately and none of the combination.
Quick reference
How CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is dosed in practice
The usual protocol is 100–300 mcg of CJC-1295 (the no-DAC form) plus 100–300 mcg of ipamorelin, injected SubQ together once a day at bedtime, on an empty stomach. Some people add a second dose in the morning. This guide does not list more than 300 mcg of either per dose.
Most start at 100 mcg of each and only move up if IGF-1 bloodwork (usually rechecked after 4–6 weeks) and side effects support it. Cycles typically run 8–12 weeks, followed by about 4 weeks off.
Where the numbers come from: these are practitioner conventions. Neither peptide is FDA-approved, the published CJC-1295 human study tested the long-acting DAC form dosed by body weight, and the combination has never been tested in a trial.
Work out the units to draw with the reconstitution calculator and how long a vial lasts with the vial duration calculator.
How CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin works
CJC-1295 (no-DAC, also called modified GRF 1-29) is a GHRH analog that binds the pituitary GHRH receptor and triggers a growth hormone pulse. It is short-acting, so it adds to the body's own pulses rather than raising GH continuously.
Ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor agonist. In animal studies it raised GH without the rise in cortisol and ACTH (stress hormones) seen with older GH-releasing peptides such as GHRP-2 and GHRP-6, even at doses far above those needed for GH release.
Combining a GHRH analog with a ghrelin-receptor agonist acts on two pituitary pathways at once; in human studies of related compounds, the pair released more GH than either alone. Because both work through your own pituitary rather than replacing GH, the body's feedback control is thought to stay intact.
In the DoseCraft framework, CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is filed under ATP Shortage (sleep and GH-driven IGF-1) and Inflammation (sleep quality) — a framework placement, not a tested outcome.
Reconstitution math
- Both peptides reconstitute identically. Use separate vials — do not pre-mix them in one vial.
- Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into each sterile syringe.
- Inject slowly down each vial wall. Swirl gently. Do not shake.
- Refrigerate both vials. Stable approximately 4 weeks at 2–8°C.
- Common practice: draw both peptides into a single insulin syringe right before injection — separate-vial storage, single-shot delivery.
Dose math
CJC-1295: 2 mg vial + 2 mL bac → 1,000 mcg/mL. 10 IU = 100 mcg, 30 IU = 300 mcg.
Ipamorelin: 5 mg vial + 2 mL bac → 2,500 mcg/mL. 4 IU = 100 mcg, 8 IU = 200 mcg, 12 IU = 300 mcg.
- • Starting dose: 10 IU CJC-1295 (100 mcg) + 4 IU Ipamorelin (100 mcg)
- • Upper end: 30 IU CJC-1295 (300 mcg) + 12 IU Ipamorelin (300 mcg)
- • Starting combined draw: ~14 IU in one syringe
Safety + side-effect profile
Neither peptide has long-term human safety data. Because they work through your own pituitary rather than replacing GH, the body's feedback loops are thought to stay intact — but that hasn't been tested over long periods.
Ipamorelin vs older GHRPs: in animal studies ipamorelin did not raise cortisol or ACTH, while GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 did. Avoid with: active cancer (GH and IGF-1 promote cell growth), pregnancy, breastfeeding, and poorly controlled diabetes (GH can raise blood sugar).
Interaction notes: don't add other GH secretagogues (MK-677, tesamorelin, sermorelin) without medical supervision. Avoid eating for about 2 hours before the injection — food, especially carbohydrate, blunts GH release.
- • Flushing or warmth after injection (passes within about 30 minutes)
- • Vivid dreams in the first week or two
- • Morning grogginess — often a sign the dose is too high
- • Tingling or numbness in hands and feet — can signal fluid retention; lower the dose and tell your clinician if it persists
Frequently asked
What's the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC?
CJC-1295 with DAC (drug affinity complex) binds to blood proteins and lasts much longer: in a human study, one injection raised GH for 6 days or more and IGF-1 for 9–11 days, with an estimated half-life of about 6–8 days. The no-DAC form is short-acting and gives a brief pulse. Most practitioner protocols use no-DAC at bedtime to add to the natural night-time GH pulse.
What is the typical CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin dose?
100–300 mcg of CJC-1295 (no-DAC) plus 100–300 mcg of ipamorelin, injected SubQ together once at bedtime on an empty stomach, for 8–12 weeks followed by about 4 weeks off. Many start at 100 mcg of each. This is practitioner convention; the combination has not been tested in a trial.
Why before bed and on an empty stomach?
The body's largest natural GH pulse comes soon after you fall asleep, during deep sleep, so a bedtime dose is timed to add to it. An empty stomach matters because food — especially carbohydrate — raises insulin and blunts GH release; most people avoid eating for about 2 hours beforehand.
How is this different from injecting actual HGH?
Injected HGH (somatropin) replaces growth hormone directly and suppresses your own production while you use it. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin prompt your pituitary to release its own GH, so feedback control is thought to stay intact. HGH is an approved prescription drug with long-term data; this combination is not approved and has no long-term data.
How long until results?
There are no trials of the combination, so timelines come from practitioner experience: sleep changes are often noticed in the first couple of weeks, and IGF-1 is usually rechecked on bloodwork after 4–6 weeks. Body-composition changes, if any, take months.
Should I cycle CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin?
The common convention is 8–12 weeks on, then about 4 weeks off. There is no trial evidence on cycling; it is done to limit continuous exposure.
Are there side effects?
Reported: flushing or warmth after injection, vivid dreams in the first week or two, morning grogginess if the dose is too high, and hand or foot tingling from fluid retention. In animal studies, ipamorelin did not raise cortisol. Long-term human safety data don't exist.
Will this affect my IGF-1 bloodwork?
It should — raising IGF-1 is the point. Get a baseline IGF-1 before starting and recheck after 4–6 weeks. Responses vary a lot between people; IGF-1 above the normal range for your age is a reason to lower the dose and talk to your clinician.
Protocols using CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
Outcome-driven stacks with phased dose schedules and cited PMIDs.
Head-to-head comparisons
Cited side-by-side breakdowns that include CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin.
Related compounds
Often researched, stacked, or compared with CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin.
Cited research
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.
Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol, 1998.
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