Sermorelin
GHRH (1-29) — recombinant growth hormone releasing hormone analog
Sermorelin is a synthetic version of the first 29 amino acids of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that prompts the pituitary to release its own growth hormone. A sermorelin drug (Geref) was once FDA-approved for diagnosing and treating growth hormone deficiency in children; it was later taken off the market, and the FDA has said this was not for reasons of safety or effectiveness. Adult use for IGF-1, sleep or body composition is off-label and rests on small human studies.
Quick reference
How Sermorelin is dosed in practice
Adult protocols use 200–500 mcg of sermorelin injected SubQ once a day at bedtime, on an empty stomach. Many start at 200 mcg and increase toward 500 mcg based on IGF-1 bloodwork and side effects.
Courses commonly run 3–6 months, followed by about a month off; some use 5 nights on, 2 off within that.
Where the numbers come from: the 200–500 mcg range is practitioner convention for adults. The former pediatric regimen was dosed by body weight (30 mcg/kg nightly), and research doses in adults have varied, so there is no single trial-tested adult dose.
Work out the units to draw with the reconstitution calculator and how long a vial lasts with the vial duration calculator.
How Sermorelin works
Sermorelin is the bioactive 29-amino-acid fragment of natural GHRH (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone). It binds the pituitary GHRH receptor and triggers natural GH pulse release — same downstream pathway as endogenous GHRH, just delivered exogenously.
Its short half-life (about 10–20 minutes) means it produces a brief pulse rather than continuous stimulation, which is thought to preserve normal feedback. The flip side is a modest effect from a single nightly dose: in a 6-week study in older men, nightly injections increased night-time GH release but did not change IGF-1, body composition or most strength measures.
Many practitioners now use CJC-1295 (no-DAC), a modified GRF 1-29 designed to resist breakdown, instead of sermorelin. Sermorelin's advantage is its longer record of human research.
Paired with ipamorelin, it acts on two pituitary pathways at once; in human studies of related compounds, a GHRH analog plus a ghrelin-receptor agonist released more GH than either alone.
Reconstitution math
- Remove the flip-off cap. Wipe the rubber stopper with alcohol.
- Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
- Inject slowly down the vial wall.
- Swirl gently. Do not shake.
- Refrigerate. Stable approximately 30 days at 2–8°C.
Dose math
5 mg vial + 2 mL bac water → 2,500 mcg/mL.
On a 100-unit insulin syringe (1 IU = 0.01 mL):
- • 8 IU = 200 mcg
- • 12 IU = 300 mcg
- • 20 IU = 500 mcg — the top of the range
Synergy stack
Sermorelin + Ipamorelin — entry-level GH stack
Sermorelin adds to the natural GH pulse through the GHRH receptor. Ipamorelin increases pulse height through the ghrelin receptor and, in animal studies, did so without the cortisol rise seen with older GHRPs. This is the more conservative cousin of the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin protocol; the combination hasn't been tested in a trial.
Sermorelin dose
200–500 mcg SubQ before bed
Ipamorelin dose
100–300 mcg SubQ (same shot)
Safety + side-effect profile
Sermorelin has a longer human research record than most GH peptides and was generally well tolerated in studies. Side effects are usually mild.
Avoid with: active cancer (GH and IGF-1 promote cell growth), pituitary disease or surgery, pregnancy, breastfeeding, poorly controlled diabetes (GH can raise blood sugar).
Interaction notes: pairs with ipamorelin. Don't combine with another GHRH analog (CJC-1295, tesamorelin) — they act on the same receptor.
- • Facial flushing or warmth after injection (transient)
- • Injection-site pain or redness
- • Vivid dreams in the first week or two
- • Morning grogginess if the dose is too high
Frequently asked
What is Sermorelin?
Sermorelin is a synthetic peptide matching the first 29 amino acids of natural GHRH. It prompts the pituitary to release its own growth hormone. A sermorelin drug (Geref) was FDA-approved for diagnosing and treating growth hormone deficiency in children but has been discontinued; the FDA has said it was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness.
What is the typical Sermorelin dose?
Adult protocols use 200–500 mcg SubQ once a day at bedtime, on an empty stomach, commonly for 3–6 months followed by about a month off. Many start at 200 mcg and adjust based on IGF-1 bloodwork. This adult range is practitioner convention.
Sermorelin vs CJC-1295 — which is better?
Both act on the GHRH receptor. CJC-1295 (no-DAC) is a modified version designed to resist breakdown and last longer; sermorelin lasts about 10–20 minutes. Neither is currently FDA-approved. Sermorelin has the longer research record; CJC-1295 is more common in current practitioner protocols.
How do I reconstitute Sermorelin?
5 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water → 2,500 mcg/mL. On a 100-unit insulin syringe, 8 IU = 200 mcg, 20 IU = 500 mcg. Refrigerate after reconstitution; stable approximately 30 days.
Should I stack Sermorelin with Ipamorelin?
It's a common practitioner pairing: sermorelin acts on the GHRH receptor and ipamorelin on the ghrelin receptor, and the two pathways together release more GH than either alone. Ipamorelin is typically 100–300 mcg in the same bedtime shot. The specific combination hasn't been tested in a trial.
How long until results?
Expect modest effects. In a 6-week study in older men, nightly sermorelin increased night-time GH but did not change IGF-1 or body composition. Practitioners usually recheck IGF-1 after 4–6 weeks and judge body-composition changes over months.
Is Sermorelin safe long-term?
Sermorelin has a long research record, including its former pediatric approval, and was generally well tolerated in studies. Long-term data in healthy adults using it off-label are limited. Courses of 3–6 months with a month off are the common convention.
Head-to-head comparisons
Cited side-by-side breakdowns that include Sermorelin.
Related compounds
Often researched, stacked, or compared with Sermorelin.
Cited research
Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?. Clin Interv Aging, 2006.
Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men. Metabolism, 1997.
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