Growth Hormone · 5mg × 10 vials
In plain terms: Ipamorelin is a research compound - injectable, fast-acting and well studied.
Ipamorelin is a five-amino-acid synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) that acts as a selective agonist of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a), the same receptor the gut hormone ghrelin binds to. When ipamorelin docks at GHS-R1a on the pituitary somatotrophs, it triggers a pulse of growth hormone release independent of, and additive to, the body's natural GHRH-driven pulses. The pulse mimics a natural physiologic GH release in shape and duration, peaking within 5-15 minutes after subcutaneous injection and clearing within roughly two hours.
What makes ipamorelin different from the older GHRPs (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin) is selectivity. In the foundational 1998 Raun et al. study in pigs, ipamorelin released GH at potency similar to GHRP-6 but, critically, did not elevate ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, FSH, LH, or TSH even at doses up to 200 times the GH ED50. GHRP-6 produces a meaningful cortisol and prolactin spike, GHRP-2 produces a smaller but still present cortisol bump, hexarelin elevates both plus desensitizes quickly. Ipamorelin's lack of off-target endocrine activation is why the peptide community treats it as the "clean GHRP" and why it became the default GHRP for stacking. The practical implication: no cortisol means no anxiety, no fat-storage signal, no sleep disruption from HPA activation. No prolactin means no nipple sensitivity, no libido drop, no gynecomastia risk. Hunger is the only ghrelin-receptor side that survives the selectivity filter, because that signal is mediated by the same GHS-R1a that drives the GH release.
Standalone ipamorelin produces a GH pulse on top of whatever baseline the pituitary is primed to release, which means the size of the pulse is gated by endogenous GHRH tone. This is the reason ipamorelin is most often paired with CJC-1295 or another GHRH analog (the Bowers synergy effect): GHRH raises pulse amplitude, the GHRP triggers an extra pulse, and combined they produce a release significantly larger than either alone. Standalone ipamorelin still works, it just works through endogenous GHRH instead of a stacked GHRH analog. For users who want the clean GH pulse without a second compound (gentler intro, single-vial protocol, GHRH analog contraindicated or unwanted, or stacking on top of tesamorelin which already provides the GHRH side), ipamorelin solo is the right tool.
Typical dose ranges by experience level - educational reference. Message us and we tailor it to you.
Beginners who want the GH pulse without a GHRH analog start here. The 5 mg vial (IP5) recon'd with 1 ml BAC = 5 mg/ml works cleanly for single-daily dosing; a 5 mg vial at 200 mcg once daily lasts 25 days, slightly past one month. Pre-bed is the high-leverage shot because it stacks with natural slow-wave-sleep GH. Beginners often start ipamorelin solo specifically as a gentler intro before adding CJC-1295 in cycle 2.
The "working dose" band for standalone ipamorelin. AM fasted shot triggers the morning pulse window, pre-bed shot stacks with natural sleep pulse. Body composition changes (visible lean fullness, slight waist tightening, better skin) reliably show up by week 8-12. Sleep quality, recovery, and skin quality are noticeable inside 2-3 weeks. A 10 mg vial recon'd at 5 mg/ml at 250 mcg twice daily lasts 20 days; a 10 mg kit (IP10) at this dose covers roughly 28 weeks, more than a full 12-week cycle.
3x daily is the cleanest physiological protocol. Pre-workout dose timed 30-45 min before training, fasted. Advanced ipamorelin solo users are usually layering on top of a GHRH analog (tesamorelin or CJC-1295 with-DAC) without using the pre-blended CP10 kit, which is its own use case. Standalone advanced users without a GHRH analog are rarer; most users at this experience level have transitioned to the CJC+Ipa blend or to HGH for stronger results.
Straight talk - what people actually report, and what the studies measured.
Peer-reviewed studies and clinical guidelines - tap any to read the source.
:552-561, PMID 9849822](https://academic.oup.com/ejendo/article-abstract/139/5/552/6748390) - the defining selectivity paper, ipamorelin releases GH at potency similar to GHRP-6 without ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, FSH, LH, or TSH elevation even at 200x ED50
Read study ↗PubMedBowers CY, Reynolds GA, Durham D et al. GHRH and GHRP synergy on GH release, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1990, 70(4):975-982:975-982](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2156870/) - original synergy demonstration showing co-administration produces GH response exceeding the sum of either alone, the foundational rationale for pairing ipamorelin with a GHRH analog
Read study ↗PubMedSinha DK, Balasubramanian A, Tatem AJ et al. Beyond the androgen receptor: the role of growth hormone secretagogues, Transl Androl Urol 2020, 9(Suppl 2):S149-S159:S149-S159](https://tau.amegroups.com/article/view/35100/html) - review of GHS class including ipamorelin selectivity and clinical positioning
Read study ↗PubMedSackmann-Sala L et al. A mechanistic view of growth hormone signaling pathways, Mol Cell EndocrinolGHRH/GHRP receptor pathway separation framework, mechanistic basis for combining vs running solo
Read study ↗Clinical guidelinesIpamorelin Research Guide 2026, Your Peptide Brandsynthesis of selectivity data, dosing, comparison to other GHRPs
Read study ↗Clinical guidelinesIpamorelin vs CJC-1295 comparison, Tucson Wellness MDwhen to choose standalone Ipa vs the paired blend
Read study ↗Aggregated sentiment from public forums & socials - real-world reports, not individual endorsements.
Better sleep within 5-10 days: most-reported positive effect, especially from pre-bed dosing. Deeper sleep, more vivid dreams, harder to wake up. This is the fastest visible signal and the one users ask about when checking whether it's working.
Hunger spike in the 30-60 min window after injection: the most-reported side effect in standalone ipamorelin specifically (more prominent than in the CJC+Ipa blend). Users describe it as "ghrelin-style" hunger, sharper at pre-bed dosing. Drinking water and not having food easily accessible solves it; some users move the pre-bed shot earlier (2 hours before…
Mild morning tingling / hand "fullness": reported by maybe 1 in 5 users at 250-300 mcg, peaks weeks 2-3, settles by week 5. Less common than with CJC+Ipa because pulse amplitude is smaller without GHRH stacking.
Water retention: noticeably milder than CJC+Ipa per community reports, often not noticed at all at 200-250 mcg solo. The shorter pulse and lower amplitude is the reason.
Skin quality, faster workout recovery, slight lean fullness: typical reports by week 6-8.
"Less dramatic than CJC+Ipa" sentiment: solo Ipa users frequently note the results are present but milder than the paired blend. Community consensus is this is correct, not a failure of the compound; standalone is a softer GH lever by design.
Route: SubQ (subcutaneous injection into abdominal fat or outer thigh)
Injection site: abdomen pinch (around the navel, 2 inches out) or outer thigh, rotate sites each shot. Fresh insulin syringe each time.
Storage: refrigerated, ~30 days after reconstitution. Unreconstituted vials stable at room temp short-term, refrigerate for long-term storage. Do not freeze reconstituted vials.
Notes: Inject on an empty stomach. Food, especially carbohydrates and fat, blunts the GH pulse via insulin's suppressive effect on GH release and via free fatty acid suppression of pituitary response. Standard windows are first thing AM fasted, pre-workout 30-45 min before training, and pre-bed at least 2-3 hours after the last meal. Pre-bed is the single highest-leverage shot because it stacks the induced GH pulse on top of the natural slow-wave-sleep pulse, which is the largest endogenous pulse of the 24-hour cycle. Inject BAC slowly down the side of the vial, swirl gently, do not shake. Allow refrigerated vials to reach room temperature for a couple of minutes before injecting (cold subQ injections sting more).