Ipamorelin: Dosage, Half-Life and the CJC-1295 Stack
Ipamorelin is one of the most discussed growth hormone secretagogues in the peptide world, and most of what is written about it is either a vendor page or a forum post. This guide sticks to what the research actually says: what the peptide does, its roughly two-hour half-life, how research dosing compares with what people run in practice, how the CJC-1295 stack works, and where it stands legally.
What Ipamorelin Is
Ipamorelin belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) class, the same family as GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and hexarelin. It stimulates growth hormone secretion in a dose-dependent way, which is why it is studied as a way to raise endogenous GH rather than injecting GH itself. In the reviewed literature the peptide is described as short-acting, with a half-life of roughly two hours after intravenous or subcutaneous administration.
The same review is blunt about the clinical record: development of ipamorelin stayed limited, with the main clinical work done in postoperative ileus, where the results were modest and further investigation was tempered. For any other indication the evidence base is described as minimal. In other words, the popularity of ipamorelin is well ahead of its clinical evidence, and that is worth knowing before you buy.
What the Evidence Says
| What is studied | What the literature reports | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | GHS-class secretagogue that raises GH secretion dose-dependently | Established |
| Half-life | Short-acting, roughly 2 hours (i.v. and s.c.) | Reported in review |
| Clinical use | Main clinical development was in postoperative ileus, with limited efficacy | Limited |
| Other indications | Evidence described as minimal outside studied settings | Insufficient |
| Tolerability | Favourable tolerability in humans, no significant common adverse effects reported compared with older GHRP compounds | Reported in review |
| Research dosing | Single intravenous administration across 4.21 to 140.45 nmol/kg in study settings | Study protocol, not a consumer dose |
Half-Life and Why Timing Matters
With a half-life around two hours, ipamorelin clears quickly, and that single fact shapes how it is used. A short-acting secretagogue produces a pulse of GH rather than a sustained level, which is why practice splits the dose across the day to mimic the body's natural pulses, usually in the evening or after training. This is also the logic behind stacking it with a GHRH analogue, which works through a different receptor and lengthens the response.
Dosage: Research Numbers vs Practice
| Context | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Study protocol | 4.21 to 140.45 nmol/kg, single intravenous administration | Experimental design, not a daily consumer protocol |
| Practice (forums, vendor guides) | 200 to 300 mcg per injection, 2 to 3 injections per day | Timed to natural GH pulses; often combined with CJC-1295 without DAC |
| Cycle | 8 to 12 weeks on, then 4 to 6 weeks off | Typical pattern described in the same source |
Note the gap between the two rows: the study numbers come from controlled dosing, while the everyday numbers come from community practice. They are not interchangeable, and the review presents them as separate categories - research dosing on one side, forum protocols on the other.
The CJC-1295 Stack
Ipamorelin is most often discussed together with CJC-1295 in its non-DAC form, because the two work through complementary pathways: the GHRH analogue provides the signal to release GH, and the secretagogue amplifies the pulse. In practice that combination is usually run as 100 to 200 mcg of CJC-1295 per injection once or twice daily alongside ipamorelin, with cycles of 12 to 16 weeks. Both compounds are also sold pre-mixed in a single vial, which removes one reconstitution step.
If you prefer to keep the two separate, the math stays simple: reconstitute each vial on its own and keep a written note of the concentration in each, because mixing up units between two vials is the most common mistake in a stack.
Reconstitution and Vial Math
| Vial | Water added | Concentration | 250 mcg dose | 300 mcg dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 2 ml | 2.5 mg/ml | 10 units | 12 units |
| 5 mg | 5 ml | 1 mg/ml | 25 units | 30 units |
| 10 mg | 2 ml | 5 mg/ml | 5 units | 6 units |
| 10 mg | 5 ml | 2 mg/ml | 12.5 units | 15 units |
A 5 mg vial reconstituted with 2 ml lasts about 20 days at one 250 mcg dose per day, or about a week at three 300 mcg doses per day. That is the number to plan around, and it is the reason most people buy more than one vial per cycle. The full method, including how to calculate any vial size, is in our bacteriostatic water guide.
Side Effects, Storage and Legal Status
- Tolerability. The reviewed human data describe favourable tolerability with no significant common adverse effects reported in comparison with older GHRP compounds.
- Unapproved status. There is no approved ipamorelin medicine; it is a research compound, and products sold online are not quality-controlled as medicines are.
- Banned in sport. GH secretagogues are explicitly listed as prohibited substances on the WADA Prohibited List, so ipamorelin is a banned substance for tested athletes.
- Storage. Keep the lyophilized vial refrigerated at 2 to 8 C and protected from light; after reconstitution keep it cold and record the date.
Related Products
The single-vial option used in the tables above.
The same peptide from the Dragon Pharma line.
The pre-mixed stack in one vial.
An alternative pairing for a fat-loss focused protocol.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ipamorelin used for?
It is a growth hormone secretagogue studied for raising endogenous GH secretion. Its clinical development was limited, mainly in postoperative ileus, where efficacy was modest; the 2026 review of GH-axis peptides describes evidence outside studied settings as minimal, while noting favourable tolerability in humans.
What is the ipamorelin half-life?
About two hours after intravenous or subcutaneous administration, which makes it a short-acting secretagogue. That short window is why practice splits dosing across the day to imitate natural GH pulses rather than using one large daily injection.
What is a typical ipamorelin dosage?
Research has used single intravenous doses of 4.21 to 140.45 nmol/kg in study settings. Community and vendor protocols use 200 to 300 mcg per injection, two to three times daily, usually in a cycle of 8 to 12 weeks followed by 4 to 6 weeks off. Those are practice numbers, not approved dosing.
Why is ipamorelin stacked with CJC-1295?
Because they act through different pathways. CJC-1295, usually the non-DAC form, is a GHRH analogue that signals the pituitary to release GH, while ipamorelin amplifies the pulse as a GHS-class secretagogue. Practice doses CJC-1295 at 100 to 200 mcg once or twice daily alongside it.
Does ipamorelin raise cortisol or prolactin?
It is commonly described as the more selective secretagogue of its class, but the specific hormone comparisons come from early pharmacology work we could not verify, so we do not repeat the numbers. What the reviewed human data do say is that tolerability was favourable, with no significant common adverse effects reported relative to older GHRP compounds.
Is ipamorelin legal?
There is no approved ipamorelin medicine, so it is a research compound rather than a prescription drug, and online products are not quality-controlled as medicines are. It is also explicitly covered by the WADA Prohibited List as a growth hormone secretagogue, which makes it banned for tested athletes.
Where to buy ipamorelin online?
Ipamorelin is available in the British Dragon and Dragon Pharma lines at XSteroids, either as a single 5 mg vial or pre-mixed with CJC-1295. Orders ship in 3 to 6 days for US domestic delivery and 12 to 26 days international.