Run together, Sermorelin and Ipamorelin push your own GH release in pulses rather than flooding the system with outside hormone. Sermorelin works on the pituitary as a GHRH analog and stimulates GH release that way (Walker RF 2006, Clin Interv Aging, PMID 18046908). Ipamorelin comes at it from a different angle, acting as a selective agonist of the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) (Raun K et al. 1998, Eur J Endocrinol, PMID 9849822). The nice thing about Ipamorelin is that its GHS-R1a selectivity means it releases GH without much ACTH, cortisol, or prolactin coming along with it, even at doses far above its ED50 (Raun K et al. 1998, Eur J Endocrinol, PMID 9849822).
Reconstituting your 5 mg vials
Do this first. Both come in 5 mg vials.
Sermorelin: Add 3 ml bacteriostatic water. You get 1667 mcg per ml. A full 1 ml insulin syringe holds 1667 mcg.
Ipamorelin: Same thing. 3 ml into 5 mg vial = 1667 mcg per ml.
Grab a 3 ml syringe. Run the water slowly down the side of the vial, then leave it 10 minutes to dissolve. Don't shake it. Store it in the fridge at 2 to 8°C. Community guidance commonly cites about 4 weeks of use, in line with the USP 28-day multi-dose convention for benzyl-alcohol-preserved solutions; there is no primary peptide-specific stability study confirming a hard 30-day figure.
Label them: "SER 5 mg / 3 ml = 1667 mcg/ml". Trust me, you'll thank yourself later.
For exact draws, use our Sermorelin calculator and Ipamorelin calculator.
Beginner stack: 200 mcg total nightly
Keep it simple. 100 mcg Sermorelin + 100 mcg Ipamorelin once a day. Note that no controlled trial defines a sermorelin+ipamorelin stack dose; the doses throughout this guide (200 to 600 mcg totals) are community-reported, practitioner protocols rather than clinically established figures.
Daily dose breakdown:
- Sermorelin: 100 mcg
- Ipamorelin: 100 mcg
- Total volume: 0.12 ml (12 units on U-100 syringe)
Syringe draw:
- One 0.5 ml or 1 ml insulin syringe (U-100).
- Pull 0.06 ml (6 units) from Sermorelin.
- Pull 0.06 ml (6 units) from Ipamorelin into the same syringe.
- Total 12 units. SubQ in the abdomen. Rotate spots.
Time it 30 minutes before bed. Empty stomach for 2 hours before. Skip carbs after.
5 nights on, 2 off, basically your weekends. 8 weeks on, 4 off. These on/off schedules are community-reported cycling conventions; no clinical evidence defines them.
Community reports often mention better sleep and recovery within 2 to 4 weeks, plus some skin changes. These are anecdotal, subjective effects with no controlled-trial support for the timeline.
Intermediate stack: 300 mcg total nightly
Once you're good with beginner, go 150 mcg each.
Daily dose:
- Sermorelin: 150 mcg = 0.09 ml (9 units)
- Ipamorelin: 150 mcg = 0.09 ml (9 units)
- Total: 18 units
One syringe. Same injection.
7 nights a week. 12 weeks, then 4 off.
Tweak with the calculators: Sermorelin, Ipamorelin.
Advanced stack: split dosing, 400 to 600 mcg daily
Split morning and night for steadier pulses. Only do this once you tolerate the lower doses.
Option 1: 400 mcg total (200 mcg twice daily)
- AM (waking, fasted): 100 mcg each = 12 units total
- PM (pre-bed): 100 mcg each = 12 units total
Option 2: 600 mcg total (300 mcg twice daily)
- AM: 150 mcg each = 18 units
- PM: 150 mcg each = 18 units
Stick to 1667 mcg/ml. The volumes scale like this:
| Total Daily Dose | Sermorelin mcg | Ipamorelin mcg | AM Syringe Units | PM Syringe Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 mcg | 100 | 100 | - | 12 |
| 300 mcg | 150 | 150 | - | 18 |
| 400 mcg | 100 | 100 | 12 | 12 |
| 500 mcg | 125 | 125 | 15 | 15 |
| 600 mcg | 150 | 150 | 18 | 18 |
Syringe measurement chart for 1667 mcg/ml
U-100 syringes: 100 units = 1 ml.
| mcg Dose | Units (per peptide) | ml Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 3 | 0.03 |
| 100 | 6 | 0.06 |
| 125 | 7.5 | 0.075 |
| 150 | 9 | 0.09 |
| 200 | 12 | 0.12 |
| 250 | 15 | 0.15 |
| 300 | 18 | 0.18 |
Stack? Double units for equal doses. 200 mcg stack = 12 units (6 + 6).
12-week sample protocol
Weeks 1-4: Beginner
- Nightly: 100 mcg each (12 units total)
- Track sleep, energy.
Weeks 5-8: Intermediate
- Nightly: 150 mcg each (18 units)
- A morning fasted walk seems to help.
Weeks 9-12: Advanced
- Split: 100 mcg each AM/PM (12 units x2)
- Check waist, recovery time.
4 weeks off. No peptides. Repeat or switch to CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin.
Stacking with other peptides
Add carefully.
CJC-1295: Swap for Sermorelin. 100 mcg CJC + 100 mcg Ipamorelin nightly. Longer action. Calculator here.
- BPC-157: 250 mcg twice daily (community-reported research dosing).
- TB-500: 2.5 mg twice weekly (community-reported research dosing).
- No human PK or efficacy trials establish these doses for these synthetic peptides. BPC-157 calculator, TB-500 calculator.
Fat loss: AOD-9604
- 300 mcg AM fasted with stack (community-reported research dose).
- AOD-9604 did not demonstrate meaningful fat loss in its Phase 2b weight-loss program, so efficacy here is unproven. AOD-9604 calculator.
Test GH duo alone first, 4 weeks.
Injection tips for best results
Abdomen (2 inches from navel), thigh, upper arm. Rotate.
Pinch skin. 45-degree angle. 29-31G needle.
No aspirate for subQ.
Alcohol clean. Let dry.
Red bump? Ice 2 minutes after.
Fridge storage. Warm to room temp in hand before draw (2 minutes). No microwave.
Troubleshooting common issues
Watery shot? Too much volume. Try 2 ml water per 5 mg vial = 2500 mcg/ml. 100 mcg = 4 units.
No effects in 2 weeks? Bump to 150 mcg each. Double-check math and empty stomach.
Headaches? Drop to 50 mcg each, 3 days. Drink more water.
Cloudy vial? Toss it. Bacteria.
Go slow. Log in your notes app.
Diet and lifestyle to maximize stack
None of this is fancy. GH responds to the basics.
Protein: 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg bodyweight.
Fasted cardio: 20 min in the morning before your dose.
Sleep: 7 to 9 hours. Deep sleep is where most of your natural GH comes from anyway.
Skip sugar after dosing. Berries are fine.
A 16:8 fasting window pairs well with this. Dose before bed.
Progress tracking
Weekly:
- Body: Scale, tape waist/arms.
- Recovery: Workout soreness days.
- Sleep: Hours and quality via app.
- Bloods if you want: IGF-1. There is no single "normal" of 100-200 ng/ml; adult reference ranges are wider and age-, sex-, and assay-dependent (roughly 50-330 ng/ml, varying by age and lab) (Bidlingmaier M et al. 2014, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, PMID 24606072). Always use your own lab's reference range.
Anecdotally, some users report changes in lean mass and waist over 12 weeks when dieting, but no published trial reports specific body-composition outcomes for a sermorelin/ipamorelin stack, so treat any figures as community-reported rather than expected results.
Cycling and PCT
Natural peptides. No PCT. These secretagogues stimulate your own endogenous GH rather than supplying an exogenous hormone, so there is no suppression requiring post-cycle therapy; GH output stays regulated by normal somatostatin feedback (Walker RF 2006, Clin Interv Aging, PMID 18046908).
8-12 weeks on, 4-8 off. Off-cycle, GHK-Cu for skin or DSIP for sleep. These cycle lengths are community-reported conventions, not trial-based.
Long-term: some run roughly 6 months with yearly breaks. This is a community-reported practice with no clinical evidence defining the schedule.
Comparing to HGH
It's cheaper, and it works through your own pulses. HGH gives a steady level but carries more side-effect risk.
A secretagogue dose cannot be converted to a fixed IU of HGH. Unlike injecting somatropin, the GH you release depends on your own pituitary reserve and varies widely per person, so there is no reliable "X mcg equals Y IU" equivalence.
HGH calculator compares direct.
Advanced protocols: night-only high dose
500 mcg total nightly (250 each) if you're 80+ kg and tolerant.
0.30 ml (30 units). Split syringes if you like.
Watch for possible water retention. GH-mediated fluid retention is a known effect of the GH/somatropin class, though its frequency at these secretagogue doses is not characterized in trials.
Semax nasal pairs for focus.
For what it's worth, this stack sorted out my recovery. I slept like a rock, and my joints stopped bugging me around week 3.
This is for informational purposes. Consult a healthcare professional before using any peptides. Not medical advice.
References
- Walker RF. "Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?" Clin Interv Aging, 2006. PubMed
- Raun K et al. "Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue." Eur J Endocrinol, 1998. PubMed
- Bidlingmaier M et al. "Reference intervals for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) from birth to senescence: results from a multicenter study using a new automated chemiluminescence IGF-I immunoassay conforming to recent international recommendations." J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2014. PubMed