Quick reference
The whole cheat sheet, one page.
The deep pages are for the weeds. This is the fast layer on top: how fast it clears, how to store it, what to draw, and a one-glance card for every compound. Everything a person actually reaches for mid-protocol, in one place.
Put it to work
Build your own protocol
Pick a goal, see what actually works, get the dosing and a fair price. No account.
What do I draw?
Reconstitution ratios
Add this much water to a vial, get this many micrograms per insulin unit (1 unit = 0.01 mL on a U-100 syringe). Then units to draw = your dose (mcg) ÷ mcg-per-unit.
| Vial | + 1 mL water | + 2 mL water | + 3 mL water | + 5 mL water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 50 mcg/u | 25 mcg/u | 16.7 mcg/u | 10 mcg/u |
| 10 mg | 100 mcg/u | 50 mcg/u | 33.3 mcg/u | 20 mcg/u |
| 15 mg | 150 mcg/u | 75 mcg/u | 50 mcg/u | 30 mcg/u |
| 30 mg | 300 mcg/u | 150 mcg/u | 100 mcg/u | 60 mcg/u |
| 50 mg | 500 mcg/u | 250 mcg/u | 166.7 mcg/u | 100 mcg/u |
| 100 mg | 1000 mcg/u | 500 mcg/u | 333.3 mcg/u | 200 mcg/u |
Example: 10 mg vial + 1 mL = 100 mcg/u, so a 500 mcg dose = 5 units. Same vial + 2 mL = 50 mcg/u, so 500 mcg = 10 units. Always verify the mg printed on your vial first.
Pinned to each compound
A common, workable ratio for each — so you don't have to re-derive it every time. These are starting points; the mg on your actual vial is what counts, so check it and re-run the math above if it differs.
| Compound | Vial | + BAC water | = mg/mL | mcg/unit | A typical dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 500 mcg = 10u · daily |
| TB-500 | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 2 mg = 40u · 2×/week |
| GHK-Cu 100 mg vial? use 3 mL → ~333 mcg/u (2 mg = 6u). | 50 mg | 5 mL | 10 | 100 | 2 mg = 20u · daily |
| TA-1 (Thymosin α-1) | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 1.6 mg = 32u · 2×/week |
| SS-31 50mg + 2mL → 250mcg/u. ~4mg (16u) 3×/wk ≈ 12mg/wk, or 3–5mg daily. Fragile — dry vial frozen, mixed vial cold & dark. | 50 mg | 2 mL | 25 | 250 | 4 mg = 16u · 3×/week |
| Ipamorelin | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 300 mcg = 6u · pre-bed |
| Tesamorelin Pharma Egrifta ships with its own diluent; this is the compounded-vial ratio. | 10 mg | 1 mL | 10 | 100 | 1 mg = 10u · daily PM |
| Sermorelin | 5 mg | 2.5 mL | 2 | 20 | 300 mcg = 15u · pre-bed |
| CJC-1295 (no-DAC) | 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 | 25 | 100 mcg = 4u · 1–3×/day |
| MOTS-c | 10 mg | 1 mL | 10 | 100 | 2.5 mg = 25u · 2×/week |
| KPV | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 500 mcg = 10u · daily |
| PDA | 10 mg | 5 mL | 2 | 20 | 500 mcg = 25u · daily |
| Cagrilintide Titrate toward 2.4 mg — add more water for a smaller draw at higher doses. | 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 | 25 | 1 mg = 40u · weekly |
| Retatrutide Titrate up from ~2 mg. | 30 mg | 3 mL | 10 | 100 | 2 mg = 20u · weekly |
| Semaglutide Approved pens need NO reconstitution — this is compounded powder only. | 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 | 25 | 250 mcg = 10u · weekly |
| Tirzepatide Commercial pens are ready-to-use. | 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 2.5 mg = 50u · weekly |
How fast it clears
Half-life
Why some get split AM/PM and others run weekly. Where the human data doesn't exist, we say so — most gray-market compounds have no real human PK.
Heads up: the cheat sheets going around get a couple wrong. BPC-157's plasma half-life is minutes, not the "4–6 hours" you'll see reposted — which is exactly why it's dosed twice a day. And MOTS-c isn't characterized in humans, so any single number for it is a guess.
Minutes
11re-dose often / split AM–PM
- AOD-9604~3 min (IV)
- ARA-290 (Cibinetide)~20 min
- BPC-1575–30 min
- CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Modified GRF 1-29)~30 min no-DAC · ~6–8 d w/ DAC
- DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)7–30 min
- GHRP-215–30 min
- Kisspeptin~4 min (KP-10)
- LL-37 (cathelicidin)Minutes
- Sermorelin~11 min
- Tesamorelin~26 min
- VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)~1–2 min
Hours
10once or twice daily
- GHK-CuShort (hrs topical)
- GHRP-6~2–2.5 h
- Hexarelin~1 h
- Ipamorelin~2 h
- Melanotan II~0.5–1 h
- MK-677 (Ibutamoren)~4–6 h
- PT-141 (Bremelanotide)~2.7 h
- SS-31 (Elamipretide)Short — hrs (t½ not published)
- TB-500~1–2 h (+ tissue)
- Thymosin Alpha-1~2 h
Days
3every few days
- Melanotan I (afamelanotide)~15 h (2–3 days)
- Survodutide~4.5–5 days
- Tirzepatide~5 days
Not characterized
15no reliable human PK — honest unknown
- 5-Amino-1MQNot characterized in humans
- AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3)Not characterized in humans
- Cartalax (AED, Ala-Glu-Asp cartilage peptide bioregulator)Not characterized in humans
- CerebrolysinNot characterized in humans
- DihexaNot characterized in humans
- Epitalon (Epithalon)Not characterized in humans
- KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine)Not characterized in humans
- MOTS-cNot characterized in humans
- NAD+ (injectable)Not characterized in humans
- Pentadeca Arginate (PDA)Not characterized in humans
- PinealonNot characterized in humans
- Selank (N-Acetyl Selank)Not characterized in humans
- Semax (N-Acetyl Semax)Not characterized in humans
- SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)Topical — n/a systemic
- ThymulinNot characterized in humans
Where does it live
Storage & handling
The whole thing comes down to one distinction: dry powder is stable and sleepy; once you add water it's fragile and on a clock.
The rules — every compound
- Fridge is the default — the freezer is optional. Dry powder is stable, so the fridge (36–46°F) is plenty for anything you'll use in the coming weeks or months, which is basically everything in rotation. The freezer (~-4°F) only buys extra shelf life for backup vials you won't touch for 6+ months (worth it for the fragile ones — SS-31, Tesamorelin — if you're holding them that long). Using it soon? Fridge it and skip the freezer entirely. It survived the mail; it'll survive your fridge.
- Once mixed → fridge only, never the freezer. With water in the vial it lives in the fridge (36–46°F); freeze-thaw destroys it. Use it within each compound's window in the table below.
- Only frozen vials really need warming.From the freezer: let it sit out ~20–30 min to room temp before opening, so condensation doesn't get into the powder. From the fridge: ~10 min, or since you're adding water anyway, just wipe the stopper with alcohol and go. A reconstituted (liquid) vial needs no warming at all — draw and inject.
- Mix gently. Add water slowly down the vial wall and swirl — never shake.
- Mailed powder is almost always fine. Lyophilized powder is stable at room temperature — that's why it ships dry. A few days in transit doesn't hurt it; the degradation clock starts when you reconstitute, not before. The only real shipping risk is extreme, sustained heat.
- The real question is purity, not the cold chain. If you want certainty about a mailed vial, that's a third-party COA (see verification), not worry about the mail.
| Compound | Care | Dry (long-term) | Once mixed | Use within |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Amino-1MQ | Robust | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 2 to 4 weeks |
| AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| AOD-9604 | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 45 days |
| ARA-290 (Cibinetide) | Fragile | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| BPC-157 | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Cagrilintide | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 30 days |
| Cartalax (AED, Ala-Glu-Asp cartilage peptide bioregulator) | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 30 days |
| Cerebrolysin | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 4 hours at room temperature or 24 hours refrigerated |
| CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Modified GRF 1-29) | Fragile | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 40 days |
| Dihexa | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | — |
| DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) | Fragile | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Epitalon (Epithalon) | Robust | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| GHK-Cu | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 30 days |
| GHRP-2 | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | approximately 30 days |
| GHRP-6 | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Hexarelin | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | approximately 4 weeks |
| Ipamorelin | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kisspeptin | Fragile | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 7 days of reconstitution |
| KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | about 4 weeks |
| LL-37 (cathelicidin) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Melanotan I (afamelanotide) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 30 days |
| Melanotan II | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 30 to 45 days |
| MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | Robust | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | — |
| MOTS-c | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 2 to 3 weeks for best potency |
| NAD+ (injectable) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | — |
| Pentadeca Arginate (PDA) | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | about 4 weeks |
| Pinealon | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| PT-141 (Bremelanotide) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | about 30 days |
| Retatrutide | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Selank (N-Acetyl Selank) | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Semaglutide | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Semax (N-Acetyl Semax) | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 to 30 days |
| Sermorelin | Fragile | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 21 to 28 days |
| SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) | Robust | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | — |
| SS-31 (Elamipretide) | Fragile | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 14 to 28 days |
| Survodutide | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| TB-500 | Moderate | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | about 30 days |
| Tesamorelin | Fragile | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Thymosin Alpha-1 | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Thymulin | Moderate | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 28 days |
| Tirzepatide | Robust | Fridge (36–46°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | — |
| VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) | Fragile | ❄️ Freezer (~-4°F) | Fridge (36–46°F) | 30 days |
What am I taking
Every compound, at a glance
The one-card summary. Tap any name for the full graded write-up.
5-Amino-1MQ
Metabolic fat loss
50 mg orally daily, sometimes 100 to 150 mg split, in roughly 8-week cycles. No established human dose.
AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3)
Hair follicle support
No established human dose. Typically 0.05% in topical serum applied to scalp once or twice daily, leave-in. No injection protocol exists.
AOD-9604
Fat loss support
250 to 500 mcg SubQ once daily, commonly in the morning. Some protocols cycle 5 days on, 2 off.
ARA-290 (Cibinetide)
Neuropathy, nerve repair
4 mg SubQ once daily. Trial courses ran 28 days. Gray-market use copies this pattern.
BPC-157
Gut and tendon repair
250 to 500 mcg SubQ once or twice daily near injury site, in 4 to 12 week cycles. 500 mcg to 1 mg orally for gut goals.
Cagrilintide
Appetite suppression, weight loss
Start 0.25 mg SubQ once weekly, titrate stepwise every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg/week. Common gray-market reconstitution: 5 mg vial in 2 mL bacteriostatic water.
Cartalax (AED, Ala-Glu-Asp cartilage peptide bioregulator)
Joint and cartilage support
100 to 200 mcg SubQ daily for 10 to 20 consecutive days, repeated quarterly. No validated human dose exists. Wide inconsistency across vendor sources.
Cerebrolysin
Stroke and TBI recovery
5 to 10 mL IM daily for 10 to 20 days (community); clinical trials used 30 mL IV over 15 to 60 minutes in saline. No community oral route exists.
CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Modified GRF 1-29)
GH pulse stimulation
100 mcg SubQ per injection, 1 to 3 times daily in fasted windows. Almost always stacked with ipamorelin. No validated human dose for the no-DAC form.
Dihexa
Experimental cognitive enhancement
5 to 30 mg orally or sublingually per day (community only). No human clinical dose exists. Foundational mechanism papers retracted 2025.
DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)
Sleep depth modulation
100 to 500 mcg SubQ 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Original human trials used IV infusion at 25 nmol per kg. No validated SubQ dose.
Epitalon (Epithalon)
Longevity and sleep cycling
5 to 10 mg SubQ daily for 10 to 20 consecutive days, once or twice per year. No validated human dose.
GHK-Cu
Skin and hair repair
1 to 2 mg SubQ daily to several times weekly (injectable, where legal). Topical: 1 to 3% serum daily, well-supported route.
GHRP-2
GH pulse stimulation
100 to 300 mcg SubQ, 2 to 3x daily, fasted. Pre-workout and pre-bed windows most common.
GHRP-6
GH pulse, appetite drive
100 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted. Up to 300 mcg per injection in some protocols. Often paired with a GHRH analog.
Hexarelin
Strong GH pulse release
100 to 200 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted. Often cycled 5 days on, 2 days off to slow tachyphylaxis.
Ipamorelin
Selective GH secretion
200 to 300 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted, pre-bed dose prioritized. Almost always paired with CJC-1295.
Kisspeptin
HPG axis, libido
100 to 200 mcg SubQ once daily (wellness community report, KP-10). Clinical trials used kisspeptin-54 at much higher supervised doses. No established human wellness protocol.
KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine)
Gut inflammation relief
250 to 500 mcg SubQ or oral daily, cycles of 4 to 8 weeks, no human trial dose established
LL-37 (cathelicidin)
Antimicrobial immune support
100 to 300 mcg SubQ daily, 5 days on, 4 to 6 week course, titrate from 100 mcg. No controlled human SubQ trial exists.
Melanotan I (afamelanotide)
Sunless tanning, EPP photoprotection
FDA-approved: 16 mg implant every 2 months by provider. Gray-market injectable: 0.5 to 1 mg SubQ daily loading, no validated protocol.
Melanotan II
Tanning, libido, appetite
0.25 to 0.5 mg SubQ daily or every other day during loading, then 0.25 mg maintenance 1 to 2x weekly. Start low to blunt nausea.
MK-677 (Ibutamoren)
GH and IGF-1 elevation
10 to 25 mg oral once daily, typically at night before sleep. Not injected, no reconstitution required.
MOTS-c
Metabolic health, exercise mimetic
5 to 10 mg SubQ, 3 to 5x per week. No established clinical dose. First human trial ongoing as of 2026.
NAD+ (injectable)
Energy, cellular repair
IV: 250 to 750 mg infused over 1 to 4+ hours, slow rate required. SubQ: 20 to 100 mg, 2 to 3x per week. IM: 50 to 200 mg, 1 to 3x per week. No established optimal protocol.
Pentadeca Arginate (PDA)
Gut and tendon repair
250 to 500 mcg SubQ once daily in 10 to 20 day cycles. No validated human dose exists.
Pinealon
Neuroprotection, cognition
5 to 10 mg SubQ once daily in short cycles of 10 days, reported not prescribed. No established human protocol.
PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
Sexual desire, libido
1.75 mg SubQ (approved Vyleesi dose) 45 minutes before activity, max 1 dose per 24 hours and 8 per month. Gray-market protocols often report 1 to 2 mg.
Retatrutide
Weight loss, metabolic
2 mg SubQ once weekly to start, titrated monthly toward 4 to 12 mg maintenance. Reported not prescribed. Slow titration required to manage GI effects.
Selank (N-Acetyl Selank)
Anxiety relief, calm focus
250 to 300 mcg intranasally, 1 to 3x daily in short cycles. SubQ reported but less common. No FDA-approved dose.
Semaglutide
Weight loss, glycemic control
0.25 mg SubQ weekly (starter), titrate over 16 weeks to 2.4 mg weekly maintenance (Wegovy label). Compounded vials vary, verify mg/mL before drawing.
Semax (N-Acetyl Semax)
Cognitive focus, neuroprotection
200 to 600 mcg intranasally daily, divided AM and midday. SubQ protocols also reported at similar microgram ranges.
Sermorelin
GH stimulation, sleep, recovery
200 to 500 mcg SubQ nightly, fasted, timed to natural GH pulse before sleep.
SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)
Expression line softening (topical)
3 to 10 percent w/w in finished serum or cream, applied twice daily to expression-line zones. Not injected.
SS-31 (Elamipretide)
Mitochondrial support, energy
Community 3 to 5 mg SubQ daily, or about 4 mg SubQ 3x per week (~12 mg/week). The approved drug FORZINITY (elamipretide, FDA 2025 for Barth syndrome) is 40 mg SubQ once daily. Community dose is far lower.
Survodutide
Weight loss, MASH/liver fat
2.4 to 4.8 mg SubQ once weekly, titrated stepwise every 2 to 4 weeks from 0.6 mg. Trial sweet spot was 4.8 mg. No approved consumer protocol exists.
TB-500
Tissue repair, recovery
750 mcg to 2 mg SubQ twice weekly for 4 to 6 weeks loading, then 750 mcg to 1 mg twice monthly maintenance
Tesamorelin
Visceral fat reduction
2 mg SubQ once daily (Egrifta) or 1.28 mg SubQ once daily (EGRIFTA WR room-temp formulation), prescription only
Thymosin Alpha-1
Immune modulation
1.6 mg SubQ twice weekly, clinical regimen for hepatitis, community protocols mirror this
Thymulin
Immune support, hair loss
2 mg SubQ daily for 20 days, cycled 2 to 3 times per year, no validated human dose exists
Tirzepatide
Weight loss, glycemic control
2.5 mg SubQ once weekly titrating up to 5, 10, or 15 mg once weekly, FDA-approved prescription label
VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)
CIRS, anti-inflammatory
50 mcg per metered intranasal spray, up to 4 sprays per day, no established SubQ human dose
Reference only. Reported/community dosing, never a prescription — Ground Truth sells nothing and fulfills nothing. Verify the mg on your own vial and talk to a qualified clinician.