Ground Truth

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.

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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 mg50 mcg/u25 mcg/u16.7 mcg/u10 mcg/u
10 mg100 mcg/u50 mcg/u33.3 mcg/u20 mcg/u
15 mg150 mcg/u75 mcg/u50 mcg/u30 mcg/u
30 mg300 mcg/u150 mcg/u100 mcg/u60 mcg/u
50 mg500 mcg/u250 mcg/u166.7 mcg/u100 mcg/u
100 mg1000 mcg/u500 mcg/u333.3 mcg/u200 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.

CompoundVial+ BAC water= mg/mLmcg/unitA typical dose
BPC-15710 mg2 mL550500 mcg = 10u · daily
TB-50010 mg2 mL5502 mg = 40u · 2×/week
GHK-Cu

100 mg vial? use 3 mL → ~333 mcg/u (2 mg = 6u).

50 mg5 mL101002 mg = 20u · daily
TA-1 (Thymosin α-1)10 mg2 mL5501.6 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 mg2 mL252504 mg = 16u · 3×/week
Ipamorelin10 mg2 mL550300 mcg = 6u · pre-bed
Tesamorelin

Pharma Egrifta ships with its own diluent; this is the compounded-vial ratio.

10 mg1 mL101001 mg = 10u · daily PM
Sermorelin5 mg2.5 mL220300 mcg = 15u · pre-bed
CJC-1295 (no-DAC)5 mg2 mL2.525100 mcg = 4u · 1–3×/day
MOTS-c10 mg1 mL101002.5 mg = 25u · 2×/week
KPV10 mg2 mL550500 mcg = 10u · daily
PDA10 mg5 mL220500 mcg = 25u · daily
Cagrilintide

Titrate toward 2.4 mg — add more water for a smaller draw at higher doses.

5 mg2 mL2.5251 mg = 40u · weekly
Retatrutide

Titrate up from ~2 mg.

30 mg3 mL101002 mg = 20u · weekly
Semaglutide

Approved pens need NO reconstitution — this is compounded powder only.

5 mg2 mL2.525250 mcg = 10u · weekly
Tirzepatide

Commercial pens are ready-to-use.

10 mg2 mL5502.5 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

11

re-dose often / split AM–PM

Hours

10

once or twice daily

Days

3

every few days

A week or more

3

weekly dosing

Not characterized

15

no reliable human PK — honest unknown

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.
CompoundCareDry (long-term)Once mixedUse within
5-Amino-1MQRobust❄️ Freezer (~-4°F)Fridge (36–46°F)2 to 4 weeks
AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
AOD-9604ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 to 45 days
ARA-290 (Cibinetide)FragileFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
BPC-157ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
CagrilintideModerateFridge (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
CerebrolysinModerateFridge (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
DihexaModerate❄️ 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-CuModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 to 30 days
GHRP-2ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)approximately 30 days
GHRP-6ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
HexarelinModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)approximately 4 weeks
IpamorelinModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)3 to 4 weeks
KisspeptinFragileFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)7 days of reconstitution
KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)about 4 weeks
LL-37 (cathelicidin)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)4 to 6 weeks
Melanotan I (afamelanotide)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)30 days
Melanotan IIModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)30 to 45 days
MK-677 (Ibutamoren)RobustFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)
MOTS-cModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)2 to 3 weeks for best potency
NAD+ (injectable)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)
Pentadeca Arginate (PDA)Moderate❄️ Freezer (~-4°F)Fridge (36–46°F)about 4 weeks
PinealonModerate❄️ Freezer (~-4°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
PT-141 (Bremelanotide)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)about 30 days
RetatrutideModerate❄️ 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
SemaglutideModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
Semax (N-Acetyl Semax)ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 to 30 days
SermorelinFragileFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)21 to 28 days
SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)RobustFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)
SS-31 (Elamipretide)Fragile❄️ Freezer (~-4°F)Fridge (36–46°F)14 to 28 days
SurvodutideModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
TB-500Moderate❄️ Freezer (~-4°F)Fridge (36–46°F)about 30 days
TesamorelinFragileFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
Thymosin Alpha-1ModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)2 to 3 weeks
ThymulinModerateFridge (36–46°F)Fridge (36–46°F)28 days
TirzepatideRobustFridge (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

DD

50 mg orally daily, sometimes 100 to 150 mg split, in roughly 8-week cycles. No established human dose.

Half-life Not characterized in humansRobust

AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3)

Hair follicle support

EB

No established human dose. Typically 0.05% in topical serum applied to scalp once or twice daily, leave-in. No injection protocol exists.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

AOD-9604

Fat loss support

BB

250 to 500 mcg SubQ once daily, commonly in the morning. Some protocols cycle 5 days on, 2 off.

Half-life ~3 min (IV)Moderate

ARA-290 (Cibinetide)

Neuropathy, nerve repair

BB

4 mg SubQ once daily. Trial courses ran 28 days. Gray-market use copies this pattern.

Half-life ~20 minFragile

BPC-157

Gut and tendon repair

CC

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.

Half-life 5–30 minModerate

Cagrilintide

Appetite suppression, weight loss

BB

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.

Half-life ~7–8 daysModerate

Cartalax (AED, Ala-Glu-Asp cartilage peptide bioregulator)

Joint and cartilage support

DD

100 to 200 mcg SubQ daily for 10 to 20 consecutive days, repeated quarterly. No validated human dose exists. Wide inconsistency across vendor sources.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Cerebrolysin

Stroke and TBI recovery

BC

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.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Modified GRF 1-29)

GH pulse stimulation

DC

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.

Half-life ~30 min no-DAC · ~6–8 d w/ DACFragile

Dihexa

Experimental cognitive enhancement

EE

5 to 30 mg orally or sublingually per day (community only). No human clinical dose exists. Foundational mechanism papers retracted 2025.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)

Sleep depth modulation

BC

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.

Half-life 7–30 minFragile

Epitalon (Epithalon)

Longevity and sleep cycling

DC

5 to 10 mg SubQ daily for 10 to 20 consecutive days, once or twice per year. No validated human dose.

Half-life Not characterized in humansRobust

GHK-Cu

Skin and hair repair

CB

1 to 2 mg SubQ daily to several times weekly (injectable, where legal). Topical: 1 to 3% serum daily, well-supported route.

Half-life Short (hrs topical)Moderate

GHRP-2

GH pulse stimulation

CC

100 to 300 mcg SubQ, 2 to 3x daily, fasted. Pre-workout and pre-bed windows most common.

Half-life 15–30 minModerate

GHRP-6

GH pulse, appetite drive

CC

100 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted. Up to 300 mcg per injection in some protocols. Often paired with a GHRH analog.

Half-life ~2–2.5 hModerate

Hexarelin

Strong GH pulse release

CD

100 to 200 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted. Often cycled 5 days on, 2 days off to slow tachyphylaxis.

Half-life ~1 hModerate

Ipamorelin

Selective GH secretion

BC

200 to 300 mcg SubQ, 1 to 3x daily, fasted, pre-bed dose prioritized. Almost always paired with CJC-1295.

Half-life ~2 hModerate

Kisspeptin

HPG axis, libido

BC

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.

Half-life ~4 min (KP-10)Fragile

KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine)

Gut inflammation relief

DC

250 to 500 mcg SubQ or oral daily, cycles of 4 to 8 weeks, no human trial dose established

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

LL-37 (cathelicidin)

Antimicrobial immune support

CE

100 to 300 mcg SubQ daily, 5 days on, 4 to 6 week course, titrate from 100 mcg. No controlled human SubQ trial exists.

Half-life MinutesModerate

Melanotan I (afamelanotide)

Sunless tanning, EPP photoprotection

AB

FDA-approved: 16 mg implant every 2 months by provider. Gray-market injectable: 0.5 to 1 mg SubQ daily loading, no validated protocol.

Half-life ~15 h (2–3 days)Moderate

Melanotan II

Tanning, libido, appetite

CE

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.

Half-life ~0.5–1 hModerate

MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

GH and IGF-1 elevation

BE

10 to 25 mg oral once daily, typically at night before sleep. Not injected, no reconstitution required.

Half-life ~4–6 hRobust

MOTS-c

Metabolic health, exercise mimetic

DD

5 to 10 mg SubQ, 3 to 5x per week. No established clinical dose. First human trial ongoing as of 2026.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

NAD+ (injectable)

Energy, cellular repair

CC

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.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Pentadeca Arginate (PDA)

Gut and tendon repair

DD

250 to 500 mcg SubQ once daily in 10 to 20 day cycles. No validated human dose exists.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Pinealon

Neuroprotection, cognition

DC

5 to 10 mg SubQ once daily in short cycles of 10 days, reported not prescribed. No established human protocol.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

PT-141 (Bremelanotide)

Sexual desire, libido

AC

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.

Half-life ~2.7 hModerate

Retatrutide

Weight loss, metabolic

BC

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.

Half-life ~6 days (invest.)Moderate

Selank (N-Acetyl Selank)

Anxiety relief, calm focus

BB

250 to 300 mcg intranasally, 1 to 3x daily in short cycles. SubQ reported but less common. No FDA-approved dose.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Semaglutide

Weight loss, glycemic control

AC

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.

Half-life ~7 daysModerate

Semax (N-Acetyl Semax)

Cognitive focus, neuroprotection

CC

200 to 600 mcg intranasally daily, divided AM and midday. SubQ protocols also reported at similar microgram ranges.

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Sermorelin

GH stimulation, sleep, recovery

BB

200 to 500 mcg SubQ nightly, fasted, timed to natural GH pulse before sleep.

Half-life ~11 minFragile

SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)

Expression line softening (topical)

DB

3 to 10 percent w/w in finished serum or cream, applied twice daily to expression-line zones. Not injected.

Half-life Topical — n/a systemicRobust

SS-31 (Elamipretide)

Mitochondrial support, energy

BB

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.

Half-life Short — hrs (t½ not published)Fragile

Survodutide

Weight loss, MASH/liver fat

BB

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.

Half-life ~4.5–5 daysModerate

TB-500

Tissue repair, recovery

DD

750 mcg to 2 mg SubQ twice weekly for 4 to 6 weeks loading, then 750 mcg to 1 mg twice monthly maintenance

Half-life ~1–2 h (+ tissue)Moderate

Tesamorelin

Visceral fat reduction

AB

2 mg SubQ once daily (Egrifta) or 1.28 mg SubQ once daily (EGRIFTA WR room-temp formulation), prescription only

Half-life ~26 minFragile

Thymosin Alpha-1

Immune modulation

AB

1.6 mg SubQ twice weekly, clinical regimen for hepatitis, community protocols mirror this

Half-life ~2 hModerate

Thymulin

Immune support, hair loss

DC

2 mg SubQ daily for 20 days, cycled 2 to 3 times per year, no validated human dose exists

Half-life Not characterized in humansModerate

Tirzepatide

Weight loss, glycemic control

AB

2.5 mg SubQ once weekly titrating up to 5, 10, or 15 mg once weekly, FDA-approved prescription label

Half-life ~5 daysRobust

VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)

CIRS, anti-inflammatory

BC

50 mcg per metered intranasal spray, up to 4 sprays per day, no established SubQ human dose

Half-life ~1–2 minFragile

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.

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