The calculator records 200-400 mcg daily fixed doses. Historical pediatric research used weight-based dosing and a specific clinical indication. This is educational source context, not a protocol or recommendation.
There is no regulator-approved starting dose for this research use. A low-looking number is not automatically safe.
This is the range represented in the in-app protocol library. It describes the source record; it does not validate the regimen.
Higher exposure is not established as more effective. Human pharmacokinetic and long-term safety data may be absent.
Drug amount and device markings are different quantities. The calculator converts mass into volume, syringe units, or pen clicks.
The cadence represented by the recorded calculator presets.
Published experiments may use a different route, formulation, timing, or population and should not be treated as interchangeable.
No single schedule has been validated across products or research contexts.
Human dosing exists for historical diagnostic and pediatric contexts, not for modern anti-aging claims.
Keep cold, dry, and protected from light according to the manufacturer certificate or validated lab SOP.
Use sterile technique, refrigerate as validated, and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Record lot, concentration, preparation date, and the identity/purity documentation used by the lab.
What published studies and recent community write-ups report about amounts, timing and course length. 4 clinical and 5 community-reported rows, each linked to its source. These are descriptions of what others report, not instructions, and nothing here is medical advice.
| Context | Dose | Frequency | Route | Course | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical4 rows | |||||
| Pediatric registration trial behind the Geref label110 previously untreated prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency, 86 evaluable | 30 mcg/kg per day | Once daily at bedtime | Subcutaneous | Up to 12 months, with assessment every 3 to 6 monthsNone; treatment ran continuously | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)1996 |
| Mean height velocity rose from 4.1 cm per year at baseline to 8.0 cm per year at 6 months and 7.2 cm per year at 12 months, and 74% of children were classed as good responders at 6 months. The trial was open-label with no comparator, and the authors noted no change in fasting glucose and no excessive IGF-1 generation. | |||||
| Geref Diagnostic, pituitary function testPatients being assessed for the ability of the pituitary somatotroph to secrete growth hormone | 1 mcg/kg as a single bolus | Single administration during the test | Intravenous | One diagnostic sessionNot applicable | US Food and Drug Administration1990 |
| This was a separate product from the treatment presentation, approved under its own application in December 1990 and supplied as 0.05 mg ampoules. It is 30 times smaller than the therapeutic pediatric dose and was never intended for repeated use. | |||||
| Nightly dosing in healthy older men11 healthy non-obese men aged 64 to 76 with low baseline IGF-1 | 2 mg | Once nightly, self-injected at home | Subcutaneous | 6 weeksNone | Metabolism (PubMed)1997 |
| Nocturnal growth hormone release and peak amplitude rose, but IGF-1, IGF binding protein 3 and growth hormone binding protein did not change, and neither did weight, waist to hip ratio, DEXA body composition, lipids or glucose. Two of six strength measures and one endurance measure improved, and the authors concluded that single nightly doses are less effective than multiple daily doses at producing growth hormone mediated effects. | |||||
| Long-term analog dosing in older adults19 adults aged 55 to 71, 10 women and 9 men | 10 mcg/kg of [Nle27]GHRH(1-29)-NH2 | Once nightly at 21:00 | Subcutaneous, self-injected | 4 weeks of placebo followed by 16 weeks of active treatmentNone during the active phase | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)1997 |
| Each dose released growth hormone within 10 minutes for about 2 hours, and the response did not fade over the study. IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3 rose within 2 weeks and stayed up for 12 weeks before drifting back toward baseline by week 16, which is the clearest published signal that a nightly GHRH schedule loses some effect over months. The compound is a leucine-substituted analog rather than sermorelin itself. | |||||
| Community-reported5 rows | |||||
| Off-label adult protocol with weekend breaks | 200-500 mcg, with 200-300 mcg given as the usual start | Once nightly, 5 nights per week | Subcutaneous, abdomen, thigh or flank | 3-6 months before reassessment2 nights off each week, with planned breaks of 1 to 3 months between cycles in some protocols | Community resource2026 |
| This 2026 guide describes titration to 400-500 mcg after 4 to 8 weeks based on IGF-1, and says that above 500 mcg further increases give diminishing returns because of receptor saturation and somatostatin counter-regulation. It states plainly that the 5-on, 2-off pattern has never been compared with daily dosing in a trial and that continuous daily use has been given clinically without obvious loss of response. | |||||
| Telehealth protocol driven by the 12-week IGF-1 lab | 200-300 mcg to start, raised to 400 or 500 mcg if IGF-1 has not moved | Once nightly, 5 nights on and 2 nights off | Subcutaneous, about 30 minutes before sleep on an empty stomach | 12 weeks to the first follow-up lab, commonly sold as a three-month block2 non-consecutive nights off per week | Community resource2026 |
| The stated aim is to move IGF-1 from the lower quartile of the age-adjusted range to the upper quartile and no higher, with dose reduction for anyone above the age-adjusted upper limit regardless of symptoms. Fasting glucose and HbA1c are tracked because growth hormone opposes insulin action, and a modest rise in fasting glucose is given as the most common reason to hold or cut the dose. | |||||
| Conservative clinic protocol with a planned break | 100-300 mcg | Once nightly, 5 to 6 nights per week, 30 to 60 minutes before bed | Subcutaneous | 3-6 months on4-8 weeks off before re-evaluating | Community resource2026 |
| This page opens lower than most, arguing that higher starting doses raise injection-site reactions and tolerability problems without improving the downstream growth hormone activity. It presents the break as a window for the clinician to judge whether continued dosing is doing anything, rather than as a pharmacological necessity. | |||||
| Community anti-aging dosing bands | 100-200 mcg starter, 200-300 mcg standard, 300-500 mcg for older adults with documented low IGF-1 | Once daily before bed; the starter band is described as 5 nights on and 2 nights off | Subcutaneous | 3-6 months continuous, then a break5 nights on and 2 off, or 3 months on and 1 month off | Community resource2026 |
| This 2026 guide reports that sermorelin remained available through compounding pharmacies through the 2024 and 2025 enforcement actions against other research peptides, partly because of its history as an approved drug. It also notes that the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits GHRH and its analogs at all times, in and out of competition. | |||||
| Prescriber-facing reconstitution and response timeline | 250 mcg as the default start, within a 200-500 mcg band | Once nightly before bedtime | Subcutaneous from lyophilised powder reconstituted with bacteriostatic water to 1 mg/mL | 8-week blocks between titration decisionsNone stated; titration rather than cycling is the described lever | Community resource2026 |
| This page puts measurable IGF-1 elevation at 4 to 6 weeks on 250-500 mcg nightly, subjective sleep and recovery changes at 2 to 3 weeks, and body composition changes at 12 to 16 weeks with training and adequate protein. It frames patients reporting nothing at 8 weeks as needing an IGF-1 check rather than a dose increase. | |||||
Every published schedule puts the injection in the evening so the induced pulse lands on the natural growth hormone surge in early slow-wave sleep. One nightly dose of a GHRH analog releases growth hormone within about 10 minutes and the release lasts roughly 2 hours.
IGF-1 is the marker that moves first: it rose within 2 weeks in the 16-week analog study, and community guides place measurable elevation at 4 to 6 weeks on 250-500 mcg nightly, with reported sleep changes earlier than that. The 6-week study at 2 mg nightly saw no IGF-1 change at all, so a response is not guaranteed.
The follow-up IGF-1 draw at 6 to 12 weeks is what protocols use to decide whether to raise the dose toward 400-500 mcg, hold it, or cut it. The stated target is the upper part of the age-adjusted range rather than above it, with fasting glucose and HbA1c checked alongside.
Community cycles run 3 to 6 months before reassessment, with body composition described as the slowest change. In the pediatric trial, height velocity peaked at 6 months and was slightly lower at 12 months on the same daily dose.
Protocols pause for 4 to 8 weeks, or build the rest into each week as 5 nights on and 2 off. The reason given is to avoid receptor desensitisation and to let the prescriber judge whether continuing is worthwhile, and one guide concedes the weekly pattern has never been compared with daily dosing.
The only dose with a registration behind it is 30 mcg/kg nightly in growth hormone deficient children, which is about 2 mg for a 70 kg adult: several times the 200-500 mcg adult protocols in circulation. No trial has tested those adult doses for body composition, sleep or longevity.
Plus 5 community resources (dosing guides, forum threads and vendor write-ups), reported above but not linked.
Sermorelin is the first 29 amino acids of human growth hormone-releasing hormone with a C-terminal amide, the shortest fragment that keeps essentially all of the activity of the full 44-residue hormone. It stimulates the pituitary to release its own growth hormone rather than supplying growth hormone directly, which leaves the somatostatin feedback loop intact. EMD Serono sold it as Geref for treating idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in children and as Geref Diagnostic for pituitary testing; both were discontinued in 2008 for commercial reasons, and the FDA determined in 2013 that neither had been withdrawn for safety or effectiveness. There is now no approved sermorelin product in the United States or the European Union, and all current adult use is off-label prescribing of compounded material for body composition, sleep and longevity, none of which has been tested in a controlled trial.
These themes describe recurring questions in published research. They are not claims of effectiveness or recommendations for use.
Intravenous sermorelin was studied as a pituitary GH-provocation test.
Historical studies assessed daily subcutaneous therapy in selected children.
Small adult studies examined nocturnal GH and IGF-1 responses.
Current adult wellness claims extend beyond the historical regulated evidence.
Study models remain visible so laboratory and animal findings are not mistaken for established human outcomes.
Daily 30 mcg/kg studies reported increased growth velocity in some prepubertal children.
The evidence base is old, indication-specific, and does not establish final-height superiority.
Small studies measured endocrine and body-composition biomarkers rather than long-term clinical outcomes.
These amount records are independent from vial strength, reconstitution volume and measuring device. A recorded source is not the same as study backing, and these values are not recommendations.
Sequence, synonyms and registry identifiers as recorded in PubChem, the National Library of Medicine's open chemistry database. Formula, mass and CAS number are summarized at the top of the page.
Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-NH2
Geref, GRF(1-29)NH2, hGHRH(1-29)NH2, Groliberin, UNII 89243S03TE, CHEBI:9118, ATC H01AC04, ATC V04CD03
WGWPRVFKDLAUQJ-MITYVQBRSA-N
Bioactive N-terminal fragment of human GHRH
(3S)-4-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S,3S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S,3R)-1-[[(2S)-4-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-6-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[2-[[(2S)-5-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-6-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-5-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S,3S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-amino-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-4-methylsulfanyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl]amino]-3-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-3-carboxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-1,5-dioxopentan-2-yl]amino]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxohexan-2-yl]amino]-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1,5-dioxopentan-2-yl]amino]-2-oxoethyl]amino]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-3-methyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxohexan-2-yl]amino]-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-1,4-dioxobutan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxobutan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]amino]-3-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-3-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-amino-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid
2 curated references, each with its journal, year and study model, plus 5 community resources reported but not linked.