Important limitations
- Individual claims and source links have not yet completed editorial verification.
- Evidence level, applicable study model, formulation, route and population remain unassigned.
GHRH
GHRH (somatorelin) is the full-length, 44-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that drives growth hormone synthesis and release from the pituitary.
Dosing & scaling, explained
The moderated mass amounts below are retained for comparison. Near-duplicates, mix-dependent volumes and device markings are excluded. This is educational source context, not a protocol or recommendation.
Mass amounts available for comparison
- Lower range100 mcgRecorded amount
Recorded example with no verified study backing; shown for amount literacy only.
- Low-mid range200 mcgRecorded amount
Recorded example with no verified study backing; shown for amount literacy only.
- Mid range400 mcgRecorded amount
Recorded example with no verified study backing; shown for amount literacy only.
Only mcg or mg amounts are retained. The calculator derives mL, syringe units or pen clicks from the current vial strength, water volume and device.
No independently verified schedule
Evidence context
No clinical amount or schedule is inferred from this material. Source verification is pending, and every displayed amount remains educational context rather than guidance.
Storage, handling and interpretation
Product identity
Verify the exact compound, formulation and amount against the product label or certificate before calculation.
Storage & handling
Follow the product label, certificate and validated laboratory SOP; no universal storage assumption is applied here.
Prepared solutions
Label concentration and preparation date, use sterile technique where applicable, and follow a validated stability protocol.
Reported protocols for GHRH
What published studies and recent community write-ups report about amounts, timing and course length. 8 clinical and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical8 rows | |||||
| Licensed diagnostic GHRH test (UK SmPC, GHRH Ferring)Adults and children with suspected growth hormone deficiency | 50 mcg (one ampoule in 1 mL saline); 1 mcg/kg for children and markedly overweight adults | Single injection | Intravenous bolus over about 30 seconds, fasted | One test; GH sampled at baseline and 30 minutes (optionally 15, 45, 60 and 90 minutes)Not applicable | Community resource2012 |
| The label states the product is for diagnostic use only, that it distinguishes pituitary from hypothalamic causes but is not a screening test, and that somatorelin is eliminated so rapidly that an overdose needs no treatment. The monograph mirrors the Ferring SmPC held by the UK regulator, revised in 2012. | |||||
| Pediatric dose-ranging trial, once nightly (GEMS)111 prepubertal children aged 2.5-14.3 with idiopathic GH deficiency | 30-300 mcg per day (1.3-23.1 mcg/kg/day), seven dose levels | Once daily, every evening | Subcutaneous | 6 months, double-blindNone | Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology (PubMed)1992 |
| Height velocity rose from 3.8 to 6 cm per year and 42% of children reached catch-up growth, but there was no relationship between dose and response across a 10-fold range. Low-titer anti-GHRH antibodies appeared in 17% of children by 6 months, and the authors suggested once-daily dosing may have been too infrequent. | |||||
| Long-term pediatric treatment, twice daily20 prepubertal children with classical GH deficiency (5 followed for 4 years) | 10 or 20 mcg/kg per injection | Twice daily | Subcutaneous | Up to 4 yearsNone | Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)1999 |
| Height velocity went from 3.6 cm per year before treatment to 8.5 in year one, then settled near 6.2-6.9 cm per year in years two to four, with IGF-I staying in the normal range and no adverse effects recorded. It is a small uncontrolled cohort, and the first-year surge was not sustained. | |||||
| Early single and 5-day repeat subcutaneous dosing in children8 short normal children and 11 children with GH deficiency | 100-300 mcg single doses; 200 mcg per dose on repeat | Single injection, then twice daily | Subcutaneous | 5 consecutive days of repeat dosingNot applicable | Acta Endocrinologica (PubMed)1985 |
| A 100-200 mcg injection produced a mean GH peak of 27 ng/mL at 15 minutes in normal children, but 8 of 11 GH-deficient children did not respond and five days of 200 mcg twice daily restored responsiveness in only 2 of 8, without changing somatomedin-C. The responses were highly variable between children. | |||||
| High-dose twice-daily trial in middle-aged and older men22 healthy men aged 53-68 | 1 mg or 4 mg recombinant GHRH(1-44)-NH2 per injection | Twice daily, at 22:00 and 08:00 | Subcutaneous, from syringes prefilled weekly in 1 mL bacteriostatic water | 3 months, double-blind parallel groupsNone | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)2004 |
| Overnight GH rose about 2.5-fold on 1 mg and 6-fold on 4 mg, IGF-I roughly doubled, and only the 4 mg dose increased fat-free mass and total body water and reduced abdominal fat; both doses shortened walking and stair-climb times while strength, aerobic capacity and bone density did not change. Injection-site reactions were common, and the study was run under an investigator IND with 11 men per arm. | |||||
| Continuous subcutaneous infusion in old menHealthy old men compared with young men | 1 mg and 2 mg per day | Continuous infusion | Subcutaneous pump | 14 days at each dose14-day treatment-free interval between the two doses (crossover) | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)1993 |
| Both infusion rates raised 24-hour GH, GH peak number and IGF-I in old men, mainly by lifting daytime and interpeak secretion, while blunting the nocturnal peak. The authors contrasted this with twice-daily injections, which raise GH through large post-injection peaks instead. | |||||
| Nocturnal pulsed intravenous GHRH and sleep EEG7 healthy men | 50 mcg per bolus (4 boluses, 200 mcg per night) | Hourly at 22:00, 23:00, 24:00 and 01:00 | Intravenous bolus | Single night, compared with placebo and somatostatin nightsNot applicable | Neuroendocrinology (PubMed)1992 |
| Slow-wave sleep rose from 14% to 20% of the night, nocturnal GH more than tripled and cortisol was blunted. The sample is seven men on one night each, so it shows an acute effect rather than anything about repeated use. | |||||
| Low-dose intravenous GHRH during sleepHealthy young men | 0.3 mcg/kg | Single bolus at defined sleep stages | Intravenous | Single night per conditionNot applicable | American Journal of Physiology (PubMed)1993 |
| A dose chosen to produce physiological GH elevations increased REM sleep when given early in the night and sharply increased slow-wave sleep and reduced wakefulness when given late in the night or after sleep deprivation. It is acute physiology work in young men, not a treatment protocol. | |||||
| Community-reported2 rows | |||||
| Vendor-style research protocol for full-length GHRH | 100 mcg (initial) or 200 mcg (enhanced), from a 2 mg vial in 2 mL (1 mg/mL) | Once daily | Subcutaneous, at bedtime on an empty stomach | 12 weeksNone described | Community resource2026 |
| This 2026 page gives a two-tier bedtime schedule for the 1-44 peptide and separates it from sermorelin by CAS number and PubChem record, while also stating that the 1-29 fragment has equivalent GH-releasing potency. The doses are far below those used in the adult trial above and resemble sermorelin practice; the page offers no trial support for them. | |||||
| Calculator card for GHRH 1-44 | 100-200 mcg (10-20 units at 10 mcg per unit from a 2 mg vial in 2 mL) | 2-3 times daily, about 15 minutes before meals or bed | Subcutaneous | 12-24 weeksNone described | Community resource2026 |
| An undated reconstitution calculator (accessed 2026) that lists 2 mg and 5 mg vials and a multi-dose daily schedule. It is a planning tool rather than a referenced guide, and its 12-24 week course has no source beyond convention. | |||||
How a course is commonly described
- Weeks 1-2Community-reported
Community pages describe starting at 100 mcg subcutaneously at bedtime on an empty stomach, timed to the first slow-wave sleep GH pulse, and moving to 200 mcg if tolerated. Flushing and injection-site warmth are the effects they describe at this stage.
- Weeks 3-12Community-reported
Calculator cards extend the course to 12-24 weeks with 100-200 mcg two or three times a day before meals or bed. The multi-dose pattern mirrors how GHRH was given in the clinical studies, although at roughly a tenth to a fortieth of the adult trial dose.
- Months 1-3 (clinical)Clinical
In the older-men trial the GH response grew between month one and month three (about 6-fold over baseline by 3 months on the 4 mg dose) and IGF-I rose from 1.4-fold to 2.1-fold, with body-composition changes only at 4 mg twice daily. Injection-site reactions were common throughout.
- Months 6-48 (clinical)Clinical
Pediatric treatment ran for 6 months in the dose-ranging trial and up to 4 years in the twice-daily cohort. Growth velocity peaked in the first year and then eased, and 17% of children developed low-titer antibodies by 6 months in the once-nightly study.
- BreakClinical
No community page describes a break for the 1-44 peptide. The only washout in the literature is the 14-day treatment-free interval between the two 14-day infusion periods in the old-men crossover, included for study design rather than as a recommendation.
- The only approved use of GHRH 1-44 is a single 50 mcg intravenous diagnostic dose. Treatment-length dosing exists only in trials: 30-300 mcg nightly or 10-20 mcg/kg twice daily in children, 1-4 mg twice daily in older men, and 1-2 mg per day by infusion.
- Community doses of 100-200 mcg once daily are borrowed from sermorelin (GHRH 1-29) practice and are 5-40 times below the adult trial doses; no source describes a break, and the peptide is cleared from plasma within minutes, which is why trials used two or more doses a day or continuous infusion.
- Anti-GHRH antibodies appeared in 17% of children after six months of nightly injections, and injection-site reactions were common at milligram doses in adults. The rows above record what sources report, not recommendations.
Sources for this section (10)
- Treatment with growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) 1-44 in children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency: a randomized double-blind dose-effect study
- Long-term treatment with GHRH [1-44] amide in prepubertal children with classical growth hormone deficiency
- Plasma growth hormone (GH) responses to single and repetitive subcutaneous administration of GH releasing factor (hpGRF-44) in normal and GH deficient children
- Sustained growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I responses to prolonged high-dose twice-daily GH-releasing hormone stimulation in middle-aged and older men
- Continuous subcutaneous infusions of growth hormone (GH) releasing hormone 1-44 for 14 days increase GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men
- Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin on sleep EEG and nocturnal hormone secretion in male controls
- Sleep-promoting effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone in normal men
Plus 3 community resources (dosing guides, forum threads and vendor write-ups), reported above but not linked.
Overview
GHRH (somatorelin) is the full-length, 44-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that drives growth hormone synthesis and release from the pituitary; the sequence was first isolated in 1982 from pancreatic tumors that caused acromegaly, which is why early papers call it hpGRF-44. Its only licensed use is diagnostic: GHRH Ferring, a 50 mcg intravenous bolus, tests pituitary GH reserve in the UK and parts of Europe. Between the mid 1980s and 2004 it was studied as a treatment, given subcutaneously once or twice a day to GH-deficient children and, at 1-4 mg twice daily, to healthy older men, and it was shown to increase slow-wave sleep when pulsed intravenously at night. The shorter analogs sermorelin (1-29) and tesamorelin are what reached the market, and today full-length GHRH 1-44 is sold mainly as a research chemical, with community dosing largely borrowed from sermorelin practice.
What researchers are exploring
These themes organize the educational information currently available. Individual claims remain under source review and are not treatment claims.
- 1
GHRH Is an Unusual Hormone
Unique characteristics and properties of GHRH
- 2
GHRH Analogs
Common GHRH analogues and their applications
- 3
Research
Scientific studies on GHRH and its various effects
- 4
Sleep Regulation
GHRH's role in sleep cycle regulation
- 5
Obesity
GHRH's anti-obesity properties
- 6
Stress Response
GHRH's role in stress management
What is known and what still needs verification
Available context is organized without assigning unsupported study models or evidence grades.
- Not graded
GHRH Is an Unusual Hormone
Unique characteristics and properties of GHRH
- Not graded
GHRH Analogs
Common GHRH analogues and their applications
Amounts recorded for GHRH
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.
- 1Recorded amount · lower endpointSign in for schedule, duration and source context.100 mcg
- 2Recorded amountSign in for schedule, duration and source context.200 mcg
- 3Recorded amountSign in for schedule, duration and source context.400 mcg
Chemistry identifiers
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.
Sequence
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-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Ser-Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-Ala-Arg-Ala-Arg-Leu-NH2
Also listed as
Somatorelin [INN], GHRH(1-44)-NH2, Human growth hormone-releasing factor, hpGRF-44 (human pancreatic GRF), Somatoliberin, GHRH Ferring (diagnostic product), UNII 4UR7N9Z9MM, GRF (1-44), human
InChIKey
JAHCMOSSKRAPEL-IBFVROBCSA-N
IUPAC name
(4S)-4-[[2-[[(2S)-5-amino-2-[[(2S)-5-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S,3S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-5-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-6-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-5-amino-2-[[2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-6-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-4-amino-2-[[(2S,3R)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S,3S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-amino-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-3-carboxypropanoyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-3-methylpentanoyl]amino]-3-phenylpropanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxybutanoyl]amino]-4-oxobutanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxypropanoyl]amino]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamidopentanoyl]amino]hexanoyl]amino]-3-methylbutanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]acetyl]amino]-5-oxopentanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxypropanoyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamidopentanoyl]amino]hexanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]-5-oxopentanoyl]amino]-3-carboxypropanoyl]amino]-3-methylpentanoyl]amino]-4-methylsulfanylbutanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxypropanoyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamidopentanoyl]amino]-5-oxopentanoyl]amino]-5-oxopentanoyl]amino]acetyl]amino]-5-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-4-amino-1-[[(2S)-5-amino-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[2-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-[[(2S)-1-amino-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-2-oxoethyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamido-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-4-carboxy-1-oxobutan-2-yl]amino]-1,5-dioxopentan-2-yl]amino]-1,4-dioxobutan-2-yl]amino]-3-hydroxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl]amino]-5-oxopentanoic acid
Limitations and unknowns
Sources
1 link carried over from the earlier page, awaiting verification.