Semax

What Semax does

Semax is a synthetic nasal medicine used in Russia, with small or poorly controlled studies of stroke recovery, eye disease and attention. Brain scans do not prove better focus; long-term safety and injected use remain untested.

• In Russia, nasal drops are given to people for mental tiredness and attention; these uses are not approved in the US. (Studied in a trial)
• In a small study after stroke, people given it with usual care recovered faster, but the study was not randomized. (Studied in a trial)
• People report clearer thinking, alertness and better focus, though some notice no effect. (Reported by users)

Uses in the sources

• Studied alongside usual care after ischemic stroke. Reliable long-term disability benefit is unproven. (Studied in a trial) (source)
• Russian nasal instructions include mental fatigue and attention-related uses. These are not FDA-approved indications. (Clinician-published) (source)
• People report nasal sprays or injections for focus; responses include no effect. (Reported by users) (source)

Semax dosage

Typical reported dose: 400–900 mcg a day as nose drops, before midday

• Acute stroke: 12 mg/day: 12 mg/day daily total; within-day split not stated, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Moderate acute ischemic stroke. (source)
• Acute stroke: 18 mg/day: 18 mg/day daily total; within-day split not stated, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Severe acute ischemic stroke. (source)
• Two courses of 12 mg/day: 12 mg/day on days 1–10 only, then No Semax on days 11–24, then 12 mg/day on days 25–34 only daily total; within-day split not stated, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults with motor neuron disease. (source)
• Two courses of 6 mg/day: 6 mg/day on days 1–10 only, then No Semax on days 11–30, then 6 mg/day on days 31–40 only daily total; within-day split not stated, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults after ischemic stroke. (source)
• Psoriasis study: 600 mcg/day: 600 mcg/day as 0.1% nasal solution daily total; within-day split not stated, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Psoriasis with metabolic syndrome. (source)
• Early attention study: one dose: 0.25 mg intranasally once once only, nasal spray. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Healthy adult men. (source)

These are doses reported in labels, trials or user reports, not a personal plan. Check the source behind each one.

Work out syringe units with the dosing calculator

How to mix Semax

Comes as: Community-reported freeze-dried powder vials, labelled 5 or 10 mg, Home-mixed nasal sprays.

Mixed with: Community reply: nasal saline, 10 mL for a 10 mg vial. No verified human injection-mixing protocol was found..

Common vial sizes: 5, 10 mg. Common water amounts: 10 mL.

• A poster assumed 0.1 mL per spray. Actual pump output was not measured, so this is not a verified delivered dose.
• A shared bottle or combined solution has no verified compatibility or microbial-safety data.
• Russian finished nasal drops need no mixing; their historical storage instructions are recorded with those clinical-practice protocols.

Before mixing: No validated storage conditions or shelf life were found for unregulated powder vials. Finished-medicine instructions do not establish powder stability.

After mixing: No validated after-mixing shelf life was found. A saline recipe does not establish stability, preservation or microbial quality.

Semax side effects and risks

Reported side effects

• Nasal irritation: Mild irritation with prolonged use in Russian instructions; no rate given., mild (source)
• Abnormal EEG activity: Reported in some of 73 posthypoxic patients; event count and seizure rate unavailable., serious (source)
• Eye pain or burning: One FDA consumer report included hospitalization; causality and product quality unconfirmed., serious (source)
• Immune reactions to impurities: FDA identifies a potential risk; human incidence is unknown., serious (source)

Stop and get help if

• Trouble breathing, face or throat swelling, or collapse: Stop exposure and get emergency care now.
• Sudden weakness, facial droop, speech trouble or sudden vision loss: Call emergency services immediately; do not delay stroke care for a peptide.
• A seizure, loss of awareness or new severe confusion: Stop exposure and get emergency care.
• Persistent eye pain, burning or new visual symptoms: Stop exposure and seek urgent eye assessment.

Who should avoid it

• pregnant: Russian instructions contraindicate pregnancy; controlled pregnancy safety studies are absent.
• breastfeeding: Russian instructions contraindicate breastfeeding; infant exposure and safety are unknown.
• tryingToConceive: Precaution: reproductive safety and a preconception washout interval are not established.
• under18: Russian pediatric use does not establish safety of online preparations.
• other: Avoid after allergy to the peptide or formulation, including its preservatives.
• testedAthlete: 2026 status is unresolved for the exact substance and formulation; obtain an anti-doping ruling.
• kidneyDisease: No reliable dose-adjustment studies for kidney impairment were located.
• liverDisease: No reliable dose-adjustment studies for liver impairment were located.
• psychiatricCondition: Review symptoms and psychiatric medicines; the available trials do not cover every diagnosis or combination.
• other: Blocked or irritated nasal passages can make delivery unreliable; review persistent nose symptoms.
• seizureDisorder: Russian instructions contraindicate a seizure history; one clinical report described abnormal EEG activity.
• other: Russian instructions list acute psychiatric conditions and anxiety disorders as contraindications.
• bleedingDisorder: FDA flags a possible bleeding concern from limited clotting data; clinical risk is not quantified.
• activeCancer: Cancer safety is unstudied. Preclinical growth-factor effects do not establish safety in active cancer.
• surgeryPlanned: Review use before surgery because FDA raises a possible bleeding concern; no validated stopping interval exists.

Interactions

• Nasal decongestants: Russian instructions discourage local nasal vasoconstrictors; they may alter delivery.
• Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs: Possible added bleeding risk is a precaution from limited clotting evidence, not a proven clinical interaction.
• Prescription stimulants: Semax amplified amphetamine effects in rodents. Human interaction risk is unknown.
• Selank and modified nootropic peptides: No controlled human combination trial or interchangeable dose has been established.

Product quality risks

• Seized powders were identified as Semax and Selank by mass spectrometry; that study did not establish sterility or a market-wide contamination rate.
• FDA flags immune reactions from aggregation and peptide-related impurities. A nasal route does not remove quality risks.
• Unregulated preparations can contain the wrong amount, microbes or bacterial toxins. No representative assay survey of these two products was found.

What to expect

A small stroke study added Semax to usual hospital care for five or ten days; this does not establish a healthy-person course.

25 human reports may include repeated participants. People often knew which treatment they received, and comparison and safety details are limited.

Key studies

• Acute stroke: 12 or 18 mg: A small nonrandomized comparison reported faster recovery. (source)
• Stroke inflammation markers: A biomarker report does not establish better stroke outcomes. (source)
• After oxygen-related brain injury: Memory changes were reported, with a concerning EEG signal. (source)
• Optic nerve disease: A three-group report suggested visual improvement. (source)
• Glaucoma with controlled pressure: Combination care does not isolate the peptide effect. (source)
• Refractory stomach ulcers: Ulcer healing favored the added peptide in a small comparison. (source)

Semax FAQ

• Is Semax FDA-approved? No. Semax free base: limited to intranasal forms. The October 30, 2026 Federal Register describes a nonbinding draft interim HHS 503A enforcement policy, with public comment invited. It is conditional on eligible state-licensed pharmacies, federal facilities or licensed physicians, a patient-specific prescription, a single active ingredient, specified identity and route, qualified manufacturing, lot testing, reporting and labeling conditions. It is not FDA drug approval, a final 503A listing or general authorization to supply research products.
• How do people take it? Nasal spray, two or three times in the first half of the day. 3–5 days. Source: clinician-published.
• What's the difference between Semax and Selank? Semax: a Russian nasal peptide with limited human evidence for brain and nerve effects. Selank: a Russian nasal anxiety peptide with uncertain long-term benefit and safety. Why people pair them: people combine them for focus with less perceived anxiety. No human trial tested the combination.
• Can I take it with Selank? People combine them for focus with less perceived anxiety. No human trial tested the combination. Combined effects, compatibility and long-term safety are unknown. Source: reported by users. Ask a doctor before combining anything.
• Is it banned in sport? It is unclear (WADA 2026). S0 requires no approval by any government. Russian registration prevents an automatic S0 conclusion; obtain a substance-specific ruling.
• How long does a mixed vial last? No validated after-mixing shelf life was found. A saline recipe does not establish stability, preservation or microbial quality.