Sermorelin

What Sermorelin does

Sermorelin prompts the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. Geref was approved for GH testing and childhood GH deficiency, then discontinued. Small adult studies show hormone changes and some limited benefits, but do not establish better sleep, muscle gain or longer life. Current compounded products are not FDA-approved. Product quality and unknown long-term effects matter.

• In a small HIV trial, people gained some lean mass and lost some trunk fat. (Studied in a trial)
• In a small study of older adults, some thinking tests improved. (Studied in a trial)
• People report better sleep, though others report early waking or no change. (Reported by users)
• As Geref, it was once approved to treat slow growth in children with growth hormone deficiency; that approval was withdrawn. (Drug label)

Uses in the sources

• Historical Geref approvals covered pituitary GH testing and growth failure in children with idiopathic GH deficiency. (Drug label) (source)
• A small HIV lipodystrophy trial found more lean mass and less trunk fat; the visceral-fat difference was not statistically clear. (Studied in a trial) (source)
• Small older-adult and acute memory studies found changes in selected thinking tests. Dementia prevention was not demonstrated. (Studied in a trial) (source)
• Users report better sleep, but others report early waking or no benefit. Preliminary controlled sleep results did not show improvement. (Reported by users) (source)
• Used in hopes of muscle gain and recovery. Adult studies mainly measured hormones; consistent strength or recovery benefits remain unproven. (Reported by users) (source)

Sermorelin dosage

Typical reported dose: Historical pediatric label: 30 mcg per kg at bedtime

• Historical Geref pediatric label: A dosage of 0.03 mg (30 mcg) per kg of body weight once daily at bedtime by subcutaneous injection is recommended. once daily, under the skin. Drug label. Studied in: Prepubertal children with growth failure from idiopathic GH deficiency and adequate Geref stimulation response; historical exclusion: peak GH < 2 ng/mL. (source)
• Specialist GH stimulation test: 1 mcg/kg IV once, with arginine under a specialist testing protocol. single supervised diagnostic dose, into a vein. Clinician-published. Studied in: Adults being assessed for GH deficiency. (source)
• Geref study: 30 mcg/kg nightly: 30 mcg/kg SC at bedtime once daily, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Previously untreated, prepubertal children with GH deficiency. (source)
• Older men: 0.5 mg twice daily: 0.5 mg SC per injection twice daily, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: 10 older men, mean 68 years; 9 young men as baseline comparators. (source)
• Older men: 1 mg twice daily: 1 mg SC per injection twice daily, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: 10 older men, mean 68 years; 9 young men as baseline comparators. (source)
• Older men: 2 mg nightly: 2 mg SC nightly once daily, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Healthy non-obese men aged 64–76 with low IGF-I. (source)

Highest studied: 2 mg SC nightly studied for 6 weeks in 11 older men; not a safety ceiling.; 1 mg SC twice daily studied for 12 weeks in HIV lipodystrophy..

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 Sermorelin

Comes as: Lyophilized powder for injection, Compounded sublingual troches, community-reported.

Mixed with: Historical Geref used Sodium Chloride Injection. Community reports use bacteriostatic water; these are different preparations..

Common vial sizes: 5, 10 mg. Common water amounts: 1, 2 mL.

• Community report: 5 mg with 2 mL bacteriostatic water; vial size and water volume describe concentration, not dose.
• Historical US Geref vials were 0.5 or 1 mg, mixed with 0.5–1 mL saline. These instructions do not validate modern multi-dose vials.
• Do not use a cloudy or visibly contaminated solution. Clear liquid does not prove sterility.
• No universal 28-day or 30-day stability claim is established for all compounded sermorelin products.
• Another community comment reported a 10 mg vial mixed with 1 mL. These reports do not validate vial contents or stability.

Before mixing: Historical Geref label: refrigerate at 2–8°C. Compounded preparations require their own storage instructions.

After mixing: Historical Geref was used immediately and leftovers discarded. Community four-week refrigerator use is not validated stability.

Sermorelin side effects and risks

Reported side effects

• Injection-site pain, redness or swelling: Historical US label: about 1 in 6; 3/350 stopped because of injection reactions., mild. Rotate injection sites; persistent or spreading redness needs assessment. (source)
• Low thyroid function: Historical pediatric label: 6.5%; this is not an established adult rate., moderate. Check thyroid tests before use and during follow-up. (source)
• Headache, flushing, dizziness or hives: Historical SC label: each <1%. Acute IV flushing also reported; route specific rates differ., mild (source)
• Anti-GHRH antibodies: Continuous infusion trial: 19/20 at 30 mcg/kg/day and 20/20 at 60 mcg/kg/day., moderate. Clinical meaning and relevance to current compounded adult regimens are uncertain. (source)
• Nasal burning, sneezing or runny nose: Most children in an 8 child chronic nasal study reported local reactions; exact counts absent., mild (source)
• Blood sugar increase: Glucose and insulin rose in one pediatric study; the small HIV trial found no significant glucose change., moderate. Monitor glucose, especially with diabetes or glucose-lowering drugs. (source)
• Fluid retention, joint pain or tingling: One FDA blend report described elbow pain. No edema or joint pain occurred in the small HIV trial; adult incidence remains unknown., moderate. Review new swelling, numb hands or joint pain; check for other causes. (source)
• Serious allergic reaction: A 2025 spontaneous report named anaphylactic shock and hospitalization; causation and incidence cannot be established., serious. Stop and get emergency help for breathing trouble or facial swelling. (source)
• Sleep disruption: Forum reports include early waking. A preliminary trial found a small worsening in the average sleep score., moderate (source)

Stop and get help if

• Breathing trouble, throat swelling or widespread hives: Stop and get emergency help now.
• Chest pain, fainting or severe shortness of breath: Get emergency care now.
• New severe headache, vision loss or confusion: Stop and seek urgent medical assessment.
• Fever with spreading redness, pus or worsening pain at an injection site: Get urgent care for possible infection.
• Extreme thirst or urination with vomiting, deep breathing or confusion: Get urgent care for possible severe high blood sugar.
• Persistent or worsening difficulty swallowing: Seek prompt assessment; choking or trouble breathing needs emergency care.

Who should avoid it

• pregnant: No adequate pregnancy safety evidence; the Irish diagnostic label contraindicated pregnancy.
• breastfeeding: Milk transfer and infant effects are unknown; the Irish label contraindicated breastfeeding.
• tryingToConceive: Early-pregnancy and fertility safety are not established. Avoid while trying to conceive.
• under18: Historical pediatric GH-deficiency treatment was a separate specialist indication.
• activeCancer: GH and IGF-I can support cell growth. Avoid in active cancer; this is a GH-axis precaution, not proof sermorelin causes cancer.
• cancerHistory: Review prior cancer and pituitary tumors with the treating specialist; long-term adult sermorelin safety is uncertain.
• other: Known allergy to sermorelin or its excipients was a label contraindication.
• other: Do not add GH stimulation when GH or IGF-I is already abnormally high; evaluate the cause first.
• other: A pituitary or intracranial lesion needs specialist assessment; the historical therapeutic label did not recommend use in this group.
• other: Untreated low thyroid function can alter response; check and address it before use.
• diabetes: GH signaling can change glucose control. Small studies in people without diabetes do not establish safety in diabetes.
• diabeticRetinopathy: A GH-axis precaution based on GH guidance; direct sermorelin safety data in diabetic retinopathy are lacking.
• kidneyDisease: No established adult dose adjustment or safety data. Kidney disease can also complicate interpretation of fluid retention.
• liverDisease: Adult dose adjustment is unknown; liver disease can change IGF-I levels and fluid balance.
• heartCondition: New fluid retention or shortness of breath needs review. The tiny heart-failure registry has no usable outcomes.
• sleepApnea: Review untreated sleep apnea and new snoring; better sleep from sermorelin has not been established.
• seizureDisorder: The historical Irish diagnostic label called for particular caution in epilepsy.
• testedAthlete: WADA prohibits sermorelin at all times under S2.2.4.

Interactions

• Glucocorticoids: Can blunt the GH response. Never stop prescribed steroids to improve a peptide response.
• Somatostatin analogues: These suppress GH release and can reduce the response or change diagnostic test results.
• Insulin and sulfonylureas: GH-axis stimulation can worsen glucose control; diabetes drugs may need review. Direct sermorelin interaction trials are lacking.
• Other GH-releasing drugs: Stacking can amplify GH/IGF-I exposure. Long-term combination benefits and harms are not established.
• Growth hormone or IGF-I: Adds overlapping GH/IGF-I effects and complicates safety monitoring.
• Oral estrogen or anti-estrogens: Oral estrogen or anti-estrogen therapy can change the IGF-I response. This does not justify increasing the peptide dose.
• Anticoagulants: Anticoagulants increase bleeding and bruising risk around injections. No specific sermorelin drug-level interaction is established.
• Drugs affecting diagnostic GH release: These may alter a GHRH test response. A testing clinician should review medicines; do not stop them yourself.

Product quality risks

• FDA documented a recall of a sermorelin/ipamorelin injectable for lack of sterility assurance.
• European seized injectables included sermorelin and products with no active ingredient; this was not a prevalence survey of sermorelin vials.
• Research-use labeling does not establish human drug quality or approval. Compounded drugs also lack FDA premarket approval.

What to expect

A growth-hormone-deficiency study in children used nightly injections for up to 12 months; this does not define an adult wellness course.

35 human reports include two spontaneous safety reports, excluding a duplicate substudy and two registry records. The full count and participant overlap remain uncertain.

Key studies

• Geref: daily pediatric treatment: Growth speed rose in some children with GH deficiency; this does not establish adult wellness benefits. (source)
• Children: 30 or 60 mcg/kg/day: Doubling the GHRH infusion dose did not improve growth. (source)
• Children: three daily injections: Split-dose GHRH promoted growth, but the findings apply to GH-deficient children. (source)
• IV and nasal dose finding: Nasal delivery required far higher doses and had low absorption. (source)
• Nasal treatment lost effect: This nasal formulation did not sustain growth benefits. (source)
• Six-month infusion: fading GH response: The hormone response weakened during prolonged infusion. (source)

Sermorelin FAQ

• Is Sermorelin FDA-approved? No. Sales discontinued in 2008; approvals withdrawn June 18, 2009. FDA found in 2013 that withdrawal was not for safety or effectiveness. No current marketed FDA-approved sermorelin product found.
• How do people take it? Under the skin, once daily. Source: drug label.
• What's the difference between Sermorelin and Ipamorelin? Sermorelin: an experimental short-acting peptide that triggers growth hormone release, with limited evidence of adult benefits. Ipamorelin: an experimental peptide that triggers growth hormone release. Why people pair them: users pair two GH-release pathways hoping for a larger GH pulse.
• Can I take it with Ipamorelin? Users pair two GH-release pathways hoping for a larger GH pulse. No controlled chronic SC trial found; raises exposure uncertainty and blend sterility concerns. Source: reported by users. Ask a doctor before combining anything.
• Is it banned in sport? Yes. It is banned in and out of competition (WADA 2026). Explicitly named as a GHRH analogue; prohibited in and out of competition.
• How long does a mixed vial last? Historical Geref was used immediately and leftovers discarded. Community four-week refrigerator use is not validated stability.