CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin Dosage Calculator: Stack Guide & Evidence
This is the most commonly discussed GH-secretagogue pairing in the research-peptide community: a GHRH analog paired with a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist. Here’s what’s cited for each peptide on its own, what’s actually known (and not known) about combining them, and a calculator for both at once.
Reviewed by the PepGuard team · Last reviewed Jul 28, 2026
Photo: Julia Taubitz / UnsplashThe two peptides act on different receptors, which is the entire rationale for stacking them. CJC-1295 is a long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), signaling through the GHRH receptor. Ipamorelin instead activates the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), the same pathway targeted by older growth-hormone-releasing peptides, but with far more selectivity, its main selling point over compounds like GHRP-6.
The idea is that pulsing both receptor pathways at once produces a bigger growth-hormone release than either compound alone. No published study, in animals or humans, has tested the two given together. Each has its own, separately thin human evidence base, one built around a terminated trial with a documented fatality signal, the other around a discontinued efficacy program, and combining them layers an untested assumption on top of both.
What's cited for the GHRH half of the stack.
CJC-1295 is a long-acting GHRH analog that signals through the GHRH receptor. The DAC-modified version binds circulating albumin, stretching its half-life from about 30 minutes to 6-8 days. The only large human trial ever run, a Phase 2 study in HIV-associated visceral obesity, was halted in 2006 after a participant died of a myocardial infarction hours after an injection.
| What's cited | Range |
|---|---|
| Without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29), commonly cited | ~100 mcg, 2-3 times daily, fasted |
| With DAC, commonly cited | 1-2 mg, twice weekly |
| Terminated Phase 2 trial dose (HIV-associated visceral obesity) | 2 mg, subcutaneous, weekly |
| Signal | Frequency | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Facial flushing | commonly reported | Described as transient and dose-dependent in vendor and community sources. |
| Injection site reaction / water retention | commonly reported | Reported to last longer with the DAC version, consistent with its extended half-life. |
| Serious cardiac event | unknown / not studied | A participant in the only large human trial (Phase 2, n=192) died of a myocardial infarction hours after an injection; the trial was halted and causality was never established as conclusive in contemporaneous coverage. This is a documented, isolated signal, not an established incidence rate. |
What's cited for the ghrelin-receptor half of the stack.
Ipamorelin was developed by Novo Nordisk as a more receptor-selective alternative to older growth-hormone-releasing peptides, designed to trigger a GH pulse without the cortisol, prolactin, and appetite spikes seen with compounds like GHRP-6. Its one completed human efficacy trial, testing it for post-surgical GI recovery, was discontinued for lack of effectiveness.
| What's cited | Range |
|---|---|
| Commonly cited dose | 100-300 mcg, subcutaneous, 1-3 times daily |
| Commonly cited timing | before bed, to align with the natural nocturnal GH pulse |
| Reported ceiling | ~300 mcg per dose; higher doses are described as adding side effects, not more GH release |
| Signal | Frequency | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Headache | commonly reported | Anecdotal; not measured in a controlled ipamorelin-specific trial for this use. |
| Water retention / flushing | occasionally reported | Transient, anecdotal. |
| Cortisol or prolactin elevation | rarely reported | Selectivity for the ghrelin receptor is ipamorelin's main differentiator from older GHRPs like GHRP-6, which are more associated with these effects. |
| Appetite increase | rarely reported | Reported as markedly lower than with older, less selective GHRPs. |
Both peptides, one calculation.
Reconstitute and dose each peptide independently, then see the combined draw volume if injecting them together.
Everything cited above, from both peptides.
Stack questions, answered.
Vendor and community protocols most often describe CJC-1295 (with DAC) at 1-2 mg twice weekly alongside ipamorelin at 100-300 mcg, 1-3 times daily. Without the DAC modification, CJC-1295 is instead dosed more frequently (roughly 100 mcg 2-3 times daily) to match ipamorelin's shorter dosing rhythm. None of this is a clinically validated combined protocol, it's what shows up most often in self-reported sources.
No study has tested the two together, in animals or humans. Each has separate, thin human evidence on its own: CJC-1295's only large human trial was halted after a participant died of a heart attack, and ipamorelin's only completed efficacy trial was discontinued for lack of effect. Stacking them combines two individually under-studied compounds; a claim that the combination is safe is an assumption, not a finding.
The two act on different receptors: CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog that signals through the GHRH receptor, while ipamorelin is a selective agonist of the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). The theory in the biohacking community is that hitting both receptor pathways at once produces a larger growth-hormone pulse than either compound alone. That's a mechanistic hypothesis built from separate pharmacology studies of each peptide, not a tested claim about the pair.
People commonly do, if both are reconstituted in bacteriostatic water and the combined volume is reasonable for a single subcutaneous injection. The stack-mode calculator above adds the two draw volumes together so you can see the combined total; it doesn't verify chemical compatibility between the two reconstituted solutions.
Both are sold in the US as "research use only" chemicals, not as supplements or approved drugs. Both sat on the FDA's 503A Category 2 compounding-restricted list, were pulled from nomination in September 2024, and were voted down for the permanent list by the FDA's advisory committee in late 2024. Neither was part of the 12 peptides the FDA removed from Category 2 in April 2026; both are reportedly slated for the committee's next review around July 2026. Check current status before assuming an older claim still holds.
Keep researching.
Combining compounds you can't fully verify is exactly the risk PepGuard exists to catch.
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