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CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin: the pair I run for sleep and recovery

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are two peptides I use together, as one cycle. I get two things from them. I sleep better, and the tiredness and sore muscles after the gym clear faster. This page covers what happened when I used them, what I was told about them, and the questions people ask me most.

 

Jump to: Why I tried it · What I noticed · Do I still use it · What I was told · Questions I get asked · What I’ve read

 

Why I tried it

There wasn’t a big reason. The rule here is that we don’t offer anything we haven’t tried on ourselves first, so these two went through me like everything else did. I wasn’t trying to fix a problem. I wanted to know what they did before anyone else was offered them.

 

What I noticed

Sleep. I slept better. I’d like to give you a week-by-week account, but I don’t have one. This isn’t the peptide I have numbers for. That’s Epithalon. With these two, all I can tell you is that my sleep got better.

 

Recovery. By recovery I don’t mean injuries. For me, that’s what BPC-157 is for. Here I mean the ordinary kind of recovery after a normal gym session: the tiredness and the muscle soreness cleared faster than usual.

 

I’ve never had a side effect from either of them.

 

That’s my sleep and my body. “I was fine” is not the same sentence as “you’ll be fine.”

 

Do I still use it?

Yes, in cycles. Right now I’m between cycles, which is why it isn’t on the list of three I’m running on the Peptides page. When I go back to it, it takes one of those places. I don’t go above three.

 

What I was told about them

I don’t explain how things work in my own words. So what follows is the explanation I was given.

 

What each one is. The explanation I was given is that CJC-1295 is a synthetic peptide that prompts the body to release its own growth hormone. It does this by acting on growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH) receptors. Ipamorelin was described to me as a selective growth hormone secretagogue, meaning something that prompts growth hormone release. It works through a different receptor, the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R). Both were described as stimulating the body’s natural growth hormone release rather than replacing it.

 

What they’re said to do. I was told they promote growth hormone release, and that this goes with more muscle, less fat, better recovery and better sleep. Ipamorelin was also described to me as helping preserve lean muscle and supporting cellular repair.

 

What they’ve been studied for. I was told they’ve been studied for their potential to support:

  • natural growth hormone release

  • recovery and muscle repair

  • fat metabolism and body composition

  • sleep quality

  • overall recovery and vitality

  • healthspan

 

Questions I get asked

Does the CJC-1295 you use contain DAC?

No. DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex, an add-on that keeps the peptide in the body for longer. The explanation I was given is that the version without DAC is chosen on purpose. It gives a pulsatile release that mimics the body’s natural rhythm, and avoids the continuous “GH bleed” often associated with DAC versions.

 

Why is Ipamorelin called “selective”?

The explanation I was given is that it mainly stimulates growth hormone release without significantly raising cortisol or prolactin.

 

Why is it only used on some days of the week?

I was told rest days are built into the week to keep the body responsive and reduce something called receptor desensitisation. I won’t put the schedule here. That belongs with a doctor.

 

Why on an empty stomach?

The explanation I was given is that insulin and raised blood sugar can blunt growth hormone release, so an empty stomach lets more of it through.

 

Do you mix it yourself?

Yes. It comes as a vial, and I add the water myself. I won’t put amounts or steps on this page. That part belongs with a doctor, not a website.

 

Is it safe?

I’ve never had a side effect from either one. This is the list I was shown of what can happen:

  • mild irritation where it’s injected

  • headache or flushing

  • temporary water retention

  • temporary tiredness

  • tingling or light dizziness (listed as rare)

 

I was also shown a list of who it may not be suitable for:

  • pregnancy or breastfeeding

  • active cancer, or a history of hormone-sensitive cancer

  • pituitary disorders

  • uncontrolled diabetes or severe metabolic disease

  • a known sensitivity to peptide products

 

I was told there are no well-established studies on how they interact with other medicines. The ones a doctor needs to know about are insulin or diabetes medication, growth hormone or IGF-1 therapies, corticosteroids, and other peptides, injectables or hormone-modulating treatments. I was also told to take anything persistent or unusual to a doctor.

 

Related

 

What I’ve read

  1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA (2006). Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91(3), 799–805.

  2. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. (1998). Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol, 139(5), 552–561.

  3. Chapman IM, et al. Growth hormone–releasing hormone analogs and GH secretion.

  4. Vance ML. Growth hormone secretagogues and physiology.

  5. Thorner MO, et al. Mechanisms of growth hormone regulation.

  6. Svensson J, et al. Growth hormone secretion after administration of GH secretagogues in humans.

  7. Smith RG, et al. Ghrelin receptor agonists and growth hormone physiology.

  8. Vance ML. Growth hormone secretagogues and endocrine regulation.

 

Questions about CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin go here.

 

Ask about CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin on WhatsApp →

—

I’m George. Thirty years in business, then ten years trying this whole field on myself before offering it to anyone else.

This is where I write down what I use, what I stopped using, and what I’d never do again. More about me →

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