Tesamorelin + Ipamorelin
Why this combination
This pairing follows the classic GH-secretagogue logic of combining a GHRH analog with a ghrelin-receptor (GHRP) agonist, but upgrades the GHRH side to tesamorelin — a stabilized GHRH analog that is the only growth-hormone-axis peptide in this category with FDA-approved human efficacy data, specifically for reducing visceral adipose tissue in HIV-associated lipodystrophy (marketed as Egrifta). The premise is that tesamorelin amplifies the size of each GH pulse at the pituitary while ipamorelin, a highly selective ghrelin-receptor agonist, both adds a second, independent pulse trigger and suppresses somatostatin, the brake on GH release.
Because the two compounds act on different receptors, their effects on GH output are synergistic rather than additive: GHRH and GHRP agonists given together reliably produce a larger GH pulse than either alone. Ipamorelin is favored as the GHRP partner because, unlike older secretagogues, it does not meaningfully raise cortisol or prolactin, keeping the side-effect profile clean.
This is a community-constructed combination — tesamorelin's approval is as monotherapy, and there is no dedicated trial of the two together — so it carries community confidence. The visceral-fat rationale is the distinguishing feature versus the more general CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack.
Per-compound dosing
| Compound | Dose | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesamorelin | 2 mg | Once daily | 2 mg daily is the approved tesamorelin dose; no titration is needed — full dose from day one. |
| Ipamorelin | 100–300 mcg | 1–3× daily | Commonly 100 mcg per dose; a bedtime dose targets the natural overnight GH pulse. |
Reconstitution math
For educational and research reference only. Not intended for human consumption, not medical advice. Compounds discussed are sold and used for laboratory research purposes only.
Separate vials
Tesamorelin — reconstitute a 10 mg vial with 2 mL bacteriostatic water → 5,000 mcg/mL. A 2 mg (2,000 mcg) daily dose is 0.4 mL (40 units on a U-100 syringe); one vial covers ~5 daily doses.
Ipamorelin — reconstitute a 5 mg vial with 3 mL → 1,666.7 mcg/mL. A 100 mcg dose is 0.06 mL (6 units); 300 mcg is 0.18 mL (18 units). Using 3 mL keeps the small 100 mcg draw above the hard-to-measure 5-unit mark.
Pre-blended (single vial)
Pre-blending is awkward here because the doses differ by an order of magnitude (tesamorelin in milligrams, ipamorelin in hundreds of micrograms), and tesamorelin is typically dosed once daily while ipamorelin is often dosed two to three times daily.
Worked example if you insist on one vial: combine tesamorelin 10 mg + ipamorelin 5 mg and add 2 mL → tesamorelin is 5,000 mcg/mL and ipamorelin is 2,500 mcg/mL. A single 0.4 mL draw (40 units) then delivers 2,000 mcg tesamorelin and 1,000 mcg ipamorelin together — but that locks ipamorelin to once-daily 1,000 mcg, which most users do not want. Keeping them separate preserves independent timing, so separate vials are the better default.
Verify any blend with the reconstitution calculator before dosing — concentrations change for every compound when you alter the water volume.
Cycle length & alternatives
- Cycle length
- Commonly run 12–16+ weeks; tesamorelin's pivotal visceral-fat trials ran 26 weeks, and GH-axis benefits build gradually. Often dosed 5 days on / 2 days off.
- Compared to alternatives
- Versus CJC-1295 (no-DAC) + ipamorelin, this swaps the general-purpose GHRH analog for tesamorelin, whose distinguishing asset is approved visceral-fat-reduction data — making it the more evidence-backed GHRH partner, at the cost of a higher price and once-daily injection. Versus exogenous HGH, it preserves pulsatile, feedback-regulated GH release rather than supplying a flat external supply.
Sources & references
Frequently asked questions
Why combine tesamorelin with ipamorelin?
They hit two different receptors in the GH axis — tesamorelin the GHRH receptor, ipamorelin the ghrelin receptor — which produces a larger, cleaner GH pulse together than either does alone. Tesamorelin also brings the only approved human visceral-fat data in this category.
Is there a trial of this exact combination?
No. Tesamorelin is approved as monotherapy and ipamorelin is studied separately; pairing them is a community/mechanistic construction, which is why it carries community rather than clinical confidence.
Does ipamorelin raise cortisol like older GHRPs?
No — ipamorelin is selective for the ghrelin receptor and, unlike GHRP-2 or GHRP-6, does not meaningfully increase cortisol or prolactin, which is the main reason it is the preferred GHRP partner.
For educational and research reference only. Not intended for human consumption, not medical advice. Compounds discussed are sold and used for laboratory research purposes only.
Related stacks
CJC-1295 (no-DAC) + Ipamorelin
This is the classic growth-hormone-secretagogue pairing. CJC-1295 without DAC (a GHRH analog, also called Mod GRF 1-29) increases the amount of GH released per pulse, while Ipamorelin (a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist) triggers a clean GH pulse with minimal effect on cortisol or prolactin.
Advanced Recomp (GH secretagogue + repair)
This is a body-recomposition construction that combines two goals in one protocol: amplifying the body's own growth-hormone output and supporting tissue recovery. The GH side uses the classic secretagogue pairing — CJC-1295 (no-DAC), a GHRH analog that increases the amount of GH released per pulse, plus ipamorelin, a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist that triggers a clean GH pulse without raising cortisol or prolactin. Acting on two different receptors, they amplify pulsatile GH and downstream IGF-1 more than either does alone.