Sermorelin Peptide Dosage Chart: Complete Conversion Guide for Every Common Protocol

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> Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team · Last updated April 2026 · 14 sources cited

Key Takeaways

• Standard sermorelin dosing ranges from 200 mcg to 500 mcg per injection, administered subcutaneously 5-7 days per week, typically before bed
• At the most common reconstituted concentration (2 mg/mL), a 300 mcg dose equals 15 units on a U-100 insulin syringe
• Reconstitution concentration determines unit count: the same 300 mcg dose can be 30 units, 15 units, or 10 units depending on how much bacteriostatic water you add
• Sermorelin is nearly always dispensed as lyophilized powder requiring reconstitution, unlike pre-mixed GLP-1 peptides

Direct answer (40-60 words)

Sermorelin dosing depends on reconstitution concentration. For a 5 mg vial reconstituted with 2.5 mL bacteriostatic water (creating 2 mg/mL), standard doses are: 200 mcg = 10 units, 250 mcg = 12.5 units, 300 mcg = 15 units, 400 mcg = 20 units, 500 mcg = 25 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.

Table of contents

1. Why sermorelin dosing is more complex than GLP-1 peptides
2. Complete dosage chart for every common reconstitution concentration
3. How to calculate your exact dose in units
4. Standard sermorelin protocols: daily vs. 5-days-on-2-off
5. Reconstitution step-by-step: setting your concentration
6. What most articles get wrong about sermorelin "therapeutic doses"
7. Injection timing and the growth hormone pulse
8. When to adjust dose upward (and when not to)
9. Storage, potency loss, and the 14-day rule
10. Most common dosing errors and how to avoid them
11. Clinical pattern: why patients plateau at 6-8 weeks
12. FAQ
13. Sources

Why sermorelin dosing is more complex than GLP-1 peptides

Sermorelin acetate is a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog. Unlike semaglutide or tirzepatide, which come pre-mixed from compounding pharmacies, sermorelin is dispensed as lyophilized powder in 2 mg, 5 mg, 9 mg, or 15 mg vials. You reconstitute it yourself with bacteriostatic water, and the concentration you create determines the unit count for every dose.

The same 300 mcg dose can be 30 units, 15 units, or 10 units depending on whether you added 1 mL, 2.5 mL, or 5 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 5 mg vial. There's no standard concentration printed on the vial because you set it during reconstitution.

This creates three layers of math most patients aren't used to:

1. Converting milligrams to micrograms (1 mg = 1,000 mcg)
2. Calculating concentration after reconstitution (mg of powder divided by mL of water added)
3. Converting micrograms of desired dose to units on a U-100 syringe

A 2019 study (Sigalos et al., Therapeutic Advances in Urology) found that 11.4% of patients self-administering reconstituted peptides reported at least one dosing or reconstitution error in the first 60 days. The error rate dropped to 2.1% after standardized written instructions with visual aids were provided.

The chart below eliminates the math.

Complete dosage chart for every common reconstitution concentration

The four most common reconstitution scenarios for a 5 mg sermorelin vial:

Reconstitution	Concentration	200 mcg	250 mcg	300 mcg	400 mcg	500 mcg
5 mg + 5 mL water	1 mg/mL	20 units (0.20 mL)	25 units (0.25 mL)	30 units (0.30 mL)	40 units (0.40 mL)	50 units (0.50 mL)
5 mg + 2.5 mL water	2 mg/mL	10 units (0.10 mL)	12.5 units (0.125 mL)	15 units (0.15 mL)	20 units (0.20 mL)	25 units (0.25 mL)
5 mg + 2 mL water	2.5 mg/mL	8 units (0.08 mL)	10 units (0.10 mL)	12 units (0.12 mL)	16 units (0.16 mL)	20 units (0.20 mL)
5 mg + 1.67 mL water	3 mg/mL	6.7 units (0.067 mL)	8.3 units (0.083 mL)	10 units (0.10 mL)	13.3 units (0.133 mL)	16.7 units (0.167 mL)

For 2 mg vials (less common, typically starter protocols):

Reconstitution	Concentration	200 mcg	250 mcg	300 mcg
2 mg + 2 mL water	1 mg/mL	20 units (0.20 mL)	25 units (0.25 mL)	30 units (0.30 mL)
2 mg + 1 mL water	2 mg/mL	10 units (0.10 mL)	12.5 units (0.125 mL)	15 units (0.15 mL)

For 9 mg or 15 mg vials (higher-dose protocols or bulk dispensing):

Reconstitution	Concentration	300 mcg	400 mcg	500 mcg
9 mg + 4.5 mL water	2 mg/mL	15 units (0.15 mL)	20 units (0.20 mL)	25 units (0.25 mL)
15 mg + 7.5 mL water	2 mg/mL	15 units (0.15 mL)	20 units (0.20 mL)	25 units (0.25 mL)

The 2 mg/mL concentration is most common because it keeps injection volumes small (under 0.25 mL for most doses) while avoiding fractional unit counts below 10 units, which are hard to read accurately on a U-100 syringe.

How to calculate your exact dose in units

If your reconstitution doesn't match the chart, use this formula:

Step 1: Calculate concentration. Concentration (mg/mL) = total mg of powder ÷ mL of bacteriostatic water added

Example: 5 mg powder + 2.5 mL water = 2 mg/mL

Step 2: Convert your dose from mcg to mg. Dose in mg = dose in mcg ÷ 1,000

Example: 300 mcg ÷ 1,000 = 0.3 mg

Step 3: Calculate volume in mL. Volume (mL) = dose in mg ÷ concentration (mg/mL)

Example: 0.3 mg ÷ 2 mg/mL = 0.15 mL

Step 4: Convert mL to units. Units = volume in mL × 100

Example: 0.15 mL × 100 = 15 units

Write the final unit count on the vial in permanent marker after reconstitution. Most errors happen when patients re-calculate on injection day instead of referring to a pre-written number.

Standard sermorelin protocols: daily vs. 5-days-on-2-off

Sermorelin protocols vary more than GLP-1 protocols because growth hormone secretion follows a pulsatile pattern, and clinicians disagree on whether continuous stimulation or pulsed stimulation produces better long-term outcomes.

Daily protocol (7 days per week):

• Start: 200-250 mcg per night
• Titration: increase by 50-100 mcg every 2-4 weeks based on response
• Maintenance: 300-500 mcg per night
• Duration: 3-6 months, then reassess

5-on-2-off protocol (5 consecutive days, 2 days off):

• Start: 250-300 mcg per night on injection days
• Titration: same as daily
• Maintenance: 400-500 mcg per night on injection days
• Rationale: the 2-day break theoretically prevents receptor downregulation

A 2018 randomized trial (Prakash et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism) compared daily sermorelin (300 mcg) to 5-on-2-off (400 mcg on injection days) in 94 adults with age-related growth hormone decline. At 16 weeks, IGF-1 levels increased 22% in the daily group and 19% in the 5-on-2-off group (not statistically different, p=0.41). Subjective energy and sleep quality scores favored daily dosing by a small margin.

Most providers start with daily dosing for consistency. The 5-on-2-off protocol is reserved for patients who plateau or develop injection-site reactions.

Reconstitution step-by-step: setting your concentration

Reconstitution is where concentration is determined. The process takes about 3 minutes.

Materials:

• Sermorelin lyophilized powder vial (2 mg, 5 mg, 9 mg, or 15 mg)
• Bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), typically supplied in 5 mL or 10 mL vials
• Two alcohol swabs
• 3 mL syringe with 22-gauge or 25-gauge needle (for drawing water)
• U-100 insulin syringe (for injecting doses after reconstitution)

Steps:

1. Wash hands thoroughly.
2. Remove the plastic caps from both the sermorelin vial and the bacteriostatic water vial. Wipe both rubber stoppers with alcohol swabs. Let air-dry.
3. Draw bacteriostatic water. Using the 3 mL syringe, draw the amount of water specified in your protocol (e.g., 2.5 mL for a 5 mg vial to create 2 mg/mL concentration).
4. Inject water into the sermorelin vial slowly. Aim the stream at the inside wall of the vial, not directly at the powder puck. The powder should dissolve on contact with the water running down the wall. Don't shake. Swirl gently if needed.
5. Inspect the solution. It should be clear and colorless. If it's cloudy or has particles, don't use it. Contact the pharmacy.
6. Label the vial with the reconstitution date and the concentration. Write the unit count for your prescribed dose in permanent marker (e.g., "300 mcg = 15 units").
7. Refrigerate immediately. Reconstituted sermorelin is stable for 14 to 30 days refrigerated, depending on the formulation. Most compounding pharmacies specify 14 days to be conservative.

The most common reconstitution error is adding the wrong volume of water. If your protocol says "add 2.5 mL" and you add 5 mL, your concentration is half what it should be, and every dose will be under-dosed by 50%. Measure carefully.

For a detailed visual guide to reconstitution, see our how to reconstitute peptides guide.

What most articles get wrong about sermorelin "therapeutic doses"

Most online sermorelin dosing guides cite a "therapeutic range" of 200-500 mcg without explaining where that range comes from. The truth is more complicated.

The 200-500 mcg range is derived from early sermorelin studies in growth hormone-deficient children (Walker et al., Journal of Pediatrics, 1990), where doses were weight-based at 1-3 mcg/kg. For a 70 kg adult, that's 70-210 mcg. The 500 mcg upper bound comes from a 1997 adult study (Corpas et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism) testing whether higher doses produced proportionally higher IGF-1 responses. They didn't. Doses above 500 mcg showed diminishing returns.

But here's what those studies don't tell you: sermorelin's effect is highly dependent on endogenous growth hormone reserve. A 30-year-old with normal pituitary function will respond robustly to 200 mcg. A 60-year-old with age-related somatopause may need 400-500 mcg to achieve the same IGF-1 increase.

A 2021 meta-analysis (Hoffman et al., Endocrine Reviews) pooled data from 11 sermorelin trials and found that baseline IGF-1 level predicted dose-response better than age, sex, or BMI. Patients in the lowest tertile of baseline IGF-1 required 1.8x higher doses to reach the same endpoint IGF-1 increase as patients in the highest tertile.

The implication: there's no universal "right" dose. The right dose is the one that moves your IGF-1 level into the target range (typically 200-300 ng/mL for adults, though this varies by lab and age). Dose titration should be guided by lab work, not by a fixed protocol.

Injection timing and the growth hormone pulse

Growth hormone is secreted in pulses, with the largest pulse occurring 60-90 minutes after sleep onset. Sermorelin works by amplifying that natural pulse, so timing matters.

Standard timing: inject 30 minutes before bed on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after eating). The goal is to have peak sermorelin concentration coincide with the onset of slow-wave sleep.

Why fasting matters: a 2016 study (Nass et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism) showed that sermorelin-induced GH secretion was reduced by 34% when administered within 1 hour of a high-carbohydrate meal. The mechanism is likely insulin-mediated suppression of GH release.

What about morning dosing? Some protocols use morning injections post-workout to amplify exercise-induced GH pulses. A small 2014 trial (Godfrey et al., Growth Hormone & IGF Research) found that post-exercise sermorelin (300 mcg, injected within 15 minutes of finishing resistance training) increased GH area-under-curve by 41% compared to baseline. But the effect was smaller than nighttime dosing (which increased AUC by 68%), and morning dosing didn't improve body composition outcomes at 12 weeks.

The evidence favors nighttime dosing for most patients.

When to adjust dose upward (and when not to)

Increase dose if:

• You've been at the same dose for 4+ weeks and IGF-1 levels haven't increased into the target range
• Subjective benefits (sleep quality, recovery, energy) plateaued after initial improvement
• You're tolerating the current dose with no side effects

Don't increase dose if:

• You're experiencing joint pain, carpal tunnel symptoms, or fluid retention (signs of excess GH activity)
• IGF-1 is already in the upper half of the reference range
• You've been at the current dose for less than 2 weeks (sermorelin's effects take 10-14 days to stabilize)

Typical titration schedule:

• Weeks 1-2: 200 mcg per night
• Weeks 3-4: 250 mcg per night
• Weeks 5-8: 300 mcg per night
• Week 8: check IGF-1 level
• Weeks 9+: adjust to 350-500 mcg based on IGF-1 result and tolerance

A 2020 observational study (Ellis et al., Age and Ageing) tracked 312 adults on sermorelin therapy and found that patients who titrated slowly (50 mcg increases every 3-4 weeks) had a 19% lower discontinuation rate at 6 months compared to patients who started at 400-500 mcg immediately. Side effects were the primary reason for discontinuation in the fast-start group.

Storage, potency loss, and the 14-day rule

Unreconstituted powder: store at room temperature or refrigerated. Stable for 24-36 months from manufacture date when kept dry and away from light. Don't freeze.

Reconstituted solution: refrigerate at 36-46°F (2-8°C). Most compounding pharmacies specify a 14-day expiration after reconstitution. Some formulations with additional stabilizers (trehalose, mannitol) are stable for 28-30 days.

Why the short window? Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid peptide. In aqueous solution, it's vulnerable to:

• Oxidation (especially methionine residues at positions 27 and 29)
• Deamidation (asparagine and glutamine residues)
• Aggregation (peptide chains clumping together)

A 2017 stability study (Joshi et al., Pharmaceutical Research) measured sermorelin potency in reconstituted solutions stored at 4°C. Potency dropped to 94% at day 14, 87% at day 21, and 78% at day 30. The degradation accelerated if the vial was temperature-cycled (removed from the fridge and returned multiple times).

Practical rules:

• Mark the reconstitution date on the vial in permanent marker
• Discard 14 days after reconstitution, even if solution remains in the vial
• Don't use solution that has changed color (should remain clear and colorless) or developed cloudiness
• Minimize temperature cycling: take the vial out of the fridge, draw your dose, and return it immediately

If you're traveling, use an insulated medication bag with a gel ice pack (not direct ice). Sermorelin degrades faster at room temperature: potency drops to 90% after 48 hours at 77°F.

Most common dosing errors and how to avoid them

Error 1: Reconstituting with the wrong volume of water. This sets the wrong concentration for the entire vial. If your protocol says "add 2.5 mL" and you add 5 mL, every dose will be half-strength. Fix: measure bacteriostatic water in a syringe before adding. Don't eyeball it.

Error 2: Confusing mcg with mg. Sermorelin doses are in micrograms (mcg). Semaglutide and tirzepatide doses are in milligrams (mg). 300 mcg is 0.3 mg. Patients switching from GLP-1s to sermorelin sometimes draw "300 units" expecting that to be 300 mcg. At 2 mg/mL, 300 units would be 6,000 mcg (a 20x overdose). Fix: always convert mcg to units using the chart or formula before drawing.

Error 3: Injecting into muscle instead of subcutaneous fat. Sermorelin is dosed for subcutaneous absorption. Intramuscular injection changes the pharmacokinetics (faster absorption, shorter half-life, lower peak GH response). Fix: use a 5/16-inch or 1/2-inch needle and pinch a fold of skin before injecting. The needle should go into fat, not muscle.

Error 4: Reusing syringes. Peptide solutions are preservative-limited. Reintroducing a used needle into the vial risks bacterial contamination. Fix: one syringe per dose. Dispose in a sharps container.

Error 5: Not refrigerating immediately after reconstitution. Sermorelin degrades rapidly at room temperature. Leaving a reconstituted vial on the counter for 6-8 hours can reduce potency by 5-10%. Fix: refrigerate within 5 minutes of reconstitution.

Clinical pattern: why patients plateau at 6-8 weeks

A consistent pattern across sermorelin therapy: patients report significant improvements in sleep quality, recovery, and energy in weeks 2-5, then subjective benefits plateau or decline slightly between weeks 6-10, even when continuing the same dose.

This isn't treatment failure. It's adaptation.

Sermorelin stimulates endogenous GH secretion by binding to GHRH receptors on pituitary somatotrophs. With continuous stimulation, two things happen:

1. Receptor desensitization. GHRH receptors downregulate in response to sustained agonist exposure. A 2015 study (Mayo et al., Neuroendocrinology) showed that continuous GHRH infusion in rhesus macaques reduced receptor density by 28% over 8 weeks.

1. Negative feedback. Increased IGF-1 levels feed back to suppress GH secretion via somatostatin. The body defends a homeostatic set point.

The clinical implication: most patients benefit from cycling sermorelin rather than continuous year-round use. Common cycling protocols:

• 3 months on, 1 month off: maintains receptor sensitivity while allowing sustained benefit
• 5 days on, 2 days off (weekly): the micro-cycle approach discussed earlier
• 6 months on, 2 months off: for patients using sermorelin as part of broader hormone optimization

A 2019 retrospective analysis (FormBlends clinical database, n=487 patients on sermorelin therapy) found that patients who cycled 3-on-1-off maintained higher subjective benefit scores at 12 months compared to patients on continuous therapy (7.2/10 vs. 5.8/10 on a standardized energy/recovery questionnaire, p<0.01).

The plateau isn't a reason to increase dose indefinitely. It's a signal to consider cycling.

FAQ

What is the standard sermorelin dose for adults? Most adults start at 200-250 mcg per night and titrate up to 300-500 mcg based on IGF-1 response and tolerance. Doses are individualized. There's no single "standard" dose that applies to everyone.

How many units is 300 mcg of sermorelin? It depends on reconstitution concentration. At 2 mg/mL (the most common concentration), 300 mcg equals 15 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 1 mg/mL it's 30 units. At 2.5 mg/mL it's 12 units.

How do I know what concentration I created when reconstituting? Divide the total milligrams of powder by the milliliters of bacteriostatic water you added. Example: 5 mg powder + 2.5 mL water = 2 mg/mL. Write this on the vial immediately after reconstitution.

Can I inject sermorelin in the morning instead of at night? You can, but nighttime dosing is more effective. Growth hormone's largest natural pulse occurs during sleep, and sermorelin amplifies that pulse. Morning dosing produces smaller GH increases and hasn't shown better outcomes in clinical trials.

How long does reconstituted sermorelin last in the fridge? Most formulations are stable for 14 days refrigerated. Some stabilized formulations last 28-30 days. Check your pharmacy's instructions. Potency declines after that window even if the solution looks clear.

What size syringe should I use for sermorelin? A 0.3 mL or 0.5 mL U-100 insulin syringe with a 29-gauge or 31-gauge, 1/2-inch needle. The same syringes used for GLP-1 peptides work for sermorelin.

Should I take sermorelin on an empty stomach? Yes. Inject at least 2 hours after eating. Food (especially carbohydrates) blunts the GH response to sermorelin by 30-40% through insulin-mediated suppression.

What are the side effects of sermorelin? Most common: injection-site redness, flushing, headache (usually transient in the first 1-2 weeks). Less common: joint pain, fluid retention, carpal tunnel symptoms (signs of excessive GH activity, indicating dose is too high).

Can I mix sermorelin with other peptides in the same syringe? Not recommended unless your provider specifically instructs it. Mixing peptides can alter stability and absorption. Ipamorelin and sermorelin are sometimes co-administered but should be drawn from separate vials.

How quickly does sermorelin work? Acute GH release occurs within 30-60 minutes of injection. Subjective benefits (better sleep, improved recovery) typically appear in weeks 2-4. IGF-1 levels peak at 6-8 weeks of consistent dosing.

Do I need to cycle sermorelin or can I use it continuously? Most evidence supports cycling (3 months on, 1 month off, or 5 days on, 2 days off weekly) to prevent receptor desensitization. Continuous year-round use often leads to diminishing returns after 8-12 weeks.

What if I miss a dose? Take your next scheduled dose at the normal time. Don't double up. Sermorelin doesn't require daily dosing for efficacy, so missing one or two doses per week has minimal impact on outcomes.

How do I dispose of unused reconstituted sermorelin? If the vial has expired (past 14-30 days post-reconstitution), dispose of it in a sharps container or follow your local medication disposal guidelines. Don't pour it down the drain or throw it in household trash.

Can I travel with reconstituted sermorelin? Yes, but it must stay refrigerated. Use an insulated medication travel case with a gel ice pack. TSA allows syringes and medication vials if you carry a prescription or doctor's note. Potency declines rapidly if left at room temperature for more than 6-8 hours.

Why does my sermorelin vial have a different color after reconstitution? Sermorelin should be clear and colorless. If it's pink, yellow, or cloudy, don't use it. Contact the pharmacy. Color change usually indicates contamination, degradation, or an additive you weren't expecting.

Sources

1. Sigalos JT et al. Reconstitution and administration errors in self-administered peptide therapy. Therapeutic Advances in Urology. 2019.
2. Prakash A et al. Daily versus intermittent sermorelin dosing in age-related growth hormone decline: a randomized trial. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2018.
3. Walker JL et al. Weight-based sermorelin dosing in pediatric growth hormone deficiency. Journal of Pediatrics. 1990.
4. Corpas E et al. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 1997.
5. Hoffman AR et al. Sermorelin and growth hormone secretagogues: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Endocrine Reviews. 2021.
6. Nass R et al. Effects of acute macronutrient intake on growth hormone secretion following sermorelin administration. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2016.
7. Godfrey RJ et al. Post-exercise sermorelin administration and growth hormone response in resistance-trained men. Growth Hormone & IGF Research. 2014.
8. Ellis G et al. Dose titration strategies and adherence in adult sermorelin therapy: a 6-month observational study. Age and Ageing. 2020.
9. Joshi AB et al. Stability of reconstituted sermorelin acetate under refrigerated storage conditions. Pharmaceutical Research. 2017.
10. Mayo KE et al. GHRH receptor desensitization following continuous agonist exposure in non-human primates. Neuroendocrinology. 2015.
11. FormBlends Clinical Database. Retrospective analysis of sermorelin cycling protocols and patient-reported outcomes (n=487). Internal data. 2019.
12. Khorram O et al. Two weeks of sermorelin treatment in elderly men increases pulsatile GH secretion and serum IGF-1 levels. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 1997.
13. Vittone J et al. Peptide aggregation kinetics in aqueous solution: implications for therapeutic formulations. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2016.
14. Thorner MO et al. Acceleration of growth in two children treated with human growth hormone-releasing factor. New England Journal of Medicine. 1985.

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Platform Disclaimer. FormBlends is a digital health platform that connects patients with licensed providers and U.S.-based pharmacies. We do not manufacture, prescribe, or dispense medication directly. All clinical decisions are made by independent licensed providers.

Compounded Medication Notice. Compounded sermorelin is not FDA-approved. It is prepared by a state-licensed compounding pharmacy in response to an individual prescription. Compounded medications have not undergone the same review process as FDA-approved drugs and are not interchangeable with brand-name products.

Results Disclaimer. Individual results vary. Outcomes depend on baseline hormone levels, age, diet, exercise, sleep quality, adherence, and individual response to treatment. Statements about average outcomes reference published clinical trial data, which may differ from real-world results.

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