Growth hormone secretagogues

CJC-1295

Also known as: CJC-1295 DAC, Modified GRF (1-29) when without DAC

Long-acting growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue, almost always stacked with ipamorelin.

growth hormonerecoverysleepanti-aging
Half-life
With DAC: ~6–8 days. Without DAC: ~30 minutes (but downstream GH pulse lasts hours).
Route
Subcutaneous injection
Shelf life (powder)
24+ months refrigerated
Shelf life (mixed)
~3–4 weeks refrigerated
Storage
Fridge before and after reconstitution.

Read this first

This is plain-language harm-reduction information, not medical advice. Peptides discussed here are research compounds; most are not approved for human use. People will use them either way — we would rather they have the facts.

What it is

CJC-1295 is a synthetic version of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It tells your pituitary to release growth hormone naturally, rather than pumping in synthetic GH.

Two versions exist: with DAC (drug affinity complex — long acting, dosed once or twice a week) and without DAC (short acting, dosed daily, often labelled Mod-GRF 1-29). Most community stacks use the non-DAC version daily alongside ipamorelin.

History

Developed in the early 2000s by ConjuChem. The DAC technology was the company's contribution; the underlying peptide is a modified GHRH fragment.

How it works

Binds to the GHRH receptor in the pituitary and stimulates pulsatile growth hormone release. Pairing with ipamorelin (a GHRP) amplifies the pulse because GHRH and GHRP work through different receptors.

Dosage

  • CJC-1295 no-DAC: 100 mcg per pulse, 1–3 times daily, almost always with 100–200 mcg ipamorelin.
  • CJC-1295 with DAC: 1–2 mg once or twice weekly.
  • Dose on an empty stomach (2–3 hours after eating, especially after carbs).

How it is taken

  • Subcutaneous injection into belly fat with an insulin pin.
  • Best windows: before bed (amplifies natural night-time GH pulse), or pre-workout, or fasted in the morning.

How to reconstitute

  • 5 mg vial with 2 ml BAC water = 2.5 mg/ml. A 100 mcg dose is 4 units on a 1 ml insulin syringe.
  • Many people reconstitute a CJC + ipamorelin blend together in one vial for convenience.

How it should arrive

White powder or puck in a sealed, vacuum-sealed vial.

How it should look once reconstituted

Clear colourless solution after gentle swirling.

What to expect, and when

  • Sleep quality improvements: often within the first week.
  • Recovery and skin/hair improvements: 4–8 weeks.
  • Body composition changes (slow fat loss, slight muscle retention): 8–12 weeks.

Side effects

  • Head rush / flushing for a few minutes after injection.
  • Tingling in hands and feet.
  • Vivid dreams (often welcomed).
  • Water retention, especially with DAC version.
  • Numbness or carpal-tunnel-style symptoms in the hands at higher doses or longer use.

Risks

  • Long-term elevated GH/IGF-1 has theoretical cancer-promotion risk. Pulsatile use (matching natural release pattern) is thought to be safer than continuous, which is part of the appeal vs exogenous HGH.
  • Can worsen insulin sensitivity if dosed too aggressively.
  • Banned by WADA.

Potential gains

  • Better sleep, particularly deep sleep.
  • Improved recovery from training.
  • Skin and hair quality improvements over months.
  • Modest body recomposition.
  • Less aggressive than direct HGH; lower joint/water-retention burden.

Other useful information

Almost never used alone in community protocols — paired with ipamorelin (or another GHRP) for the synergistic GH pulse.

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