1. Get bloods first
Anything that touches hormones, metabolism, blood sugar or liver function deserves a baseline. Most labs offer a private health check with the relevant markers for under £100. You will spend more than that on the peptide. Spend it on bloods first.
2. Start low
The smallest dose that produces an effect is the right dose. Tolerance and side effects scale with dose, but the marginal benefit usually does not.
3. One variable at a time
Don’t start three peptides at once. You won’t know which one is doing what, and you won’t know which one to blame if something goes wrong. Stack only after you know how each compound feels alone.
4. Sterile technique
- New pin every injection. Insulin pins are pennies. There is no excuse.
- Alcohol swab the vial cap before piercing.
- Alcohol swab the injection site.
- Never reuse a needle. Never share.
- Sharps bin or a sealed thick container. Don’t put loose needles in regular bins.
5. Storage matters
- Lyophilised (powder) vials: fridge, dark, no freezing.
- Once reconstituted: fridge, used within the window for that compound (see the individual peptide page).
- Travelling: small insulin cool pouch. Long term frozen pouches are not necessary unless your peptide specifically requires it.
6. Have an exit plan
Before you start, decide what would make you stop. Severe abdominal pain? Persistent headache? Vision changes? Resting heart rate up by 20bpm? Mood changes you didn’t expect? Decide in advance, write it down, and act on it if it happens.
7. Be honest with medical professionals
If you end up at A&E, in surgery, or seeing a doctor, tell them what you have taken. They cannot help you if they don’t know what is in your bloodstream. Anaesthetists in particular need to know about GLP-1s before they put you under because of stomach emptying.
This is not exhaustive.
Read the page for the specific peptide you’re thinking about. The compound-specific risks are on each individual peptide page.