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Comparison

HGH (Somatropin) vs Tesamorelin

HGH vs Tesamorelin: synthetic growth hormone vs GHRH analog that stimulates your own production. Legal and risk differences.

The verdict

HGH is the hormone itself, injected directly, the strongest GH lever and the highest legal-risk compound in this catalog. Tesamorelin is a GHRH analog that prompts your own pituitary to release more GH, and it's FDA-approved with real data behind visceral-fat reduction. For most goals, especially trimming visceral fat, Tesamorelin gives a meaningful effect with far cleaner regulatory standing and a self-limiting mechanism. HGH only belongs under genuine medical supervision; the legal and safety profile alone steers most people to the secretagogue path.

021
HGH (Somatropin)
GH-axisEvidence: Strong

HGH is the actual growth hormone protein your pituitary releases, not a peptide that nudges your body to release more. Prescription only in legitimate medicine. Carries the highest legal risk of anything in this space if used non-medically. Most users in this catalog run GH-axis *peptides* (Ipamorelin, CJC, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin) instead, which signal your own body to produce more GH naturally and carry far less regulatory exposure.

Onset
65
Documentation
75
Side intensity
100
Popularity
88
013
Tesamorelin
GH-axisEvidence: Strong

Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved GH-axis peptide that specifically targets visceral fat, the deep belly fat around organs. Daily injection. Slow burn, but the visceral fat reduction is well-documented.

Onset
65
Documentation
75
Side intensity
82
Popularity
55
Side-by-side
Field
Left
Right
Category
GH-axis
GH-axis
Half-life
~3-5 hours injected
~30 minutes
Route
Subcutaneous
Subcutaneous
Schedule
Daily
Once daily
Cycle length
Long-term in medical use
12-26 weeks typical
Dose
Medical: 1-3 IU daily. Performance use is illegal under federal law in the US (Anabolic Steroid Control Act).
1-2 mg sub-q daily. Taken at the same time each day, ideally before bed.
FDA
Approved under multiple brand names (Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Saizen, Omnitrope) for GH deficiency, AIDS wasting, Turner syndrome, short stature in children, idiopathic short stature, SHOX deficiency, and others.
Approved as Egrifta, 2010, for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
WADA
Banned (S2)
Banned (S2)
Natty?
Not natty
Not natty
Prescribed
Yes, by endocrinologists for the approved indications. Performance use is illegal under the U.S. Anabolic Steroid Control Act.
Yes for HIV indication. Off-label use outside that scope is common but not on-label.
Top side effects
Water retention / edema; Carpal tunnel symptoms; Insulin resistance / elevated fasting glucose
Injection-site reaction; Fluid retention; Joint stiffness

Which one should you pick?

Pick HGH (Somatropin) if people who already have a legitimate medical prescription (gh deficiency, aids wasting, short stature) or educational reference, most users in this space run gh-axis peptides instead.

Pick Tesamorelin if users targeting visceral (deep abdominal) fat specifically or older adults wanting gh-axis support without hgh.

Note: these two are commonly stacked together rather than chosen between. See the entries for the canonical protocol.

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