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№ 031

GHRP-2 / GHRP-6

Older growth-hormone boosters and the predecessors to Ipamorelin. These GH secretagogues split two ways: GHRP-2 is the cleaner, GHRP-6 brings stronger appetite stimulation.

GH-axis
Evidence: Limited

GHRP-2 / GHRP-6: Older growth-hormone boosters and the predecessors to Ipamorelin. These GH secretagogues split two ways: GHRP-2 is the cleaner, GHRP-6 brings stronger appetite stimulation. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are older GH-axis peptides, the predecessors to Ipamorelin.

FDA ⓘ
Not approved
WADA
Banned
Typical dose
100-300 mcg sub-q
Half-life ⓘ
~15-30 minutes
Route ⓘ
Subcutaneous
Schedule
1-3x daily
In plain English

GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are older GH-axis peptides, the predecessors to Ipamorelin. They tell your body to release more growth hormone, but with rougher side effects (cortisol bumps for GHRP-2, big appetite spikes for GHRP-6). Most people now run Ipamorelin instead, but these are cheap and well-studied.

Status & legalityWhat do these mean? →
Natty? ⓘ
Not natty
FDA ⓘ
Not approved

Not FDA approved.

Compounding ⓘ
Category 2

FDA flagged as significant safety risk; restricted from compounding pharmacies.

WADA ⓘ
Banned (S2)
Prescribed ⓘ

Not prescribed in conventional medicine.

Who it's for

  • →Users wanting older, well-characterized GH secretagogues
  • →GHRP-6 specifically: people in a bulk who want appetite stimulation
  • →GHRP-2: cleaner profile users who tolerate cortisol bumps

What to expect

  1. Week 1

    GH pulse and (with GHRP-6) appetite kick within hours of first dose.

  2. Week 4

    Cumulative recovery and sleep improvements. Bulkers see appetite-driven gains.

  3. Week 8

    IGF-1 measurably higher. Receptor desensitization starting, cycle off soon.

Looking at GHRP-2 / GHRP-6? Your next 3 steps

  1. 1Work out your exact dose

    Vial size + BAC water turns into the exact units to draw for GHRP-2 / GHRP-6.

    Open calculator →
  2. 2See what to stack & monitor

    The companion supplements and the bloodwork worth tracking on this kind of protocol.

    Bloodwork guide →
  3. 3Save it & ask the Coach

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How it works (mechanism)

Hexapeptide GH secretagogues that activate the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). GHRP-2 has cleaner signaling than GHRP-6 but less appetite stimulation; GHRP-6 retains stronger ghrelin-mimetic effects on hunger.

Dosing protocol

Members only

Stacks well with

Members only

Side effects

01GHRP-6: aggressive hunger 30-60 min post-dose
02GHRP-2: cortisol and prolactin bumps
03Head-rush at injection
04Receptor desensitization with chronic use

When NOT to use

  • ⚠Active malignancy
  • ⚠Pregnancy / nursing

Bloodwork to monitor

  • • IGF-1 baseline + week 8
  • • Prolactin if running >8 weeks (GHRP-2)

Common mistakes

  • • Treating them as Ipamorelin equivalents, they have meaningful side effect differences
  • • Eating within 30 min of injection (kills the GH pulse)
  • • Skipping cycle breaks

Community patterns

Members only
Free, no account needed

New to GHRP-2 / GHRP-6? Grab the starter checklist.

Drop your email and we'll send the one-page first-cycle starter checklist, plus a heads-up if GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 changes legal status. No account needed.

No spam. No selling your email. Just the checklist and the occasional reclassification alert.

AI Coach, live sample
Members only
is 250mcg of bpc enough for a knee injury?
For a knee, 250 mcg sub-q daily is the standard working dose and a solid place to start. The trick with BPC is consistency, give it weeks, not days. Inject close to the joint, run it 4-6 weeks, and don't drop below 200 mcg, it tends to stop cracking the threshold reliably down there. If it hasn't moved at all by week 3, that's when adding TB-500 earns its place.
how much bac water for a 10mg reta vial?
3 mL is the standard play for a 10 mg reta vial. That's 3,333 mcg/mL, clean unit math across the titration: 2 mg = 60 units, 4 mg = 120 units, 6 mg = 180 units on a 100-unit insulin syringe. Run 2 mL instead if you want fewer, more concentrated shots (5,000 mcg/mL, so 2 mg = 40 units). Since most people titrate up over ~12 weeks, 3 mL keeps the numbers cleanest.
what should i track on bloodwork for tirzepatide?
Lipid panel, ALT/AST (liver enzymes), and an A1C, baseline before you start then every 3 months. If you've got metabolic-syndrome history, add fasting glucose and insulin so you can actually watch insulin sensitivity improve. You don't need a big hormone panel for a GLP-1.

Ask the Coach anything about GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 or your own stack. This is it working.

Trained only on Pepdex content. Does the dose math, flags interactions, knows your stack. Won't push vendors, won't pretend to be a doctor.

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Frequently asked

What is GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are older GH-axis peptides, the predecessors to Ipamorelin. They tell your body to release more growth hormone, but with rougher side effects (cortisol bumps for GHRP-2, big appetite spikes for GHRP-6). Most people now run Ipamorelin instead, but these are cheap and well-studied.
Is GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 FDA approved?+
Not FDA approved.
Is GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 legal?+
GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 is not FDA-approved. It is sold by compounding pharmacies (with a prescription) and as "research only" by peptide vendors. Possession is generally not criminalized but distribution without authorization may be. Verify local laws.
Is GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 banned by WADA?+
GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 is on the WADA prohibited list under Banned (S2).
Are you still natty after taking GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
No. GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 is a performance-enhancing peptide and would disqualify a strict natty claim.
Do doctors prescribe GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
Not prescribed in conventional medicine.
What's the typical dose of GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
100-300 mcg sub-q, 1-3x daily. Pre-bed and post-workout are the priority pulses.
What are the side effects of GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
Common side effects include: GHRP-6: aggressive hunger 30-60 min post-dose; GHRP-2: cortisol and prolactin bumps; Head-rush at injection; Receptor desensitization with chronic use. Less common effects and full safety details are on the entry page.
How long until GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 starts working?+
GH pulse and (with GHRP-6) appetite kick within hours of first dose.
What can you stack with GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
Common pairings: CJC-1295 (no DAC), most users prefer Ipamorelin + CJC over GHRP-2/6 + CJC now; Standalone for budget GH-axis. Full stacking protocol and timing on the entry page.
Where do people get GHRP-2 / GHRP-6?+
GHRP-2 / GHRP-6 is most commonly sold by research-only peptide vendors and by compounding pharmacies (the latter requires a prescription). Pepdex is not a vendor, see /coa for how to verify a Certificate of Analysis before buying from any source, and /guides/scam-vendor-spotting for vendor red flags.

More in GH-axis

№ 021
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№ 011
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Oral ghrelin mimetic. Bumps GH and IGF-1 without injections. Strong appetite stimulation is the trade-off.

№ 006
Ipamorelin

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№ 007
CJC-1295 (no DAC)

Pairs with Ipamorelin to amplify your natural growth-hormone pulses. A GHRH analog whose 'no-DAC' version stays short-acting on purpose.