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№ 021

HGH (Somatropin)

Recombinant human growth hormone, the protein itself, not a peptide that nudges your body to make more. Highest legal-risk compound in this catalog.

GH-axis
Evidence: Strong

HGH (Somatropin): Recombinant human growth hormone, the protein itself, not a peptide that nudges your body to make more. Highest legal-risk compound in this catalog. HGH is the actual growth hormone protein your pituitary releases, not a peptide that nudges your body to release more.

FDA ⓘ
Approved
WADA
Banned
Typical dose
Medical: 1-3 IU daily
Half-life ⓘ
~3-5 hours injected
Route ⓘ
Subcutaneous
Schedule
Daily
In plain English

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.

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

Recombinant HGH is the canonical 'not natty' compound. No federation accepts it.

FDA ⓘ
Approved

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.

Compounding ⓘ
Approved drug

Available as an FDA-approved drug, not a compounded peptide.

WADA ⓘ
Banned (S2)
Prescribed ⓘ

Yes, by endocrinologists for the approved indications. Performance use is illegal under the U.S. Anabolic Steroid Control Act.

Important boundary

Pepdex covers HGH for educational reference only. Recombinant HGH is regulated under the U.S. Anabolic Steroid Control Act for non-medical use. Most users in this space run the GH-axis peptides instead (Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin) which are well-documented in this catalog with cleaner regulatory status.

Who it's for

  • →People who already have a legitimate medical prescription (GH deficiency, AIDS wasting, short stature)
  • →Educational reference, most users in this space run GH-axis peptides instead

What to expect

  1. Week 1

    Water retention, mild joint stiffness, sleep changes.

  2. Week 4

    IGF-1 climbs noticeably. Skin and recovery improvements appear.

  3. Week 8

    Body comp shifts in users training with adequate protein.

Looking at HGH (Somatropin)? Your next 3 steps

  1. 1Work out your exact dose

    Vial size + BAC water turns into the exact units to draw for HGH (Somatropin).

    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)

Recombinant human growth hormone (somatropin), the actual 191-amino-acid protein your pituitary makes. Binds GH receptors on the liver to trigger IGF-1 production, and directly on muscle, fat, and bone for tissue effects.

Dosing protocol

Members only

Stacks well with

Members only

Side effects

01Water retention / edema
02Carpal tunnel symptoms
03Insulin resistance / elevated fasting glucose
04Joint stiffness
05Acromegalic features at chronic high dose

When NOT to use

  • ⚠Active malignancy
  • ⚠Active diabetic retinopathy
  • ⚠Acute critical illness (post open-heart or abdominal surgery, multiple trauma, or acute respiratory failure, raised mortality in ICU trials)
  • ⚠Pregnancy / nursing
  • ⚠No legitimate medical indication

Bloodwork to monitor

  • • IGF-1
  • • Fasting glucose / A1C
  • • TSH / fT4
  • • ALT/AST

Common mistakes

  • • Treating it like a peptide with low oversight, it isn't
  • • Underestimating the legal/regulatory risk
  • • Stacking with other things that raise insulin resistance

Drug & supplement interactions

  • ⚠Glucocorticoids reduce HGH efficacy
  • ⚠Insulin requirements may shift, closer monitoring needed in diabetics
  • ⚠Estrogen (oral) reduces HGH effect on IGF-1
  • ⚠Thyroid hormone requirements may increase

Community patterns

Members only
Free, no account needed

New to HGH (Somatropin)? Grab the starter checklist.

Drop your email and we'll send the one-page first-cycle starter checklist, plus a heads-up if HGH (Somatropin) 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 HGH (Somatropin) 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 HGH (Somatropin)?+
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.
Is HGH (Somatropin) FDA approved?+
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.
Is HGH (Somatropin) legal?+
HGH (Somatropin) 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 HGH (Somatropin) banned by WADA?+
HGH (Somatropin) is on the WADA prohibited list under Banned (S2).
Are you still natty after taking HGH (Somatropin)?+
No. Recombinant HGH is the canonical 'not natty' compound. No federation accepts it.
Do doctors prescribe HGH (Somatropin)?+
Yes, by endocrinologists for the approved indications. Performance use is illegal under the U.S. Anabolic Steroid Control Act.
What's the typical dose of HGH (Somatropin)?+
Medical: 1-3 IU daily. Performance use is illegal under federal law in the US (Anabolic Steroid Control Act).
What are the side effects of HGH (Somatropin)?+
Common side effects include: Water retention / edema; Carpal tunnel symptoms; Insulin resistance / elevated fasting glucose; Joint stiffness. Less common effects and full safety details are on the entry page.
How long until HGH (Somatropin) starts working?+
Water retention, mild joint stiffness, sleep changes.
What can you stack with HGH (Somatropin)?+
Common pairings: Not promoted here. See Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin for legal GH-axis alternatives.. Full stacking protocol and timing on the entry page.
Where do people get HGH (Somatropin)?+
HGH (Somatropin) 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.
HGH (Somatropin) vs Sermorelin, which is better?+
HGH vs Sermorelin: replacing GH directly versus stimulating natural production. Legal and risk differences. Full head-to-head comparison: https://pepdex.co/compare/hgh-vs-sermorelin
HGH (Somatropin) vs MK-677 (Ibutamoren), which is better?+
HGH vs MK-677: actual growth hormone vs an oral secretagogue. Legal, mechanism, and risk differences. Full head-to-head comparison: https://pepdex.co/compare/hgh-vs-mk-677
HGH (Somatropin) vs Tesamorelin, which is better?+
HGH vs Tesamorelin: synthetic growth hormone vs GHRH analog that stimulates your own production. Legal and risk differences. Full head-to-head comparison: https://pepdex.co/compare/hgh-vs-tesamorelin

Head-to-head with HGH (Somatropin)

Compare
HGH (Somatropin) vs Sermorelin →
Compare
HGH (Somatropin) vs MK-677 (Ibutamoren) →
Compare
HGH (Somatropin) vs Tesamorelin →

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