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№ 057

VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)

Endogenous 28-amino-acid neuropeptide. Modulates immune function and inflammation. Used in CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) protocols and biotoxin exposure recovery, popularized by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker.

Immune
Evidence: Moderate

VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide): Endogenous 28-amino-acid neuropeptide. Modulates immune function and inflammation. Used in CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) protocols and biotoxin exposure recovery, popularized by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide your body already makes.

FDA ⓘ
Not approved
WADA
Not banned
Typical dose
Shoemaker CIRS protocol: 50 mcg per nostril
Half-life ⓘ
~2 minutes (rapid clearance)
Route ⓘ
Intranasal (most common in clinical use)
Schedule
4x daily intranasal
In plain English

VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide your body already makes. Modulates inflammation and immune function. The well-known use is in Dr. Shoemaker's CIRS protocol for mold/biotoxin illness recovery, used intranasally, multi-month courses, only after upstream prep work.

Status & legalityWhat do these mean? →
Natty? ⓘ
Grey area

Endogenous neuropeptide used clinically in CIRS protocols. Federations don't typically address it.

FDA ⓘ
Not approved

Not FDA approved as a drug. Used in compounded form in CIRS clinical protocols (Shoemaker).

Compounding ⓘ
Not classified

Not formally categorized in the FDA bulks lists.

WADA ⓘ
Not listed
Prescribed ⓘ

Yes by some functional-medicine and CIRS-literate providers, via compounding pharmacies.

Who it's for

  • →Users with CIRS or mold-illness contexts under medical guidance
  • →Chronic inflammatory conditions
  • →Post-biotoxin-exposure recovery (well-defined Shoemaker protocol)

What to expect

  1. Week 1

    Some users notice neurological symptom shift early.

  2. Week 4

    Cumulative inflammation markers decline in CIRS context.

  3. Week 8

    Long courses are the norm in CIRS, months to years.

Looking at VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)? Your next 3 steps

  1. 1Work out your exact dose

    Vial size + BAC water turns into the exact units to draw for VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide).

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  2. 2See what to stack & monitor

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

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  3. 3Save it & ask the Coach

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How it works (mechanism)

Endogenous 28-amino-acid neuropeptide. Binds VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors expressed on immune cells, modulating both Th1/Th2 balance and inflammation. Used clinically (off-label US, on-label some EU contexts) for chronic inflammatory conditions.

Dosing protocol

Members only

Stacks well with

Members only

Side effects

01Mild flushing
02Injection-site reaction (if sub-q)
03Rare: hypotension at high doses

When NOT to use

  • ⚠Hypotension or unstable cardiovascular status
  • ⚠Pregnancy / nursing
  • ⚠CIRS protocol specifically requires baseline biotoxin clearance first

Bloodwork to monitor

  • • MMP-9, C4a, TGF-β1 in CIRS context (Shoemaker panel)

Common mistakes

  • • Running VIP for CIRS without doing the upstream Shoemaker prep first
  • • Stopping too early (CIRS courses run months)
  • • Treating it as a general anti-inflammatory rather than a specific protocol piece

Drug & supplement interactions

  • ⚠Vasodilators: additive hypotensive effect
  • ⚠Shoemaker CIRS protocol: requires upstream binders and biofilm clearance first, VIP is the last step, not the first
Free, no account needed

New to VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)? Grab the starter checklist.

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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.

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Frequently asked

What is VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide your body already makes. Modulates inflammation and immune function. The well-known use is in Dr. Shoemaker's CIRS protocol for mold/biotoxin illness recovery, used intranasally, multi-month courses, only after upstream prep work.
Is VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) FDA approved?+
Not FDA approved as a drug. Used in compounded form in CIRS clinical protocols (Shoemaker).
Is VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) legal?+
VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) 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 VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) banned by WADA?+
VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) is not currently on the WADA prohibited list.
Are you still natty after taking VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
Grey area. Endogenous neuropeptide used clinically in CIRS protocols. Federations don't typically address it.
Do doctors prescribe VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
Yes by some functional-medicine and CIRS-literate providers, via compounding pharmacies.
What's the typical dose of VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
Shoemaker CIRS protocol: 50 mcg per nostril, 4x daily, intranasal. Different uses have different dose patterns.
What are the side effects of VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
Common side effects include: Mild flushing; Injection-site reaction (if sub-q); Rare: hypotension at high doses. Less common effects and full safety details are on the entry page.
How long until VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) starts working?+
Some users notice neurological symptom shift early.
What can you stack with VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
Common pairings: CIRS protocol involves multi-step preparation (binders, treating biofilm) before VIP, see Shoemaker's published sequence. Full stacking protocol and timing on the entry page.
Where do people get VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)?+
VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) 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.

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