HGH vs. CJC/IPA vs. Tesamorelin
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I’m looking for some guidance on where to go next with HGH versus CJC/IPA or tesamorelin.
I’m 34 years old, 166lbs, and around 14% body fat. I started at 185lbs about three months ago when I began using peptides. I’m currently taking a low dose of Reta and have run several protocols, including a Mito stack (SS-31, MOTS-c, and NAD+), 12 weeks of KLOW, and approximately 14 weeks of CJC/IPA at 200/200 mcg nightly, fasted before bed.
During the CJC/IPA cycle, my IGF-1 increased from 182 to 218 ng/mL, and my Z-score increased from 0.5 to 0.9.
I’m currently taking a break from CJC/IPA and debating among three options:
- Run tesamorelin alone for at least four weeks.
- Try HGH during the break from secretagogues.
- Start back with CJC/IPA long term after completing my break.
HGH is appealing, and I’m curious whether it would provide noticeably better recovery, sleep, body-composition, or muscle preservation benefits than the secretagogues. If I tried it, I would likely use only 1–2 IU daily, either fasted in the morning or before bed.
For those who have tried both HGH and secretagogues, did HGH provide enough additional benefit to justify the added risks and monitoring? How quickly did your IGF-1 return to baseline after stopping? Would you recommend trying HGH, using tesamorelin alone, or simply returning to CJC/IPA?
Any experiences, recommendations, or things I should consider would be greatly appreciated.
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
@Stan-Douglas You really need to get over your reticence, stop being such a wallflower and say what you think
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@Stan-Douglas You really need to get over your reticence, stop being such a wallflower and say what you think
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
This post is deleted! -
@alexmustard Now Im super confused. Are you the original poster?
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
@Stan-Douglas Lol, I don’t want to “get huge”, I actually like being lean and cut. I’d rather stay shredded and preserve muscle than add a bunch of size. I’m talking about a very low, therapeutic dose, like 1–2 IU max daily. I know people who use doses like that for improved sleep, skin/hair, recovery, metabolism, body recomp, etc. Not to “get huge” or pack on soma dem GAINZZZ
But I appreciate the feedback, sounds like your vote is not for HGH and I actually agree with you and should prob just stick with tesa or CJC/IPA.
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This post is deleted!
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@Stan-Douglas Lol, I don’t want to “get huge”, I actually like being lean and cut. I’d rather stay shredded and preserve muscle than add a bunch of size. I’m talking about a very low, therapeutic dose, like 1–2 IU max daily. I know people who use doses like that for improved sleep, skin/hair, recovery, metabolism, body recomp, etc. Not to “get huge” or pack on soma dem GAINZZZ
But I appreciate the feedback, sounds like your vote is not for HGH and I actually agree with you and should prob just stick with tesa or CJC/IPA.
@blueskies27 How is your metabolism at 34? Honest question; a lot of what you’re doing imo is geared to old bastards like me trying to regain what we had in our 20’s and 30’s. It sounds like you’re working hard and your system should be pretty solid without a lot of the stacks you’re running, so if anything, lower maintenance dosing would be appropriate.
Have you run labs to see where your IGF is and whether you even need HGH/GHRH? I think that is where Stan is coming from.
My standard disclaimer: I focus on longevity and peptides for old people (50+), so I am not as familiar with the use cases for younger, relatively fit people trying to squeeze the last 2% out of their system.
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.
I think the maximum amount of time you can run igf-1 lr3 is 6 to 8 weeks before receptors become down regulated and stop responding, so keep that in mind.
That's the issue you run into anytime you start mucking with the half lives of drugs and stretch them out. Only so long before diminishing returns spills into no returns.
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From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.
I think the maximum amount of time you can run igf-1 lr3 is 6 to 8 weeks before receptors become down regulated and stop responding, so keep that in mind.
That's the issue you run into anytime you start mucking with the half lives of drugs and stretch them out. Only so long before diminishing returns spills into no returns.
maximum amount of time you can run igf-1 lr3 is 6 to 8
My app says 4-6 weeks and check glucose on the regular.
I have 20 vials waiting to go once I finish the second half of my Tesa+ cycle here
Not doubting you, just curious where you sourced?
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@blueskies27 How is your metabolism at 34? Honest question; a lot of what you’re doing imo is geared to old bastards like me trying to regain what we had in our 20’s and 30’s. It sounds like you’re working hard and your system should be pretty solid without a lot of the stacks you’re running, so if anything, lower maintenance dosing would be appropriate.
Have you run labs to see where your IGF is and whether you even need HGH/GHRH? I think that is where Stan is coming from.
My standard disclaimer: I focus on longevity and peptides for old people (50+), so I am not as familiar with the use cases for younger, relatively fit people trying to squeeze the last 2% out of their system.
@ResearchCat Metabolism was trash before I started peptides and reignited that flame, but it seems to be functioning fine now, or maybe it’s just all the peps lol.
Yes, I included my lab work in the original post, but unfortunately I never got a true baseline IGF-1 test. My first test was a couple of weeks into my CJC/IPA cycle, and the second was at the every end of the 16-week protocol. During that time, my IGF-1 increased from 182 to 218 ng/mL, and my Z-score went from 0.5 to 0.9.
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I’m looking for some guidance on where to go next with HGH versus CJC/IPA or tesamorelin.
I’m 34 years old, 166lbs, and around 14% body fat. I started at 185lbs about three months ago when I began using peptides. I’m currently taking a low dose of Reta and have run several protocols, including a Mito stack (SS-31, MOTS-c, and NAD+), 12 weeks of KLOW, and approximately 14 weeks of CJC/IPA at 200/200 mcg nightly, fasted before bed.
During the CJC/IPA cycle, my IGF-1 increased from 182 to 218 ng/mL, and my Z-score increased from 0.5 to 0.9.
I’m currently taking a break from CJC/IPA and debating among three options:
- Run tesamorelin alone for at least four weeks.
- Try HGH during the break from secretagogues.
- Start back with CJC/IPA long term after completing my break.
HGH is appealing, and I’m curious whether it would provide noticeably better recovery, sleep, body-composition, or muscle preservation benefits than the secretagogues. If I tried it, I would likely use only 1–2 IU daily, either fasted in the morning or before bed.
For those who have tried both HGH and secretagogues, did HGH provide enough additional benefit to justify the added risks and monitoring? How quickly did your IGF-1 return to baseline after stopping? Would you recommend trying HGH, using tesamorelin alone, or simply returning to CJC/IPA?
Any experiences, recommendations, or things I should consider would be greatly appreciated.
@blueskies27
I have tried all the Ipa, Tesa, CJ type things and they kind of work, but I was mainly after good recovery, and they didn't seem to help in that regard as much as I had hoped for.
The HGH works great for that. I do 1.5 mg at night before bed and my sleep and recovery has improved a ton. My goal isn't to get huge either. want to build a little muscle and be able to do my cardio workouts. The HGH is the only thing that really worked for me. I think the other stuff seems to work for a lot of people, but probably depends on age and goals etc. I am 68 and that may be a factor, younger people may have more success with the other stuff, but HGH seems easy and cleaner to me. -
I tried CJC-1295, Ipamorelin and Tesamorelin. CJC at the dose 0.3mg seems to hit me so hard I am stressed a lot and can't sleep well or even fair. It seems to work but I feel like I am being hit with a sledge hammer. IPA at 0.2mg seems to be tolerated without side effects at all, it's hard to tell if it works. Tesa at 1mg is a lot milder than CJC, I can sleep, but it does cause water retention and joint pain. I will need to try Tesa at 2mg to see if it's going to be like CJC at that dose.
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Dude, cut the shit you want to get huge, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering the next thing close to roids.
And there is NOTHING wrong with that but be honest with yourself. You want to pack on some of dem muskles, you wanna make soma dem GAIIIINZ? No pep is going to compare to a cycle HGH.
From what I understand the next best thing is IGF-1 without the potential side effects.You want to continue to slim down while keeping the muscles you have? Continue Tesa and your Reta.
YOU know what you want, quit acting like you don't and PURSUE IT!
-
I tried CJC-1295, Ipamorelin and Tesamorelin. CJC at the dose 0.3mg seems to hit me so hard I am stressed a lot and can't sleep well or even fair. It seems to work but I feel like I am being hit with a sledge hammer. IPA at 0.2mg seems to be tolerated without side effects at all, it's hard to tell if it works. Tesa at 1mg is a lot milder than CJC, I can sleep, but it does cause water retention and joint pain. I will need to try Tesa at 2mg to see if it's going to be like CJC at that dose.
@vpep Yea I was dosing CJC/IPA at 150/150 mcg nightly and getting good results. I bumped it up to 200/200 mcg but started noticing some joint soreness, so I backed it down.
I’m currently 2.5 weeks off CJC/IPA to give myself a break from the IPA, but I ran tesa during the past two weeks and let me tell you, the water retention and bloating were real. I started at 0.5mg for a couple of days, then moved up to 1mg. For the last couple of days, I tried 1.5 mg and started getting the joint soreness in my wrists and other areas again.
I finished two vials of tesa, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to it. After another couple of weeks off, I’ll probably hop back on CJC/IPA. It’s cheaper, I slept better on it, probably because of the IPA, and I had good results once I found the right dose.
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If you’re looking at a healthy longevity thing hgh at this point isn’t really going to add much, especially at 1-2 IUs. You had a good baseline which improved with the peptides.
Hgh will replace your own stuff and shut down. So gotta keep taking it. There are some risks going higher 200s +2 beyond in the z score. I hear of hand wrist pains and bloat. If you decide to get off it you’ll be shut down and miserable until it recovers and maybe it doesn’t go back to the original baseline.
As the others said it’s cool to have different goals, but know what you’re getting into. One 100iu kit won’t cut it, you need a minimum amount of 4 months doses at the highest anticipated dose to see what happens.
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@vpep Yea I was dosing CJC/IPA at 150/150 mcg nightly and getting good results. I bumped it up to 200/200 mcg but started noticing some joint soreness, so I backed it down.
I’m currently 2.5 weeks off CJC/IPA to give myself a break from the IPA, but I ran tesa during the past two weeks and let me tell you, the water retention and bloating were real. I started at 0.5mg for a couple of days, then moved up to 1mg. For the last couple of days, I tried 1.5 mg and started getting the joint soreness in my wrists and other areas again.
I finished two vials of tesa, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to it. After another couple of weeks off, I’ll probably hop back on CJC/IPA. It’s cheaper, I slept better on it, probably because of the IPA, and I had good results once I found the right dose.
I think that answers your question of how you will feel on HGH. 1-3 iu. Cause you’re already pushing a great range of IGF. Just more joint problems and bloat.
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If you’re looking at a healthy longevity thing hgh at this point isn’t really going to add much, especially at 1-2 IUs. You had a good baseline which improved with the peptides.
Hgh will replace your own stuff and shut down. So gotta keep taking it. There are some risks going higher 200s +2 beyond in the z score. I hear of hand wrist pains and bloat. If you decide to get off it you’ll be shut down and miserable until it recovers and maybe it doesn’t go back to the original baseline.
As the others said it’s cool to have different goals, but know what you’re getting into. One 100iu kit won’t cut it, you need a minimum amount of 4 months doses at the highest anticipated dose to see what happens.
@ursus everything i hear and read suggests that hgh doesn't shut you down long term like with test but that it's robust and comes back online within 24-36 hours of ceasing exogenous growth. Now that withstanding i agree that if you're getting your goal range igf-1 without it, it's probably better. Though some people get the water retention sides worse from the ghrh's relative to beneficial results. It seems like it's person to person with sides
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If you’re looking at a healthy longevity thing hgh at this point isn’t really going to add much, especially at 1-2 IUs. You had a good baseline which improved with the peptides.
Hgh will replace your own stuff and shut down. So gotta keep taking it. There are some risks going higher 200s +2 beyond in the z score. I hear of hand wrist pains and bloat. If you decide to get off it you’ll be shut down and miserable until it recovers and maybe it doesn’t go back to the original baseline.
As the others said it’s cool to have different goals, but know what you’re getting into. One 100iu kit won’t cut it, you need a minimum amount of 4 months doses at the highest anticipated dose to see what happens.
Hgh will replace your own stuff and shut down. So gotta keep taking it....If you decide to get off it you’ll be shut down and miserable until it recovers and maybe it doesn’t go back to the original baseline.
This isn't like axing your HPG axis by taking Test. If you had a healthy pituitary before, 'coming off' will usually be smooth and your natural endogenous amounts will kick back in quickly from what I'm reading and hearing.
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