01 How it works
The two work on different switches. CJC-1295 (no DAC) mimics GHRH, telling the pituitary to release GH. Ipamorelin acts on the ghrelin receptor to trigger a GH pulse, and is known for being selective — little effect on cortisol or prolactin. Together the pulse is bigger than either alone.
02 Common uses
03 Run profile
An unusually gradual ramp: a small step up every week for about two months, then held. Taken daily in the evening on an empty stomach, in twelve-week blocks.
The profile shows the shape. Ask for the numbers for your vial, your goal and your timeline.
04 Pairs well with
05 What to watch for
Flushing, mild water retention, tingling or numbness in the hands, and a rise in hunger are the usual reports. Not for anyone with active cancer. Dosing on an empty stomach matters — food blunts the GH pulse.
06 Evidence & status
Not approvedHuman data on raising GH levels exists for CJC-1295 with DAC; the no-DAC form used here and ipamorelin have little published human data. Outcome data for the combination (muscle, fat, sleep) is anecdotal.
Not FDA-approved.
Sources
- Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adultsThe Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006 · Clinical trial
- Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analogThe Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006 · Clinical trial
- Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogueEuropean Journal of Endocrinology, 1998 · Reference
- 503A Categories Update for September 2023Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (summary of the FDA 29 Sept 2023 category update), 2023 · Regulator document
- FDA Announces Removal of 12 Peptides from Category 2 and Schedules PCAC MeetingsOrrick (law firm client alert), 2026 · Regulator document
- The Prohibited ListWorld Anti-Doping Agency, 2026 · Regulator document
Status and sources last checked November 3, 2026. Something out of date? Tell us.
07 How long until it works
The human data on this page are about hormone levels, not results. In the 2006 trials, CJC-1295 with DAC raised growth hormone two- to ten-fold for about a week after a single injection and IGF-1 for about ten days, while keeping the natural pulsing pattern. The form on this page, CJC-1295 without DAC, is cleared within hours and has not been studied in people in the same way; ipamorelin’s selectivity (a GH pulse with little effect on cortisol or prolactin) comes from animal work.
What people describe is sleep and recovery changing within the first two to four weeks and body composition over the full twelve-week block. No trial has measured either for this combination, which is why the run profile is written as common use.
08 CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin vs tesamorelin
Both raise the body’s own growth hormone rather than replacing it. Tesamorelin is an approved medicine with placebo-controlled trials and a measured effect on visceral fat; this combination is a research pairing with hormone-level data for one component and animal data for the other. Where the two differ in practice is purpose: tesamorelin is taken for visceral fat, the combination for the broader recovery, sleep and composition benefits people associate with GH, none of which has trial evidence for either.
The combination is also the gentler entry point: smaller doses, a slow ramp, and side effects (flushing, water retention, tingling, hunger) that are the ones expected from a GH pulse. Both are banned in tested sport.
The tesamorelin dossier →09 Stacking
It is already a stack, and that is the main pairing people run. BPC-157 is sometimes added during heavy training for joints and tendons. Nothing has tested the three together. The one rule that matters is timing rather than combination: the GH pulse is blunted by food, so the evening dose goes on an empty stomach, apart from anything else.
10 Where it stands legally
Neither CJC-1295 nor ipamorelin is approved anywhere. In September 2023 the FDA placed both in Category 2 of its compounding categories, the group it flags for significant safety concerns, which is why compounding pharmacies stopped supplying them. Neither was among the seven peptides the FDA’s advisory committee reviewed in July 2026, and neither is covered by the October 2026 HHS enforcement-discretion policy, so there is no US compounding route for them at present.
In sport both are named on WADA’s Prohibited List under S2: CJC-1295 among the growth-hormone-releasing factors, ipamorelin among the growth-hormone secretagogues. Banned at all times.
11 FAQ
What does “no DAC” mean?
It is the short-acting version of CJC-1295, which gives natural pulses rather than a constant GH level.
Why an empty stomach?
Food — especially carbs and fat — blunts the GH response.
Will it build muscle on its own?
It supports recovery and composition; training and diet still do the heavy lifting.
Does CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin build muscle?
Not on its own. It raises GH pulses, and the only human data are hormone levels for CJC-1295 with DAC. Any change in muscle still comes from training, food and sleep; the peptide is at most a nudge, and that nudge has not been measured in a trial.
Why is it taken at night?
Natural GH release peaks in the first hours of sleep, and the pulse is blunted by food, so an evening dose on an empty stomach is where common use has settled. That is reasoning from physiology, not a trial result.
Is CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin banned in sport?
Yes, both components are named on WADA’s list under S2, prohibited at all times.
Can I get it compounded?
Not in the US at present. The FDA put both in its Category 2 in 2023, and neither is covered by the October 2026 HHS policy.
Educational information only — not medical advice. The Daily Stack does not sell or supply any products. Talk to a licensed healthcare professional about your own health decisions.