Overview
Actual growth hormone in a vial.
Sold as Norditropin, Genotropin, and others.
The real thing, no triggering involved.
What It Does
Recombinant human growth hormone, augments GH for body composition, recovery, anti-aging, and metabolic benefits.
Binds GHR activating JAK2/STAT5 for IGF-1 production, protein synthesis, fat lipolysis, and cellular repair.
Reconstitution
| Vial Size | BAC Water / Solvent | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 6 IU (2 mg) | + 0.4 mL | 5 mg/mL |
| 8 IU (2.67 mg) | + 0.53 mL | 5 mg/mL |
| 10 IU (3.33 mg) | + 0.67 mL | 5 mg/mL |
| 12 IU (4 mg) | + 0.8 mL | 5 mg/mL |
| 15 IU (5 mg) | + 1 mL | 5 mg/mL |
| 24 IU (8 mg) | + 1.6 mL | 5 mg/mL |
Reconstitution Calculator
Enter the vial amount and diluent volume to calculate concentration. If you already have a target amount, you can also convert it to liquid volume and syringe markings. This tool does not recommend a target amount.
Enter a target amount you already have and select the syringe capacity.
Mathematical reference only. The calculator does not determine an appropriate target amount. Syringe capacity only changes the maximum volume that fits.
Protocol
| Phase | Frequency | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA adult | Daily | 0.2 mg/day | FDA somatropin label starting dose (non-weight-based), titrated to age/sex-adjusted IGF-1; well below the |
| Anti-aging | Daily pre-bed | 1–2 IU/day | Conservative anti-aging range. Gentle on insulin sensitivity. Good long-term starting point. |
| Body comp | Daily or split | 2–4 IU/day | Most commonly used body-composition dose. Expect water retention weeks 1–4 as tissues rehydrate, normal. 27u |
| Advanced | Split AM+PM | 4–6+ IU/day | Higher performance dose. Insulin resistance and carpal tunnel become relevant, regular blood work important. 40u |
| Off | Equal to | – | Match off-time to on-time (3 mo on = 3 mo off) to preserve GH-receptor sensitivity. on-time |
Ongoing per FDA somatropin labels (Norditropin, Genotropin, Humatrope, Saizen, Omnitrope, Zomacton) for adult/pediatric GHD; off-label anti-aging sometimes cycles 3–6 mo on / off (not FDA-labeled).
Pre-bed nightly (preferred) or fasted AM; no food 60–90 min before / 60 min after. Long-acting weekly somatropins: Skytrofa (lonapegsomatropin), FDA-approved for adult GHD Jul 2025; Ngenla (somatrogon).
Women make ~3× the GH of men yet have similar IGF-1, they’re less responsive, so often need a higher dose to move IGF-1. Oral estrogen blunts IGF-1 further (read it as running low); a skin patch/gel is more predictable. Men: Men convert GH to IGF-1 more efficiently and more often overshoot the age ceiling (a higher malignancy signal), aim mid-normal for age, don’t chase the Women make ~3× the GH of men yet have similar IGF-1, they’re less responsive, so often need a higher dose to move IGF-1. Oral estrogen blunts IGF-1 further (read it as running low); a skin patch/gel is more predictable. Men: Men convert GH to IGF-1 more efficiently and more often overshoot the age ceiling (a higher malignancy signal), aim mid-normal for age, don’t chase the top.
Handling & Stacking
- Freeze-dried: 36–46°F (do NOT freeze).
- Reconstituted: 36–46°F.
- Best used within 28 days.
- No clear reconstituted-potency data (the somatropin label lists only an in-use date, not potency), so defer to the 28-day sterility limit.
- Never freeze reconstituted.
- Sleep and recovery improvement within 2–4 weeks.
- Body-composition changes over 3–6 months.
- Water retention common first 4–6 weeks.
- Joint comfort improves by week 6–8.
- Supply math 10iu → 12 vials | 12iu → 10 | 15iu → 8 | 24iu → 5 vials (4-wk @ 4 iu × 7/wk)
FDA Label vs Community Dosing
| Approach | Dose | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FDA, adult GH deficiency | 0.15–0.3 mg/day (~0.45–0.9 IU), titrated | Restore IGF-1 to mid-normal for age, strictly replacement. |
| Community, recovery / anti-aging | 1–2 IU/day (~0.33–0.67 mg), 5 days/wk | Above replacement; keep IGF-1 upper-normal, not above. |
| Bodybuilding, high-risk | 4–8+ IU/day | Supraphysiologic, insulin resistance, edema, organ growth. Not endorsed. Bottom line: the FDA dose is a titrated replacement to mid-normal IGF-1; community recovery doses run 2–4× that (upper-normal IGF-1); bodybuilding doses run far higher with real metabolic risk. Dose to your IGF-1, not to a fixed number. |
| Contraindications | Active malignancy Acute critical illness (post-surgical, ICU): increased mortality reported in trials Severe / proliferative diabetic retinopathy Pregnancy and lactation | |
| Warnings | Boxed warning: do not use in acutely critically ill patients (post-surgical, ICU) Intracranial hypertension (papilledema, vision changes, headache, nausea, vomiting); surveillance required Insulin resistance and new-onset T2DM; fluid retention, edema, carpal tunnel IGF-1 elevation above age range carries theoretical malignancy risk; pancreatitis (rare) Pediatric: slipped capital femoral epiphysis; scoliosis progression | |
| Drug interactions | Glucocorticoids: blunt GH/IGF-1 response, reassess steroid dose. Insulin/antidiabetics: GH raises insulin needs, adjust. Levothyroxine: GH lowers free T4, recheck TSH/fT4 quarterly. Oral estrogens: blunt GH-stimulated IGF-1 (transdermal doesn't). CYP3A4 narrow-TI substrates (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus): recheck troughs. Anticonvulsants (phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital): monitor levels. | |
| Labs | IGF-1 (baseline + Week 8 + end; target ULN for age), Fasting glucose (Week 0/4/8) + HbA1c quarterly, Liver enzymes AST/ALT (baseline), Lipid panel (Week 0/12), TSH/fT4 quarterly, AM cortisol baseline (GH can mask central adrenal insufficiency), hip/scoliosis exam in pediatrics., Out of range? IGF-1 above your age range = too much growth signal (feeds hidden cancer, enlarges organs) → drop the dose; rising glucose/HbA1c = sugar creeping up. | |
| Stop criteria | Severe headache with vision changes (rule out intracranial hypertension); new-onset hyperglycemia; persistent edema; new-onset hip pain in pediatrics. | |
| Patient education | Vials must be refrigerated, never frozen (somatropin). Strict cold chain; never reuse. Rotate injection sites. Report headaches with nausea/vision changes immediately; report new joint pain. Children: report any limp or hip/knee pain immediately. Pen-device sharing prohibited even with a fresh needle (Norditropin, Genotropin, Humatrope, Saizen, Omnitrope, Zomacton are pen-delivered; cartridge contamination from prior puncture is documented). | |
| References | peptidedosages · DailyMed · PubMed · ClinicalTrials · Drugs.com · Span 2000 · Weissberger 1991 |
