The short version.
If you read nothing else, read this. The whole guide in a handful of bullets.
- What it is: CJC-1295 is a long-acting synthetic analog of GHRH, the hormone that tells your pituitary to release growth hormone. It nudges your own GH up rather than injecting GH directly.
- What people run it for: lean mass, recovery, better sleep, and skin, very often stacked with Ipamorelin for a stronger growth hormone pulse.
- Typical dose: no-DAC form, about 100 mcg once or twice daily with Ipamorelin; DAC form, about 1 to 2 mg once a week.
- Routes: subcutaneous injection is the standard. It is not a meaningful oral peptide.
- Cycle: commonly run in blocks of 8 to 12 weeks, then a break, rather than continuously.
- Honest caveat: human evidence is short-term and thin. Trials show it raises GH and IGF-1, but muscle and fat-loss outcomes are mostly extrapolated. It is sold for research use only, and this is not medical advice.
Quick reference.
| Typical dose | No DAC: ~100 mcg 1-2x daily. DAC: 1-2 mg weekly |
|---|---|
| Routes | Subcutaneous injection (standard) |
| Frequency | No DAC: daily, with Ipamorelin. DAC: once weekly |
| Cycle length | ~8 to 12 weeks, then a break, in cycles |
| Best for | Lean mass, recovery, sleep, skin, GH support |
What is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is a short peptide, which simply means a small chain of amino acids, the same building blocks that make up the proteins in your body. It is a synthetic, modified copy of GHRH, the natural hormone that signals your pituitary gland to release growth hormone.
The key idea is that CJC-1295 does not give you growth hormone. It is a secretagogue, which means it asks your own pituitary to release more of its own GH, in the natural pulses your body already uses. Because of that, it raises both growth hormone and IGF-1, the downstream hormone most of GH's effects run through.
The version sold by vendors arrives as a freeze-dried white powder in a small sealed vial. It is not a steroid and not synthetic growth hormone. People reach for it because it is studied for one theme above all: gently raising GH to support recovery, lean mass, sleep, and skin, especially as natural GH declines with age.
Worth saying plainly: CJC-1295 is not an approved medicine anywhere. It is sold strictly for research use only, and the human evidence is short-term, with the controlled studies running roughly 28 to 84 days. We get into what that means further down.
How it works in the body.
You do not need a biology degree to follow this. Here is the simple picture, then a little more for the curious.
The core idea is that CJC-1295 works with your body's own growth hormone system rather than replacing it. It does this through a few mechanisms that show up repeatedly in the research.
- GHRH receptor binding. CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH peptide. It binds the same receptor on the pituitary that your natural GHRH uses, and increases the amount of growth hormone released in each pulse.
- Extended half-life (the DAC part). The DAC version carries a chemical group that latches onto albumin in your blood, which protects it from breakdown and stretches its action from minutes to 6 to 8 days. The no-DAC version skips this and clears in under two hours.
- Higher IGF-1. By raising GH, CJC-1295 raises IGF-1, the hormone that carries most of GH's effects on tissue. This is the slow-building part people associate with recovery and body composition.
How to take it: routes of administration.
CJC-1295 is an injectable peptide. It is not a meaningful oral option, so the real choice is just which form you run and how often you dose. Here is the honest comparison.
| Route | Typical dose | Absorption | Best for | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous (no DAC) | ~100 mcg | Short, pulsed | Daily use with Ipamorelin | Matches natural GH pulses |
| Subcutaneous (DAC) | 1-2 mg | Long, 6-8 days | Weekly convenience dosing | Steady, fewer injections |
| Oral | Not practical | Very low | Not recommended | Poorly absorbed |
Subcutaneous, no DAC
The standard modern route. A tiny insulin needle goes into the fat just under the skin. Because it clears in under two hours, it is dosed daily and pairs cleanly with Ipamorelin to mimic the body's natural GH pulses. Most beginners start here.
Subcutaneous, DAC
Same injection, different form. The DAC version binds to albumin and stays active for 6 to 8 days, so it is dosed once a week. Fewer needles, but it produces a steady GH bleed rather than clean pulses, which some people prefer to avoid.
Oral
CJC-1295 is not a practical oral peptide. Like other GHRH analogs, it does not survive digestion well, so capsule versions are not worth chasing. If you want a needle-free GH option, MK-677 is the oral route people use instead. Stick to the injectable form here.
Where to inject.
If you go this route, these are the sites people use. Rotate so no single area gets sore.
The easiest spots are the belly (about 2 inches either side of the navel), the love handles, the front of the thigh, and the back of the upper arms. Rotate every injection.
So which should a beginner pick? For most people, the no-DAC form paired with Ipamorelin is the answer: daily subcutaneous shots with a tiny needle, dosed before bed, which respects the body's natural GH rhythm. The DAC form is a convenience choice for people who would rather inject weekly and accept a steadier, less pulsed effect.
Reconstitution: mixing it.
CJC-1295 arrives as a dry powder, so before you can inject it you reconstitute it, which just means adding liquid to turn the powder into something you can draw into a syringe. It sounds technical but takes about a minute.
Once it is mixed, the only real question is how many units to draw. That depends on your vial size, your water amount, and your target dose, and it is easy to get wrong by hand, especially because no-DAC doses are tiny.
- Use bacteriostatic water, often called BAC water. The small amount of preservative keeps the mixed vial usable for weeks.
- Add the water slowly, down the inside wall of the vial. A common mix is a 5 mg vial plus 2 mL of BAC water, which gives a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL.
- Swirl, do not shake. Gently roll the vial until the powder dissolves. Shaking can damage the peptide.
- Store it in the fridge once mixed, and keep it out of direct light.
Open the dosage calculator to turn your vial and dose into an exact number of units. As a worked example: a 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL of BAC water gives 2.5 mg/mL, so a 100 mcg dose is 0.04 mL, which is 4 units on a U-100 insulin syringe, and that vial holds about 50 doses.
Dosing by goal.
There is no single official dose for CJC-1295, because it is not an approved medicine. What follows is the range people commonly run, organized by form. The defining feature of CJC-1295 dosing is the split between the daily no-DAC form and the weekly DAC form.
No-DAC form (daily)
The most common pattern is about 100 mcg once or twice a day, almost always paired 1:1 with Ipamorelin, dosed on an empty stomach and often before bed. Because it clears fast, daily dosing keeps the GH pulses coming without flattening them out.
DAC form (weekly)
The DAC version is dosed about 1 to 2 mg once a week, since it stays active for 6 to 8 days. The trade-off is convenience versus a steadier, less pulsed GH release. Fewer people start here, but it suits those who dislike daily injections.
Stacked with Ipamorelin
CJC-1295 is very often run alongside Ipamorelin, the so-called GH pulse stack. They are dosed at matched amounts, usually 100 mcg of each per shot, and can be drawn into the same syringe. CJC-1295 raises the size of the pulse; Ipamorelin triggers it.
The standard starting protocol. Tiny daily subcutaneous shots, dosed on an empty stomach, usually before bed. Paired 1:1 with Ipamorelin.
The convenience form. One weekly shot for a steadier GH effect. Fewer injections, but a less pulsed release than the no-DAC form.
Cycling and timing.
A cycle just means a defined run of time on the peptide, followed by a break. For CJC-1295 the common pattern is a block of roughly 8 to 12 weeks, then time off, rather than running it indefinitely.
Why not just run it forever? Mostly because the long-term human safety data does not exist yet, and because chronically elevated GH and IGF-1 carry theoretical risks. The cautious and widely followed approach is to run a focused block, then stop and reassess.
- Hold the schedule through your block, dosing daily for the no-DAC form at roughly the same time each day.
- Keep the timing tight for no DAC, dosing on an empty stomach so food and insulin do not blunt the GH release.
- Take a real break after a cycle before considering another. If you are chasing a specific goal, that is a conversation for a licensed provider.
Stacking CJC-1295.
CJC-1295 is rarely run alone. It is one half of the most popular growth hormone pairing in the whole peptide world.
GH pulse stack
The gold-standard pairing. CJC-1295 raises the size of each growth hormone pulse, while Ipamorelin triggers the pulse itself. Dosed 1:1, usually 100 mcg each before bed, often drawn into the same syringe. The combination almost everyone starts with.
View stack →Recovery support
The GH pulse stack with BPC-157 layered in for soft-tissue and gut repair. A popular step up for people running a hard training block or working through a nagging injury alongside the GH support.
View stack →See full recipes, dosing, and how people run them on the stacks page.
Side effects and safety.
In the reports we see, and in the short human trials, CJC-1295 is generally described as well tolerated, with side effects that tend to be mild and temporary when they show up at all. The ones people mention most often are:
- Injection-site reactions, a little redness, itching, or a small bump, which is why rotating sites matters.
- Flushing or a head rush shortly after a dose.
- Water retention, tingling, or numbness, classic mild GH-related effects some people notice.
- Fatigue or a temporary flu-like feeling, sometimes reported early in a cycle.
Who should be cautious.
Some people have clear reasons to be extra careful, or to avoid CJC-1295 entirely until they have spoken with a licensed provider.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding. There is no safety data here, so this is a hard avoid.
- A history of cancer, or active cancer. Because CJC-1295 raises GH and IGF-1, which can drive cell growth, caution is widely advised. This is a conversation for an oncologist, not a forum.
- Diabetes or insulin resistance. Raising GH can affect blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, so anyone managing blood sugar should be careful and involve their provider.
- Competing athletes. CJC-1295 is banned by WADA as a growth hormone secretagogue and will show up as a prohibited substance.
And the universal one: whoever you are, talk to a licensed healthcare provider before starting CJC-1295. This guide is educational, not a substitute for personalized medical advice.
Where to buy it safely.
This is where a lot of beginners get burned, because peptide quality varies wildly between vendors and the cheapest vial is not always the real deal. Our honest take: do not shop on price alone, shop on price plus independent lab data.
- Compare vendors side by side. Price ranges are wide, and the difference between the lowest and highest listing can be large for the exact same compound.
- Look for recent third-party lab tests. The gold standard the community looks for is a recent Janoshik certificate of analysis showing purity for the batch you are actually buying.
- Check whether you are buying DAC or no DAC. They are dosed completely differently, so confirm the form on the label matches the protocol you plan to run.
- Be skeptical of suspiciously cheap listings with no testing behind them.
That is exactly the comparison we put together. On our CJC-1295 product page you can compare vendor prices, see which batches have public lab data, and view the grades we assign from that data. From there you can head to the buy page to line up your options.
Questions, answered straight.
Is CJC-1295 legal?
CJC-1295 is not an approved drug and is not sold for human use. The vendors we compare offer it strictly for research use only. It is also on WADA's prohibited list as a growth hormone secretagogue, so competing athletes should steer clear. Rules vary by country, so check what applies where you are.
What is the difference between DAC and no DAC?
DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex. The DAC version binds to albumin in your blood and stays active for 6 to 8 days, so it is dosed once a week. The no-DAC version, sometimes called Mod GRF 1-29, clears in under two hours, so it is dosed daily and pairs cleanly with Ipamorelin. Most modern protocols use the no-DAC form.
Why is it stacked with Ipamorelin?
They work on two different switches. CJC-1295 increases how much growth hormone each pulse releases, while Ipamorelin triggers the pulse to happen. Run together they produce a stronger, cleaner GH release than either alone, which is why the pair is the standard starting stack.
How long until it works?
Effects build over weeks, not days. Better sleep is often the first thing people notice; changes in recovery and body composition come more slowly. Many people run a full 8 to 12 week block before judging it.
When should I inject it?
For the no-DAC form, people dose on an empty stomach, often before bed, because food and insulin blunt the GH release. Wait about 20 to 30 minutes before eating. The DAC form is less timing-sensitive since it stays in your system for days.
Does it need refrigeration?
Keep the sealed, freeze-dried vial in the fridge and out of light. Once you mix it with bacteriostatic water, store it refrigerated and use it within a few weeks. Do not freeze a reconstituted vial.
How do I figure out the dose in units?
Use our calculator. Enter your vial size, how much bacteriostatic water you added, and your target dose, and it tells you exactly how many units to draw on a U-100 syringe. The dosage calculator handles the math for you.