Tesamorelin Dosage Chart & Schedule Guide.
Tesamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog that stimulates natural GH production. FDA-approved for reducing visceral fat, it is also widely used for body composition, anti-aging, and cognitive support.
2 mg subcutaneously into the abdomen, once daily, the phase III and FDA label dose. New to it? Start at 1 mg for two weeks. Visceral fat moves on imaging between weeks 16 and 26, so plan a 12 – 26 week run.
Dosage Protocols
Units assume a 5 mg vial mixed with 2.5 mL of bacteriostatic water (2,000 mcg/mL). Different setup? Use the calculator. Only the 2 mg daily row was tested in trials.
Half the studied dose, run two to four weeks to check tolerance before moving up.
Why this dose+
Two to four weeks at 1 mg is a tolerance check, not a build-up phase: tesamorelin has no loading period and 1 mg was never the trial dose. Move to the 2 mg daily schedule once you know how you handle it.
The dose used in the phase III trials and on the FDA-approved label, taken daily.
Why this dose+
Every visceral-fat figure on this page comes from 2 mg daily: roughly 15 – 18% reduction in visceral adipose tissue on CT against placebo at 26 weeks. Nothing above 2 mg daily has been tested in a published trial.
Weekends off to stretch a vial: 10 mg a week instead of 14, and not the studied schedule.
Why this dose+
The visceral-fat data rests on daily injections with no days off, so this pattern trades studied results for a vial that lasts longer. Expect slower change than daily dosing, and judge it over a longer run with a tape measure at the navel.
- Original Egrifta is 2 mg in 2 mL; Egrifta SV is 1.4 mg in 0.35 mL.
- Egrifta WR is 1.28 mg in 0.16 mL: same drug, more concentrated.
- Bioequivalence testing put the 1.28 mg and 2 mg presentations at the same exposure.
- A smaller number on the box is not a weaker dose, so match it to the product you hold.
- 2 mg daily is the highest dose any published trial has used.
- There is no dose-response curve above it, so extra milligrams buy an unknown.
- The visceral-fat result took 16 to 26 weeks at 2 mg, not a bigger dose.
- If 2 mg is doing little at week 12, time on protocol is the lever, not the dose.
Weekly Schedule
Tesamorelin was studied as a daily injection with no days off. The 5-on/2-off row is a cost compromise, not a studied protocol.
Missed a night? Skip it and carry on the next evening. Tesamorelin works pulse by pulse, so doubling up does not catch you up.
Tesamorelin Reconstitution Calculator
Enter your vial size, how much water you added, and the dose you want. A 2 mg dose fills a whole 100-unit syringe at 5 mg / 2.5 mL, so use less water if you want a smaller draw.
Double-click a preset to edit it
Double-click a preset to edit it
Double-click a preset to edit it
Standard insulin syringe
Concentration
2.00 mg/mL
1 unit = 20 mcg
Draw volume
1.000 mL
= 2.00 mg ÷ 2.00 mg/mL
Units to draw (1 mL syringe)
100.0 units
1 mL Syringe
100.0 IUFrom Vial to Injection in 6 Steps
Alcohol swab the tesamorelin vial and the bacteriostatic water vial, and let both air-dry before you pierce them.
Run the bacteriostatic water down the inside wall of the vial. Never squirt it directly onto the powder cake.
Roll the vial gently until it turns completely clear. The label for the branded product says the same thing: shaking damages the peptide.
Use a fresh U-100 insulin syringe. Pull to the unit mark from the calculator and flick out any air bubbles.
Tesamorelin is abdomen-only. Rotate around the belly each night, staying clear of the navel, scar tissue and bruises.
Keep the mixed vial at 2 – 8 °C and use it within about 4 weeks. Never freeze. Needles go in a sharps container.
Storage above is for research-grade lyophilised vials. The branded products differ: Egrifta SV is mixed with sterile water and injected straight away with no refrigeration, and Egrifta WR is kept at room temperature and discarded 7 days after mixing. Follow the leaflet that came with your product.
What to Expect
Tesamorelin moves a number you cannot see before it moves anything you can. Nothing about the first month will feel dramatic; the visceral-fat change is a 16 – 26 week story.
GH and IGF-1 climb within days; IGF-1 rose about 81% in the phase III trial. You will not feel this; it only shows on a blood panel.
Deeper sleep and easier recovery, the same GHRH-class effects sermorelin produces. Some fluid retention and joint stiffness can show up here too.
Most people notice waist circumference changing in this window. Measure with a tape at the navel. The scale often will not move, because this is fat redistribution rather than weight loss.
The trial endpoint: roughly 15 – 18% reduction in visceral adipose tissue on CT versus placebo at 26 weeks. This is the change tesamorelin is actually approved for.
Tesamorelin works while you are taking it. In the trials, visceral fat drifted back once dosing stopped and IGF-1 returned to baseline, so plan the run as maintenance rather than a one-off course.
Feeling Something? Check Here
Do not use tesamorelin at all if you: are pregnant or trying to become pregnant · have an active malignancy · have had pituitary surgery, a pituitary tumour, head radiation or a head injury · are allergic to tesamorelin or mannitol. Anyone with diabetes, prediabetes or insulin resistance should only run it with a clinician monitoring glucose and IGF-1.
FAQ
Is tesamorelin the same thing as Egrifta?+
Egrifta is the brand name for tesamorelin. It is FDA-approved to reduce excess visceral abdominal fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy; that is the only approved use. Research-grade tesamorelin sold in lyophilised vials is the same peptide, but it is not a regulated medicine and has not been through the same quality controls.
Why do different products say 2 mg, 1.4 mg and 1.28 mg?+
Because they are different concentrations of the same drug, not different doses. Original Egrifta is 2 mg in 2 mL, Egrifta SV is 1.4 mg in 0.35 mL, and Egrifta WR is 1.28 mg in 0.16 mL. Bioequivalence studies showed the 1.28 mg and 2 mg presentations deliver the same exposure. Match the number to the product in front of you; never add them up or assume a smaller number means a weaker dose.
Do I have to inject at night?+
The label just says once daily and does not specify a time. Bedtime is the common choice because it stacks with your largest natural GH pulse, and dosing on an empty stomach avoids the insulin spike that blunts GH release. Consistency matters more than the exact hour. Pick one and stick to it.
What happens if I stop?+
Visceral fat comes back. The trial extension showed the benefit depends on continued dosing, and IGF-1 falls back to baseline once you stop. Tesamorelin is a maintenance therapy in the approved setting, not a short course that locks in a result.
Will it strip subcutaneous fat too?+
No, and that is the point. Tesamorelin acts specifically on visceral adipose tissue, the deep fat around your organs. The fat you can pinch is largely unaffected, and body weight often barely moves. Judge it with a tape measure at the navel, not the scale.
Does it affect blood sugar?+
It can. Raising GH reduces insulin sensitivity, and the label carries a specific warning that glucose intolerance and diabetes may develop. Anyone with prediabetes, diabetes or insulin resistance should have glucose and A1c monitored, and should not run tesamorelin without a clinician involved.
How is it different from sermorelin or CJC-1295?+
All three are GHRH analogs that ask your pituitary to release its own GH. Tesamorelin is the only one with FDA approval and phase III visceral-fat data behind it, and it is dosed in milligrams rather than micrograms. Sermorelin is far shorter-acting and cheaper; CJC-1295 lasts longer per injection. Stacking tesamorelin with another GHRH analog is redundant: they compete at the same receptor.
How long does a vial last?+
A 5 mg vial at the 2 mg standard dose gives two full doses plus a partial; most people run 5 mg vials for a couple of days, so multi-vial planning matters. Use the calculator above with your own vial size and water volume. Once mixed, use it within about 4 weeks refrigerated.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational and research purposes only and is not medical advice. Tesamorelin is a prescription medicine (Egrifta) approved only for HIV-associated lipodystrophy; every other use described here is off-label. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any peptide protocol. PeptideDeck is not responsible for individual use.