GHRP-2_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as pralmorelin, KP-102
A shot that spikes your own growth hormone to build muscle and recover.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is GHRP-2?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It signals a strong pulse of your own growth hormone, a bigger boost than ipamorelin. It also nudges up appetite and stress hormones a little.
GHRP-2 is a growth hormone releasing peptide (a ghrelin-receptor agonist).
What it's used for
A shot that spikes your own growth hormone to help build muscle, recover, and lean out. It gives a bigger boost than ipamorelin but can raise hunger.
How does GHRP-2 work?
What it does in the body, and where.GHRP-2 works on the same receptor as ipamorelin but hits it harder and less selectively.
- 01It activates the ghrelin receptorTriggering a growth hormone pulse from the pituitary.
- 02The pulse is larger than ipamorelin'sWhich is the reason people choose it.
- 03Cortisol and prolactin rise tooIpamorelin was designed specifically to avoid this. GHRP-2 trades that selectivity for strength.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Raising growth hormone to build muscle and recoverResearch only
- Increased appetiteResearch only
The published record
242
Records indexed for GHRP-2
141 in humans, 115 of them original studies.
FDA: Category 3 · FDA: Category 1 except injectable and nasal routes; Category 2 for injectable and nasal · FDA: In category 2 (503B), injectable and nasal routes.
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person. Human means indexed under humans, which includes reviews and work on human cells. Original studies exclude reviews and lab work on human cells.Last updated 11 September 2026.
At a glance
Four things to know about GHRP-2
Evidence
Research only
Category
Growth hormone
Common vial
5 mg
Half-life
About 33 minutes
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.1 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly), 1-3x daily. Commonly cycled, usually 8 to 12 weeks on and 4 offCommunity practice
Continuous exposure to a ghrelin-receptor peptide blunts the growth hormone response to a later dose of the same peptide. That is documented in people. The particular on/off schedules quoted for GHRP-2 are not: no study has compared one against another.
Source: 24-hour GHRP infusion attenuates the response to a later GHRP bolus (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1993)
How long does it stay in the body?
The half-life, and where the figure comes from.About 33 minutesHuman study
Measured in children, given into a vein.
Source: Pihoker C, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998;83(4):1168-72, PMID 9543135
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Your draw
4 / 100 unitsGHRP-2 starts at $11.99 across 21 vendors, typically $2.86 – $6.00 per mg.
33 listings, last read Sep 5, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized GHRP-2 keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Can cause a histamine flush: temporary flushing, itching, or welts near the injection, usually mild and short-lived. Injecting slowly helps. If it spreads, or you get facial or throat swelling or trouble breathing, treat it as a reaction and get help immediately.
Who should avoid it
- Active cancer
- Pregnancy
- Banned in drug-tested sport
Stop and get help
- Signs of an allergic reaction
- Persistent milky nipple discharge, which can indicate raised prolactin
Common effects
- Increased hunger
- Water retention
- Tiredness after dosing
- Raised prolactin and cortisol at higher doses
- Tingling in the hands
What regulators say
- FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated May 14, 2026Category 3
Nominated without adequate support on the 503A list; category 2 on the 503B list for injectable and nasal routes
Checked 11 September 2026 - FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (category 2 and withdrawn nominations), current as of April 22, 2026In category 2 (503B), injectable and nasal routes
Added September 29, 2023. Reports of serious adverse events including increased insulin requirement, death of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis; causality not established
Checked 11 September 2026 - FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated March 21, 2025Category 1 except injectable and nasal routes; Category 2 for injectable and nasalChecked 11 September 2026
What actually helps, according to the people doing it
Nobody's running trials on this. What follows is the folk wisdom that keeps surfacing in Reddit, peptide forums, and the Discord groups, sorted from "probably real" to "someone swears by it." Keep in mind, NONE of this is doctor advice.
Change how you inject (this helps most people)
The tip that comes up most on r/peptides is to add more water. Mix your vial with 3 or 4mL of bac water instead of 1 to 2mL. Same dose, spread thinner, so your skin reacts less.
Small habits people swear by
- 1Let it warm to room temperature. Cold stings more.
- 2Let the alcohol dry fully before the needle goes in.
- 3Inject slow, over five to ten seconds.
- 4Move your spot around, at least an inch from last time.
- 5For a hard lump, warm compress after. For a red itchy welt, ice.
Treat the itch
This is where Benadryl and Zyrtec come up constantly on the boards. Most people take one 30 to 60 minutes before the shot if they know they tend to react. Claritin works too. Some skip the pill and use Benadryl cream before, or hydrocortisone cream after. Quercetin gets mentioned a lot as the gentler, natural option.
One heads up you'll also see repeated: taking an allergy pill before every shot can hide a real allergy building underneath. That's why some people don't do it by default.
The deeper end
In the more advanced threads, people keep KPV around and inject it when a reaction flares, and say it clears fast. Others try low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a longer-term fix, but that's real experimenter territory. And a common reminder on the forums: if your reactions are suddenly bad or started with a new vial, the peptide itself might be the problem, not you.
Redness that spreads past a couple inches, streaks, feels hot, oozes, or comes with a fever means a possible infection. See a doctor. Hives all over, a swollen face or throat, or trouble breathing is a real allergic reaction. Act on that right away.
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is GHRP-2 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. GHRP-2 is not approved for any use, anywhere. It is sold labelled for laboratory research only, and there is no legal route to buy it for human use.
- Approval statusResearch only
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- CheckedSeptember 2026
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
Banned in drug-tested sport. Most research peptides are prohibited under WADA's S0 category, which covers any substance with no approval from any regulatory authority for human use. That means a compound can be banned without ever being named on the prohibited list. Check with your own anti-doping authority rather than assuming absence from the list means permitted.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
- DoseFrom research and community reports. No regulator has reviewed this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed8 September 2026
What else is like GHRP-2?
Others in Growth hormone peptides, side by side.If you're weighing GHRP-2, it's worth reading Hexarelin, MK-677 (Ibutamoren), and HGH (Somatropin) in the same class.
A shot that spikes your own growth hormone to build muscle and recover.
- Dose
- 0.1 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 1-3x daily
A strong growth-hormone releaser that the body adapts to quickly.
- Dose
- 0.1 mg per dose
- How often
- 1-2x daily
A once-daily pill that raises growth hormone for sleep, appetite, and muscle.
- Dose
- 10 up to 25 mg per day
- How often
- Daily, at night
Real injected growth hormone, the most powerful and priciest option.
- Dose
- 1 up to 3 IU per day (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Daily
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- Why Does My Peptide Injection Itch or Welt
Injection-site irritation, a histamine reaction, or a true allergy, and how to tell them apart.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
Sources
- Arvat et al., effects of GHRP-2 and hexarelin on GH, prolactin, ACTH and cortisol in man(1997)Six normal young adults, intravenous dosing. Both peptides raised GH strongly and also raised prolactin, ACTH and cortisol. The selectivity claimed for these compounds is not what this study found.
- FDA, bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks(2026)GHRP-2 is in 503B category 2 for injectable and nasal routes, added 29 September 2023, and is still on the live list. FDA cites immunogenicity risk from aggregation and peptide-related impurities, notes that GHRP-2 contains an unnatural amino acid that complicates characterisation, and records reports of serious adverse events in patients who received it: increased insulin requirement to maintain blood glucose, death of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis. FDA is explicit that causality has not been established.
Last reviewed 8 September 2026
Beyond these, 242 records are indexed. Browse the records