Orexin A_
Also known as hypocretin-1
A peptide studied for wakefulness and daytime energy.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Orexin A?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Orexin-A (hypocretin-1) is a natural brain peptide that keeps you awake and alert; people with narcolepsy lack it. In plain terms: it is studied as a nasal spray for wakefulness and daytime energy, with limited data.
What it's used for
A peptide that promotes wakefulness and alertness, studied for narcolepsy and daytime energy.
How does Orexin A work?
What it does in the body, and where.Orexin-A is the wakefulness signal. Narcolepsy is what happens when the neurons that make it are destroyed, which is unusually direct as disease mechanisms go.
- 01It binds orexin receptors that drive arousalHolding the brain in a waking state and stabilising the boundary between sleep and wake.
- 02The nasal route is an attempt to reach the brain directlyThe peptide does not cross from blood into brain well, so it is sprayed.
- 03Human evidence is one small pilot studyA single intranasal dose in narcolepsy, crossover design, small numbers.
- 04The field has moved to oral small moleculesDrugs like oveporexton activate the same receptor and can be swallowed, which is a more practical route than a nasal peptide.
Where this compound is thought to act.
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.
- Wakefulness and daytime alertnessEarly research
- NarcolepsyInvestigational
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Research only, as studied. No established scheduleNo range
No published study has established how long to take this or whether a break is needed. Schedules quoted online come from vendors and forums, and different sources disagree.
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.
Orexin A is not injected
It is taken nasal spray. No established human dose. Studied in cells and animals only.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Fridge after opening. Use within about 30 days.
Store sealed Orexin A in the fridge. Once opened, keep it upright in the fridge and plan to finish it inside roughly 30 days. Keep it out of light and do not freeze the liquid.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- No formal contraindications established
- Pregnancy
Stop and get help
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Used in small experimental human protocols without a robust controlled safety database
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Orexin A approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Not FDA-approved.
Sold for research use only. Not cleared for human consumption or medical use.
- DoseFrom research and community reports. No regulator has reviewed this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like Orexin A?
Others in Longevity and energy, side by side.If you're weighing Orexin A, it's worth reading MOTS-c, Epitalon, and NAD+ in the same class.
A peptide studied for wakefulness and daytime energy.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- As studied
A shot people use for energy, metabolism, and healthy aging.
- Dose
- 5 up to 10 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 1-3x per week
A longevity peptide taken in short courses for sleep and anti-aging.
- Dose
- 5 up to 10 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 10-20 day courses
A cellular fuel taken for energy, focus, and anti-aging.
- Dose
- 50 up to 100 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 2-3x/week
10What these words mean
Show glossary +
What these words mean
- Titrate
- Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
- Subcutaneous
- An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
- Concentration
- How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
- Units (on the syringe)
- The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
- mcg and mg
- Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
- GLP-1
- A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
- Growth hormone secretagogue
- A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
- Half-life
- How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
- Peptide vs small molecule
- A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
- Research only
- No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
- Investigational
- Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
- Banned in drug-tested sport
- Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026