Puffiness and fluid retention in the hands and feet, joint aches, wrist tingling (carpal tunnel), and blood sugar creeping up over weeks — most pronounced with MK-677 and somatropin.
These accumulate rather than strike suddenly — reassess and stop rather than pushing the dose up. Check glucose if you can.
A severe persistent headache with vision changes (possible raised intracranial pressure), or symptoms of very high blood sugar — extreme thirst, confusion, vomiting — warrant urgent care.
Allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, wheezing or dizziness can escalate to anaphylaxis within minutes — call 911 immediately. Site infection: spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or fever is not wait-and-see; an abscess or cellulitis can need drainage or IV antibiotics. Unverified product: grey-market vials are frequently mislabelled or contaminated, so a reaction may be to endotoxin or the wrong contents, not the named compound.
The actual hormone, made recombinantly. Binds the GH receptor directly, dimerising it and triggering JAK2/STAT5 signalling, with most anabolic effects mediated indirectly through hepatic IGF-1 production. Note the contrast with everything else in this category: somatropin replaces GH and overrides pituitary feedback entirely, whereas GHRH analogs and secretagogues ask the pituitary to make its own and leave feedback intact.
Decades of trial data across paediatric and adult GH deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi, chronic kidney disease and other indications. The best-characterised molecule in this category by an enormous margin.
FDA-approved for multiple specific indications. Prescription-only, and notably subject to federal criminal restrictions: distribution for non-approved uses such as athletic performance or anti-ageing is a felony under 21 U.S.C. § 333(e), a restriction unique to hGH among these compounds.
Well characterised: insulin resistance and frank diabetes, oedema, arthralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, intracranial hypertension, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis in children. Acromegalic changes with chronic excess. Contraindicated in active malignancy. Prohibited in sport (WADA S2).
Individualised by indication and body weight, per the FDA label (adult GH deficiency commonly starts near 0.2 mg/day and is titrated to IGF-1; paediatric dosing is weight-based). Prescription-only, and diverting it for non-approved uses is a federal felony.
Reported from clinical trials or FDA labelling as a matter of record. It is not a recommendation, and for unapproved compounds no dose has been shown safe or effective in humans.
Above is what was administered in trials or on FDA labels, reported as fact. We do not convert it into a personal protocol, calculate a dose for your body weight, or tell you what to inject or how to reconstitute it — that decision belongs with a licensed physician. See our editorial policy.
Regulatory status changes. This page reflects our reading of public sources as of July 2026 and should be independently verified before it is relied upon.