CJC-1295
CJC-1295 (with or without DAC)
Raises the size of every growth-hormone pulse — the GHRH-analog half of the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin stack. The entire community debate comes down to three letters: DAC, or no DAC.
What it is
Increases how much growth hormone your pituitary releases per pulse. On its own it raises baseline GH; paired with Ipamorelin (which triggers the pulses) it’s the standard at-home GH stack. People run it for sleep, recovery, lean mass, and the gradual body-recomposition of raised GH/IGF-1.
The whole peptide splits into two products. CJC-1295 with DAC (a “drug affinity complex”) binds to albumin and stretches its half-life to about a week — convenient, one shot, but it raises GH as a constant low “bleed” rather than in natural pulses. CJC-1295 without DAC (often sold as Mod GRF 1-29) is short-acting and dosed several times a day, timed to your own GH rhythm. The community leans toward no-DAC as the more physiological default — pulses, not a flat line.
Mechanism
A GHRH analog: it binds the growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor in the pituitary and increases the amount of GH released per pulse. It doesn’t create pulses — that’s the secretagogue’s job — it amplifies them. The DAC version adds albumin binding to extend half-life into days; the no-DAC version clears fast, which is why it’s pinned multiple times daily to ride natural pulses.
Step 1 · the baseline
Your GH already comes in pulses.
Growth hormone isn’t released in a steady drip — the pituitary fires it in bursts through the day and night. That natural rhythm is the thing CJC-1295 works on.
Step 2 · the dock
It binds the GHRH receptor.
CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog — a copy of the body’s own “release growth hormone” signal. It docks at the GHRH receptor in the pituitary, the gland’s volume knob for each pulse.
Step 3 · the amplification
It makes each pulse bigger.
This is the key distinction: CJC doesn’t create new pulses out of nothing. It amplifies the ones you already have — the same rhythm, but every peak rises higher.
Step 4 · the fork
Then it splits into two versions.
CJC comes two ways, and the difference is everything. One clears fast and rides your natural rhythm; the other is engineered to last for days. They behave completely differently.
Step 5 · no-DAC
No-DAC: short, sharp, pinned daily.
The no-DAC version (often “mod GRF 1-29”) clears in minutes. You pin it 1–3× a day, and each shot lifts the pulse that’s happening right then — preserving the body’s natural peaks-and-valleys shape.
Step 6 · DAC
DAC: albumin-bound, runs for days.
The DAC version grabs onto albumin in your blood and stays active for days off a single weekly pin — but it trades the sharp pulses for a flatter, constant elevation, a steady bleed rather than clean bursts.
Step 7 · the lean
Community leans toward the pulses.
More frequent pinning is the cost, but many prefer no-DAC: keeping GH pulsatile, the way the body does it, is widely felt to beat a flat, always-on line. It’s a preference, not settled science.
The result
Bigger pulses — set off by its partner.
CJC sets the size of the pulse; it’s near-always paired with Ipamorelin, which is what triggers a pulse to fire. One sets the height, the other pulls the trigger. Lived community dosing, not trial data.
Lived community dosing, not human trial data — CJC-1295 is near-always run with Ipamorelin.
Standard dose
| Saturation dose | ~100 mcg / injection — past this you don’t release proportionally more GH (proposed — pending dosing review)community |
|---|---|
| No-DAC frequency | 1–3× / day, timed to natural GH pulses (e.g. before bed, fasted)community |
| DAC frequency | Roughly weekly — long half-life, fewer pins, constant elevationcommunity |
| Route | SubQcommunity |
Reconstitution calculator
U-100 · 100u = 1 mL= 200 units
Set the vial size and water to match your product — amounts vary by supplier. This is unit-conversion math, not medical advice or a dosing recommendation.
Pushing higher— going beyond the standard dosecommunity
Side effects & cautions
Mostly tied to the GH bump itself: facial flushing or a head-rush right after injection, tingling or numbness in the hands, increased hunger, and some water retention. These are common but mild and usually settle. As with Ipamorelin, the real consideration isn’t an acute side effect — it’s that chronically raising GH/IGF-1 is not advisable for anyone with cancer concerns. The DAC version’s constant, non-pulsatile elevation is the main reason some people prefer no-DAC.
Stacking
Pairs with Ipamorelin — the defining stack. CJC raises GH released per pulse; Ipamorelin triggers the pulse and suppresses the somatostatin brake. Run together in one bedtime pin, fasted. Each alone is considered half the job.
Evidence & sources
Two real human trials exist — but both are for CJC-1295 WITH DAC, and both are ~2006 with no replication. The no-DAC version most people run has zero human trials. The one Phase 2 efficacy trial was halted after a participant death and never published.
- Teichman SL et al. (2006)Human RCTProlonged GH/IGF-I stimulation by CJC-1295 in healthy adultsJCEM — randomized placebo-controlled (with DAC)PMID 16352683 ↗
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA (2006)Human studyPulsatile GH secretion persists during CJC-1295 stimulationJCEM — human (with DAC)PMID 17018654 ↗
- Jette L et al. (2005)Animal / in-vitrohGRF(1-29)-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptorEndocrinology (animal; defines the DAC mechanism)PMID 15817669 ↗
- ClinicalTrials.gov (2006)Trial registryCJC-1295 in HIV lipodystrophy — Phase 2 (halted after a death)ClinicalTrials.gov — unpublished, discontinuedNCT00267527 ↗