Tesamorelin Dosage & Reconstitution Guide

Reconstitution

Tesamorelin ships as a freeze-dried (lyophilized) powder that has to be mixed with bacteriostatic water before use. Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a syringe and add it to a 10 mg vial, letting the stream run down the inside wall of the glass rather than blasting the powder directly. Swirl gently — never shake — until the solution is clear, then keep it refrigerated.

Worked example. 2 mL into a 10 mg vial gives a concentration of 5 mg/mL (5000 mcg/mL). A 2 mg dose then works out to 0.4 mL = 40 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Scale the water volume up or down to make your target dose land on an easy-to-read mark (1 unit = 0.01 mL).

1. Wipe both vial stoppers (peptide and bacteriostatic water) with an alcohol swab and let them dry.
2. Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a syringe.
3. Inject it slowly against the inside wall of the peptide vial.
4. Swirl gently until fully dissolved; do not shake.
5. Label the vial with the contents, concentration, and date, and store it in the refrigerator.

Dosing schedule

Timing & cycling

Inject once daily, commonly at bedtime on an empty stomach to align with the natural overnight growth hormone pulse; avoid eating immediately after.

Cycle length. Typically 3-6 months of continuous daily use; effects reverse after stopping, so ongoing use is usually needed to maintain results.

Storage & handling

Keep the lyophilized (unmixed) vial refrigerated at 2–8 °C (36–46 °F) in a dry, dark place — it tolerates short periods at room temperature during shipping. Once reconstituted, store it at 2–8 °C, never frozen, and use it within about 2–4 weeks (sooner if the solution turns cloudy or discolored). Swab the stopper before every draw and use a fresh needle each time.

Supplies you'll need

• Tesamorelin vials — about 12 for an 8-week run at the upper dose
• Bacteriostatic water — 2 mL per vial (a 10–30 mL multi-dose bottle covers several vials)
• U-100 insulin syringes (0.3–0.5 mL / 30–50 unit barrels are easiest to read) — roughly 56 for 8 weeks, plus spares
• Alcohol swabs — one per injection and one per vial draw
• Sharps container for safe needle disposal

Key points

• Must be dosed daily because of its short half-life, unlike long-acting secretagogues such as CJC-1295 with DAC.
• Raises endogenous growth hormone and IGF-1; check IGF-1 and keep it within the normal range.
• Can increase blood glucose and HbA1c; use caution in diabetes or prediabetes.
• Benefits are not permanent: discontinuation typically reverses the visceral-fat loss.
• Mainly reduces visceral (not subcutaneous) fat and is not intended for general weight loss.

What to monitor

IGF-1 levels, fasting glucose and HbA1c, and periodic reassessment of visceral-fat benefit.

Legal & prescription status

Prescription-only in the US: FDA-approved as Egrifta, Egrifta SV, and Egrifta WR for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Peptide-vendor 'research' vials are not FDA-approved and are labeled not for human consumption.

References

1. FDA Prescribing Information (EGRIFTA SV)
2. Falutz et al., NEJM 2007 (pivotal phase 3 trial)
3. Falutz et al., JCEM 2010 (pooled phase 3 analysis)
4. Stanley et al., JAMA 2014 (visceral and liver fat)