Recovery research fieldbook Evidence, not treatment advice
Recovery archive

Published recovery field note

CJC-1295 DAC Dosing: 2mg Twice Weekly (2026) | The Peptide Catalog

The 8-day half-life changes everything about injection timing. Covers 1-4mg protocols, IGF-1 monitoring, and GHRP stacking.

Context first

Study findings do not automatically establish clinical benefit, safety, dosing, or suitability for an individual.

Affiliate disclosure: vendor links in this article are affiliate links — The Peptide Catalog may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you.

Where These Numbers Come From

CJC-1295 DAC is unique among GH secretagogues in having direct human clinical trial data.

Pivotal study: Teichman et al. studied CJC-1295 DAC in 36 healthy adults (21-61 years). Single doses of 30, 60, or 120 mcg/kg produced dose-dependent GH and IGF-1 increases. IGF-1 increased 1.5-3 fold and remained elevated for 6-14 days. Mean half-life: 5.8-8.1 days (Teichman et al., 2006).

Preserved pulsatility: Despite continuous GHRH stimulation, pulsatile GH secretion was maintained. GH pulse frequency preserved with 2-fold increases in mean GH and pulse mass (Ionescu & Bhatt, 2006).

Animal studies: CJC-1295 normalized growth in GHRH knockout mice with once-daily dosing (Alba et al., 2006).

Community doses (1-4 mg twice weekly) target upper-normal IGF-1 based on clinical dose ranges and empirical blood work confirmation.

Ready to buy? Compare verified vendors on our best CJC-1295 DAC sources page, or browse all coupon codes for up to 50% off. (affiliate links — we earn a commission at no extra cost to you)

Stacking Protocols

DAC + Bedtime GHRP

CJC-1295 DAC 2 mg 2x/week + Ipamorelin 100-200 mcg nightly

Sustained IGF-1 + acute bedtime GH pulse

DAC Standalone

CJC-1295 DAC 2 mg 2x/week

Simplicity -- no daily injections needed

Stacking tips: Combining with another GHRH analog (sermorelin, no-DAC CJC) is generally described as redundant rather than synergistic — they share the same GHRH receptor, so a second analog adds little once one saturates the response. The documented synergy is GHRH + GHRP (e.g., ipamorelin), which acts on a different receptor. Monitor IGF-1 carefully when stacking. Combining with exogenous GH is not described in community protocols.

Side Effects & Safety

Injection site reactions -- most common in clinical trials (mild erythema, pain)

Flushing/warmth -- transient, 15-30 min post-injection

Water retention -- more pronounced than no-DAC due to sustained GH elevation

Numbness/tingling -- carpal tunnel-like symptoms at higher doses

Joint stiffness -- GH-mediated fluid retention

Insulin resistance -- monitor fasting glucose; sustained GH can impair glucose tolerance

No serious adverse events reported in published clinical trials

Contraindications -- active malignancy, diabetic retinopathy, pregnancy

Monitoring (community protocols): Community sources and trial safety protocols describe monitoring IGF-1 at baseline, week 4, and every 8 weeks, targeting 250-330 ng/mL. Fasting glucose is commonly tracked monthly; HbA1c at 3-month intervals when insulin resistance is a concern.

mg to Units Conversion

On a standard 100-unit insulin syringe, each "unit" equals 0.01 mL (so 100 units = 1 mL). Once CJC-1295 DAC is reconstituted, the conversion from a target dose to syringe units depends on the chosen dilution.

The two reconstitution ratios most often described in community protocols are below.

Reconstitution A: 5 mg vial + 2.5 mL BAC water (2 mg/mL) — the standard dilution from the Quick Reference above.

1 mg

0.5 mL

50 units

2 mg

1 mL

100 units

Reconstitution B: 5 mg vial + 1 mL BAC water (5 mg/mL) — less BAC water for a lower total volume, so smaller draws and less fridge space.

0.2 mL

20 units

0.4 mL

40 units

These conversions reflect the dilutions documented in community reconstitution protocols. They report how the math is described, not a recommended dosing schedule.

Core Supplies for This Protocol

The three essentials for running any reconstituted injectable: cold storage, accurate syringes, and metabolic tracking.

Cooluli Classic 4L Mini Fridge

Compact thermoelectric mini-fridge with heat/cool toggle. The most-mentioned dedicated peptide-storage fridge in research community sources — fits ~20 vials and runs quietly.

BD Ultra-Fine 31G 0.3cc 5/16" Insulin Syringes (Box of 90)

0.3cc 31G syringes — each gradation marks 1 unit (vs 2 units on 1cc), making sub-50-unit peptide doses accurate. BD Ultra-Fine is the most widely-cited brand in peptide community sources.

CONTOUR NEXT GEN Glucose Meter All-In-One Kit

Ascensia's CONTOUR NEXT GEN — the most clinically-validated home glucose meter. Includes 20 test strips + lancing device. Tracks the blood-sugar response GLP-1 users care about, especially during dose escalation.

As an Amazon Associate, The Peptide Catalog earns from qualifying purchases.

Connected topics

Follow this recovery question