Universal Safety
These rules apply to every injectable compound in this guide. Compound-specific contraindications are on each compound's own page.
Evidence level
Evidence level, read once, applies throughout. Assume no completed human trials for any compound here unless its page says otherwise. Doses are community- or animal-derived, all use is off-label, and vial quality varies (request a COA per lot). Individual pages call out the exceptions, the compounds that do have human trial or FDA-approval data, because those are the minority.
Contraindications (apply to all injectables)
- Known hypersensitivity to the active compound or any excipient (benzyl alcohol, mannitol, etc.)
- Active systemic infection at injection sites
- Pregnancy and lactation unless specifically indicated and clinician-supervised
- Pediatric use unless specifically indicated (most peptides have no pediatric data)
Stop and seek medical care for
- Anaphylaxis: throat tightness, difficulty breathing, hives, swelling of face/lips/tongue; emergency care
- Serious injection-site infection: spreading redness, fever, purulent drainage
- New unexplained symptoms during a cycle without another clear cause
Injection technique and storage basics
- Aseptic technique: swab vial septum and site; single-use sterile needle each time; never share vials/needles
- Sharps disposal in an FDA-cleared container, never household trash
- Cold chain: discard refrigerated peptide left at room temp beyond its stability window
- How long a reconstituted vial lasts: go by the number on the compound's own page, they differ. As a rule, chemical potency often holds ~60 days refrigerated, but BAC water's preservative only reliably protects about 28 days once you puncture the vial, so sterility runs out first. Discard sooner if it's cloudy, discolored, or has particles.
- Mark the date of first puncture on every multi-dose vial
- Inspect every vial: clear solution, no particulates/cloudiness/color change
- Rotate injection sites to avoid lipoatrophy, induration, infection
- Combining two peptides in one syringe? See “Combining Peptides in One Syringe” (page 8) for what can share a pin, what must stay separate, and how to draw a clean mix.
GH-axis cancer screening (required before any GH/IGF-1 peptide)
Applies to CJC-1295 family, Ipamorelin, Tesamorelin, HGH, IGF-1 family. GH/IGF-1 stimulation accelerates growth of responsive cells, including unknown malignancy. Complete age-appropriate screening first: colonoscopy (45+), mammogram (women 40+), cervical screening, prostate exam + PSA (men 50+, or 45+ with risk), full-body dermatology check, lung CT if smoking history, full symptom review. Family red flags: first-degree relative with cancer before 50, multiple cancers, known hereditary syndromes (BRCA, Lynch, MEN, Li-Fraumeni). If you won't get screening, don't start. Repeat IGF-1 each cycle; drop dose if above age-ULN.
Recommended baseline labs (any cycle start)
- BMP or CMP (creatinine, eGFR, electrolytes, glucose; CMP adds liver enzymes; preferred)
- CBC with differential · HbA1c if metabolic risk · Lipid panel · TSH
- Pregnancy test in females of childbearing potential before any peptide cycle
hsCRP and routine calcitonin are NOT standard pre-cycle labs. Per FDA Ozempic label, routine calcitonin monitoring is of “uncertain value” for early MTC detection.
Lab reference ranges
Every marker, what it is, why its normal range is that number, what an out-of-range result means for you, and what to do; is explained on the “Understanding Your Bloodwork” page (page 5).