Short answer: in the published studies, the side effects most often reported with sermorelin were facial flushing and pain where it was injected. Those studies were small, short, and mostly in children, so they cannot tell you much about years of use in adults. The rest of this page shows exactly what each study reported and what it did not measure.
Medical note: this page summarizes published research and FDA records. It is not medical advice. Sermorelin is a prescription treatment; talk to the prescribing clinician about your own history before starting.
What sermorelin is
A 1999 review in BioDrugs describes it this way: "Sermorelin, a 29 amino acid analogue of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), is the shortest synthetic peptide with full biological activity of GHRH." It does not contain growth hormone. It signals the pituitary gland to release your own.
The only FDA-approved sermorelin product, GEREF, was approved for children. According to the Federal Register, it "is indicated for the treatment of idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children with growth failure." The manufacturer stopped selling it, and FDA "announced that it was withdrawing approval of NDA 19-863 and NDA 20-443, effective June 18, 2009." In 2013 FDA determined that the products "were not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness."
Today no FDA-approved sermorelin product is on the market. A search of DailyMed, the FDA label database, returned no sermorelin label when we checked on 1 October 2026. The sermorelin that online clinics prescribe is compounded by pharmacies.
Side effects reported in studies
In children (the approved use). The BioDrugs review summarizes: "Transient facial flushing and pain at injection site were the most commonly reported adverse events." The same review states: "Intravenous single dose and repeated once daily subcutaneous doses of sermorelin are well tolerated."
In older men. A Johns Hopkins study treated eleven men aged 64 to 76 for six weeks. In its own words: "Eleven healthy, ambulatory, non-obese men aged 64 to 76 years with low baseline IGF-I levels were treated at home as outpatients by nightly subcutaneous self-injections of 2 mg GHRH for 6 weeks." The authors reported: "No significant adverse effects were observed." The same study also found "no change in GH pulse frequency or in levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-3, or GHBP," so the absence of side effects came alongside a modest hormonal effect.
In older men and women, with a closely related molecule. A 1997 study by Khorram and colleagues used a modified version of the same 29 amino acid sequence, not sermorelin itself. Its design: "Ten women and 9 men between the ages of 55-71 yr self-injected placebo (saline) s.c. nightly for 4 weeks followed by 16 weeks of [Nle27]GHRH-(1-29)-NH2 at a dose of 10 microg/kg." The authors wrote: "The only adverse side-effect was transient hyperlipidemia, which resolved by the end of the study." Hyperlipidemia means raised blood fats; the study reported it resolved.
What the evidence does not cover
Read the numbers above together and the gaps are plain:
- Small studies. The adult studies quoted here enrolled 11 and 19 people.
- Short follow-up. Six weeks and four months. Clinics often prescribe sermorelin for many months.
- Different products. The studies used research-grade or approved drug. Online clinics prescribe compounded sermorelin, made by pharmacies, and compounded products are not FDA-approved.
- Different doses and schedules. Each study used its own dose. We do not repeat dosing here; your prescriber sets it.
Because sermorelin works by raising your own growth hormone, clinicians commonly ask about conditions where that matters, such as cancer history, diabetes and pregnancy. Ask your prescriber how they screen for these and how they will monitor you.
How long clinics keep patients on sermorelin
The studies above followed people for six weeks to a few months. Clinics describe longer courses. In their own words (read October 8, 2026):
- Ivy Rx: "We generally recommend an initial 6-month course with quarterly check-ins. Some patients transition to a maintenance schedule (e.g., 5 nights on / 2 nights off) once their goals are met, while others pause therapy and monitor IGF-1 levels."
- Precision Telemed: "Most patients see the best results after 3–6 months of consistent use, but you are never locked in." Its plans are month-to-month.
- Pallas Health: its plan "renews until you cancel".
None of these durations has been tested in the published studies above. That gap is worth raising with whoever prescribes it.
Who clinics say should not take it
HealthRX lists one absolute exclusion and four cautions on its sermorelin page: "Anyone with active or recent cancer, since that's an absolute contraindication. Your provider also proceeds with extra caution in people with diabetes, thyroid conditions, a history of pituitary tumor, or retinopathy." We have not found a current drug label for sermorelin to quote on interactions with other medicines, so tell the prescribing clinician about everything you take.
Questions to ask the prescribing clinic
- Which pharmacy compounds it, and is that pharmacy licensed in my state?
- Do you check IGF-1 before starting and during treatment?
- What should make me stop and call you?
- What does the second month cost, not just the first?
Who prescribes it online, at prices we verified
We read the sermorelin pages of the longevity clinics we track. These are the prices recorded on the dates shown. Several clinics advertise a first-month price and charge more after that; we show both where the clinic publishes both.
| Clinic | First month | After month one | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embody | $49 (sale) | $99 | 2026-10-14 |
| MyDrHank | $137 | $137 (flat, stated) | 2026-09-29 |
| Precision Telemed | $149.99 | $179.99/mo | 2026-09-30 |
| Wellorithm | $150 | $200/mo | 2026-09-30 |
| System Labs | None shown (price block) or $109 (FAQ) | $149/mo monthly or $129/mo on a quarterly plan (price block), or $219/mo (FAQ); the page disagrees with itself | 2026-10-25 |
For every clinic we track, including the ones that publish only a first-month price, see sermorelin prices: entry vs. ongoing and the sermorelin page.
Related reading
- Methylene blue side effects: another compound longevity clinics prescribe, and the FDA label's boxed warning on drug interactions.
- Online sermorelin cost: entry price vs ongoing rate: what clinics charge after month one.
Sources
- Prakash A, Goa KL. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs 1999;12(2):139-57. PubMed 18031173. Read 1 October 2026.
- Vittone J, et al. Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men. Metabolism 1997;46(1):89-96. PubMed 9005976. Read 1 October 2026.
- Khorram O, Laughlin GA, Yen SS. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997;82(5):1472-9. PubMed 9141536. Read 1 October 2026.
- Federal Register, 4 March 2013, document 2013-04827: Determination that GEREF (sermorelin acetate) injection was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. Read 1 October 2026.
