@biotides AM/PM peptide stack: Semax, GHK-Cu, Aminotadalafil, Selank, CJC/Ipa, BPC-157 — all listed at 5mcg
AM stack: Pinned 5 mcg Semax 2 mg GHK-Cu capsule 5 mg Aminotadalafil capsule PM stack: 5 mcg Selank 5 mcg CJC-1295 w/ Ipamorelin 5 mcg BPC-157 Tracking response, sleep, recovery, mood, and mental clarity. Personal protocol only, not medical advice. #peptides #biohacking #semax #ghkcu #bpc157 #recovery
The doses don't pass sanity check. Every peptide in this stack is listed at '5 mcg,' which is roughly 50-100x below typical research-vendor protocols across the board. Telling: the only ingredient with a sane dose is Aminotadalafil at 5mg, the one small-molecule (non-peptide) compound. Either the author meant 5 mg uniformly (well above typical for Selank, Semax, and CJC/Ipa) or 5 mcg literal (sub-therapeutic for every peptide). The compounds and AM/PM split are otherwise reasonable, but the protocol as published isn't actionable.
| Goal | Score | Grade | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | 65 | D | 15% | GHK-Cu has aging-relevant collagen mechanisms, and daily low-dose tadalafil (which Aminotadalafil approximates) has cardiovascular and possibly cognitive longevity literature. Stack isn't longevity-framed but the compounds touch the axis. |
| Cognition | 60 | D- | 40% | Semax + Selank are the right compound choices for nootropic / anxiolytic cognitive support, but the 5 mcg dose (whether typo for mg or literal) makes the listed protocol unactionable. |
| Sleep & recovery | 62 | D- | 45% | CJC/Ipa + BPC-157 PM dosing is the standard recovery-peptide pattern, and pre-bed GH pulsing aligns with deep-sleep architecture. Same dose-sanity problem keeps it from scoring higher. |
| Energy & metabolism | — | Not targeted | — | No ingredient with a primary metabolic mechanism. |
| Body recomposition | — | Not targeted | — | No anabolic agent or training stimulus; stack isn't framed for recomp. |
Ingredients (6)
Semax
- Dose
- 5 mcg (likely unit error) · AM
- Mechanism
- Synthetic heptapeptide derived from ACTH (4-10) fragment. Approved in Russia for stroke and cerebrovascular indications. Proposed cognitive enhancement via BDNF, NGF, and dopaminergic system effects.
- Take
- Listed as 'pinned 5 mcg' but published Russian intranasal cognitive-enhancement protocols use 300-1000 mcg. 5 mcg subQ is ~50-200x below any documented effective dose. Either a unit typo (5 mg = high end of any reasonable range) or genuinely sub-therapeutic. Without dose clarification, 'pinned' (subQ) Semax adds nothing the standard intranasal route doesn't.
GHK-Cu
- Dose
- 2 mg capsule (oral) · AM
- Mechanism
- Tripeptide-copper complex with well-studied effects on collagen and elastin synthesis when applied topically. Oral and injectable use are far less characterized; oral bioavailability is particularly poor.
- Take
- Oral GHK-Cu has poor systemic bioavailability. The peptide is degraded by gastric and intestinal proteases; serum levels after oral dosing don't approximate the topical or injectable use that has any supporting evidence. 2mg oral capsule daily likely doesn't deliver meaningful systemic GHK-Cu. Topical (cosmetic creams, scalp serums) or subQ injection are the routes with any pharmacokinetic plausibility.
Aminotadalafil
- Dose
- 5 mg capsule · AM
- Mechanism
- PDE5 inhibitor analog of tadalafil. Increases cGMP availability via inhibition of phosphodiesterase 5; vasodilatory effects on smooth muscle. Designer compound sold as a research chemical or supplement to bypass prescription requirements.
- Take
- Aminotadalafil is a designer PDE5 inhibitor structurally similar to tadalafil and sold in research-chemical / supplement gray markets to skirt prescription requirements. 5 mg/day is a reasonable daily-tadalafil-equivalent dose (Cialis 'daily' is 2.5-5mg). Notable: this is the only sanely-dosed ingredient in the stack, which is also the one ingredient that isn't a peptide. Sourcing concerns are real (no FDA oversight, vendor purity varies), and the same daily-tadalafil cardiovascular benefits are available with a real prescription at similar cost.
Selank
- Dose
- 5 mcg (likely unit error) · PM
- Mechanism
- Synthetic heptapeptide based on tuftsin; proposed anxiolytic and nootropic effects via GABA-A receptor modulation and BDNF expression. Studied primarily in Russian clinical literature.
- Take
- Listed at 5 mcg. Russian published intranasal protocols use 75-250 mcg/day; subQ enthusiast protocols use similar ranges. 5 mcg is ~15-50x below any documented dose. Either a unit typo (5 mg would be supratherapeutic but at least in mechanism range) or sub-therapeutic. Mechanism is real but the listed dose isn't.
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
- Dose
- 5 mcg (likely unit error) · PM
- Mechanism
- GH-releasing peptide combo. CJC-1295 (short-acting GHRH analog) stimulates pituitary GH release. Ipamorelin is a selective GH secretagogue (ghrelin mimetic) that triggers GH release without elevating cortisol or prolactin. Combined to produce pulsatile GH spikes.
- Take
- Listed at 5 mcg combined. Standard enthusiast protocol is 100-300 mcg of each, 1-3x/day. 5 mcg combined is effectively zero — the receptor binding wouldn't reach any meaningful threshold. If the intent was 5 mg (1 vial), that's a single dose far above any sustained protocol. The dose-unit problem here is the most consequential because GH-axis stimulation has actual side effects (water retention, glucose intolerance, joint discomfort) that depend on dose; nobody knows what's actually being administered.
BPC-157
- Dose
- 5 mcg (likely unit error) · PM
- Mechanism
- Pentadecapeptide derived from a gastric protein; preclinical evidence for angiogenesis, fibroblast migration, and growth factor signaling. No published human RCTs.
- Take
- Listed at 5 mcg. Standard research-vendor protocols use 200-500 mcg/day. 5 mcg subQ is ~40-100x below any documented protocol. Either typo or sub-therapeutic. BPC-157 mechanism is interesting on paper but human evidence is anecdotal regardless of dose; at 5 mcg, even the anecdotes wouldn't apply.
Risks & interactions
- Dose-unit ambiguity across every peptidehigh
Every peptide in the stack is listed at '5 mcg,' which is 15-100x below typical research-vendor protocols across the board. The only sanely-dosed ingredient is the non-peptide Aminotadalafil at 5 mg. Either the author has a uniform unit typo (intent was 5 mg, which would be supratherapeutic for Selank/Semax/CJC-Ipa) or 5 mcg is literal (sub-therapeutic). Neither interpretation produces a replicable, evaluable protocol; readers can't act on the listed doses without knowing which interpretation the author intended.
- Aminotadalafil is a designer PDE5 inhibitor with no FDA oversightmedium
Sold as a supplement or research chemical to skirt prescription requirements. Vendor purity, identity, and concentration vary; the same daily-tadalafil benefit is achievable with prescription Cialis at comparable cost and full pharmacy oversight. The choice to use the gray-market analog over the legitimate prescription doesn't add anything except sourcing risk.
- Oral GHK-Cu doesn't deliver systemicallymedium
GHK-Cu's bioavailability via oral capsule is poor. The peptide is degraded by GI proteases and post-absorption serum levels don't approximate the topical or subQ routes that have any evidence base. A 2mg oral capsule daily probably doesn't deliver enough intact peptide to be doing what the author thinks it's doing.
- Six concurrent compounds defeat n=1 attributionlow
Author commits to tracking response, sleep, recovery, mood, and mental clarity, which is the right intent. But six simultaneous compounds (with two routes and two dose-times) can't be cleanly attributed. Subjective changes during this protocol can't tell the author which ingredient is doing what.
Standard research-vendor doses: Semax 300-1000mcg, Selank 75-250mcg, CJC/Ipa 100-300mcg each, BPC-157 200-500mcg, GHK-Cu 1-3mg subQ. The 5 mcg doses listed here are 15-100x below those. Either the author meant 5 mg uniformly (well above typical, especially for Selank, Semax, and CJC/Ipa) or 5 mcg literal (sub-therapeutic across every peptide). Until the protocol is restated in conventionally-correct units, no amount of subjective tracking will produce useful information about what's actually working.
Estimated cost
Six research-peptide compounds plus one designer PDE5 inhibitor at typical research-vendor pricing: Semax + Selank ~$60-100/mo combined, GHK-Cu ~$30-60/mo, BPC-157 ~$30-60/mo, CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin combo ~$80-150/mo, Aminotadalafil capsules ~$20-40/mo. Sane prescription tadalafil daily would run $30-100/mo at compounding-pharmacy prices, comparable to or cheaper than the gray-market analog.