6 min read · Also in the Dose Track app under Learn · Updated
Short answer: Before your first dose: know the compound, write down your goal, get baseline labs with a clinician, have every supply on hand, and set up your log. Start low, change one thing at a time, and know which symptoms mean stop and get help.
Before you buy anything
Know the compound. Read at least two independent sources on what it does, how long it lasts (its half-life) and how it is usually taken. The compound library is a starting point.
Have a real goal. "Recover from a tendon injury" or "lose 10 kg" is a goal. "Try peptides" is not. The goal decides what you measure.
Get baseline bloodwork with a clinician, especially for anything that touches hormones or blood sugar. Common panels include a CBC, a metabolic panel, lipids, HbA1c and, for growth hormone peptides, IGF-1.
Check the source. Ask for a third-party test report (COA) for the batch you are buying. See reading a COA.
Set up your log before the vial arrives, so day one is recorded.
What to have in your kit
The vial (powder for mixing, sealed).
Bacteriostatic water for mixing a multi-use vial. Not tap water.
Insulin syringes. U-100 syringes of 0.3, 0.5 or 1 mL are common; check the unit marks match the math you use (U-40 vs U-100).
Individually wrapped 70% alcohol swabs.
A sharps container. The FDA says a heavy-duty plastic household container with a tight, puncture-resistant lid can stand in until you get one.
A fridge spot at 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F), away from the door.
A way to log doses, sites and notes.
Write your plan down
Research info, not a recommendation. Amounts, schedules and timing in this section come from studies (often in animals) and from how people commonly use these compounds. Most are not FDA-approved doses. Your dose is a decision for you and your prescriber.
A plan answers four questions: how much, how often, for how long, and when you check in.
Start low. Begin at the low end of the range your clinician or the research describes, and only move up after you know how you respond.
Timing depends on the compound. Growth hormone peptides are often taken on an empty stomach or before bed. GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide are once a week. Repair peptides are usually taken whenever fits your day.
Pick an end date and a check-in date (often 4 weeks in) to review your log against your goal.
Change one thing at a time so you can tell what caused what.
Your first injection
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Wipe the vial stopper with an alcohol swab and let it dry.
Draw air into the syringe equal to your dose, push it into the vial, then turn the vial upside down and draw your dose with the needle tip in the liquid.
Tap out air bubbles and push them back into the vial. Re-check the dose line.
Pick a site: the belly at least 2 inches from the navel, the front or outer thigh, or the back of the upper arm. Use a different spot each time.
Swab the skin and let it dry.
Pinch up the skin, insert the needle in one smooth motion, and push the plunger slowly.
Pull the needle out at the same angle and put the syringe straight into the sharps container. Do not recap it.
Usually not a worry: mild redness, itching or a small bump at the site that fades within hours; some water retention or more hunger with growth hormone peptides; nausea early on with GLP-1 drugs.
Stop and get medical help for:
Hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips or throat (call emergency services).
Redness, warmth or swelling that spreads or gets worse, red streaks, or fever.
Severe stomach pain, especially going through to the back.
Chest pain, fainting, or new irregular heartbeat.
Anything that feels badly wrong.
Write down what you notice, even small things. Patterns show up in a log that you would miss from memory.
Key points
Learn the compound, set a goal and get baseline labs before you buy.
Have every supply, including a sharps container, before your first dose.
Start low, change one thing at a time, and set an end date and a check-in date.
Know the stop signs: allergic reaction, spreading infection, fever, severe stomach or chest symptoms.
It is a good idea, especially for anything that affects hormones or blood sugar. A baseline lets you and your clinician see what changed later.
What should be in a peptide starter kit?+
The vial, bacteriostatic water if you mix it, insulin syringes, alcohol swabs, a sharps container, a fridge spot at 2 to 8 C, and a way to log doses.
When should I stop and get help?+
For signs of an allergic reaction, spreading redness or fever, severe stomach pain, chest pain or fainting. Call emergency services for trouble breathing or throat swelling.