Overview, Benefits, & Side Effects of Sermorelin Injections (2021)

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Written by Elite HRT on September 13, 2021

Medically reviewed by

Camille Freking, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, MEDICAL ADVISOR

Hormone replacement therapy can be a very involved process with many medications to understand. Sermorelin is a common medication used in hormone replacement therapy. 

Understanding the medications you are taking can help you to know what to expect and what you should report if you experience adverse effects. Some of the most important things to know are what the benefits are, the side effects, and who should and should not take sermorelin. 

Keep reading for a comprehensive guide on sermorelin medication and sermorelin injections. 

What is Sermorelin?

Sermorelin is a medication that is related to human growth hormone. Human growth hormone is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in your brain. 

Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary to signal the body to grow and support the tissues. The growth hormone supports the growth of the body in places such as the bones and muscles. 

Sermorelin is an analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that helps to stimulate the body to produce its own human growth hormone. Sermorelin is also known by the names of sermorelin acetate, Geref, and Gerel. 

What Are the Benefits of Sermorelin?

The main benefit of sermorelin is helping to balance out your growth hormone levels. Struggling with hormone imbalance can lead to a lot of unwanted symptoms that can diminish your quality of life. 

By restoring your growth hormone levels you may experience some benefits like promoting fat loss, boosting lean muscle mass, supporting healthy sleep, boosting energy levels, and boosting stamina. 

Support Healthy Sleep

Believe it or not, GHRH has a very important job when it comes to sleep. It may actually alter your sleep by impacting the amount of slow-wave sleep you get. It can also alter growth hormone release that is related to sleep. 

Stress is also related to sleep, and you may find it more difficult to sleep when you are feeling extra stressed. Sermorelin promotes the release of HGH which can also help to reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and is released from the adrenal glands. Regulated cortisol levels can help promote healthy sleep cycles. 

Boost Energy Levels

Adequate growth hormone levels may help support healthy mood and energy levels. Sermorelin may help to boost your energy levels to make it easier to make it through the day. With more energy, you can spend more time enjoying life and may even feel good enough to exercise more. 

Boost Stamina

With extra energy in the body, you may begin to notice more stamina than you had before. Your 5-mile run that used to be excruciating may be done with a little more finesse. Or your gym workout may seem easier when you hit the 1-hour mark and you may decide to keep going instead of heading to the showers. 

With extra stamina, not only will it feel better to exercise, but it also may help you to boost muscle growth if you decide to keep going for a little longer. If you are not feeling tired it can make it feel easier to work out, resulting in letting you work out for longer and keep building your muscles. 

What Are the Side Effects of Sermorelin?

The side effects of sermorelin are usually mild and manageable. The most common reaction is pain and swelling at the injection site. Other side effects that could occur are sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, hyperactivity, and flushing of the skin. Some of these side effects can be addressed by altering the medication dose or discontinuing it completely with guidance from your healthcare provider. 

The most serious reaction is an anaphylactic reaction, which is a severe allergic reaction. Signs of an anaphylactic reaction may include trouble breathing, hives, fast heartbeat, confusion, and clammy skin. If an anaphylactic reaction happens, call 911 or go to a nearby hospital. 

Regardless of the severity of the reaction, you should always let your doctor know any side effects you are experiencing so they can decide what the best course of action will be. 

Who Should Take Sermorelin?

Sermorelin can be prescribed for children and adults for varying reasons. Regardless of the age or underlying condition, sermorelin is for people that have a growth hormone deficiency

Several things can cause a hormone deficiency like this one. One possible cause is a structural issue with the pituitary gland. Damage to the pituitary gland may lead to decreased production of the appropriate hormones. Another possible cause of growth hormone deficiency is aging. As people get older, the levels of growth hormone slowly decrease and can even go to a low enough level that it can cause problems related to the low hormone levels. 

In order to have a prescription for sermorelin, you must take a blood test as prescribed by your doctor, with your results reflecting a deficiency. This blood test will measure the number of hormones that are naturally produced by the body. 

If the levels are below the normal range, your doctor may recommend and prescribe sermorelin injections.

Who Should Not Take Sermorelin?

Taking sermorelin is not something that should be done by everyone as it requires special criteria to be prescribed this medication. 

Growth hormone has been known to be used by athletes for strength building and muscle mass increase. When growth hormones are not used properly and under the care of a licensed healthcare provider, they can be dangerous. You should not use sermorelin for performance enhancement or without a verified prescription. 

If you are taking corticosteroids or thyroid medications, it is very important to tell your healthcare provider since sermorelin may interact with these drugs. Your provider can adjust your medications and decrease your risk of interactions. 

In order to work, sermorelin requires a working pituitary gland. If the pituitary gland is not functioning, the medication will not have the proper mechanisms to function in the body. 

If you are pregnant or lactating, caution should be used with taking this drug. Further studies are needed to determine if it is released through breastmilk and passed on to the baby. 

Always follow the guidance of your doctor regarding if sermorelin will be safe for you to take. 

How Do You Take a Sermorelin Injection?

Sermorelin is provided in an injection form. The medicine will be released into the subcutaneous tissue which is a fatty layer of tissue right below the skin. 

This process will take some practice at first but with time you will become a pro. Injecting yourself can be intimidating but usually gets better over time. 

Another option is to ask someone that you are with every day to administer the injections since this is often easier. 

Here are the steps for whoever is administering the injection: 

  1. The first step is to gather your supplies and prepare the injection. The supplies you will need are: a vial of the medication, syringe, correct needle size, 2 alcohol wipes
  2. Wash your hands before preparing the medication. 
  3. Next, confirm the dose and time the medication is supposed to be administered. 
  4. Pop the cap off from the vial, wipe the vial with an alcohol swab, and grab the appropriate syringe. 
  5. Your syringe likely has a needle already attached. Carefully uncap the needle and pull back the syringe to add the same amount of air that you would medication. For example, if your medication dose is 0.5 mg you should pull up 0.5 mg of air.
  6. Insert the needle into the vial and inject the air into the vial. Flip the vial upside down (with the syringe and needle still in it) and pull back the plunger to pull up the correct dose of sermorelin. Then, flip the vial and medication right side up and remove the needle and syringe.
  7. Choose an injection site — subcutaneous injections are usually done in the abdomen, back of the arms, or “love handles.”
  8. Clean the site with the alcohol swab. 
  9. Pinch the skin with your fingers, then insert the needle straight into your skin (not an angle) and administer the medication.
  10. Remove the needle and release the skin. 
  11. Dispose of the needle and syringe in a sharps container. 

Conclusion

Sermorelin is a human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog medication that may be used for both children and adults with growth hormone deficiency. 

If you think that you may have a growth hormone deficiency and need sermorelin, talk with your healthcare provider or a hormone therapy specialist to see if it’s a good fit.

Elite HRT has a team of specialists to create a personalized care plan that will address your needs. 

Ready to get started? Click here. 

Sources:

Sermorelin Injection

Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency

Cortisol