Hexarelin Side Effects | What Researchers Must Know

Considering incorporating hexarelin into a research protocol, but want to fully understand the hexarelin side effects and risks first?

Then read on, because in this guide, researchers will receive information about:

• Hexarelin side effects based on clinical studies
• How to protect against the most common safety risks

This guide will also educate on some of the major benefits hexarelin has to offer. Also, we provide details on where to buy research-grade hexarelin and research supplies online.

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What is Hexarelin?

Hexarelin is a synthetic peptide composed of six amino acids. It is an analog of ghrelin, which is known as the “hunger hormone” and acts as a ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), making hexarelin an effective growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) [1].

Hexarelin was formulated in the mid 1980s by a team of researchers at Tulane Medical School. Bowers and colleagues sought to create a growth hormone secretagogue that would leave other hormones unaffected.

Their invention of hexarelin did not quite accomplish this, as hexarelin still has some dose-dependent effects on hormones like cortisol and prolactin. But the researchers did find that the hexapeptide was superior to older GHRPs in terms of potency and half-life [2].

Following decades of research, scientists have uncovered numerous potential applications of hexarelin. Emerging studies show that it may have therapeutic applications for patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders [1].

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What Does Hexarelin Do?

Growth hormone plays a key role in the growth and development of children and adolescents, and adults experience a linear decline in GH as they age. While this reduction in circulating GH is an expected part of the aging process, chronic GH deficiency leads to many age-related troubles like osteopenia, sarcopenia, thinning skin, and loss of libido [3].

Hexarelin is first and foremost a powerful GHRP. As such, the peptide elicits GH-related responses from the body such as increased bone density, increased lean mass, reduced fat storage, and even increased skin thickness [4]. This makes hexarelin an attractive compound in anti-aging research and as a body composition improvement agent.

Hexarelin can also help the body heal from training and injuries by upregulating the expression of genes in tendons and muscles that are responsible for collagen production and synthesis [5].

Another compelling potential benefit of hexarelin is its ability to improve the way the body stores, partitions, and releases fat [6].

With such a broad range of benefits, one might be concerned that hexarelin is a chemical that can lead to a comparable degree of side effects. However, when reading about the studies done on this peptide, researchers will find that side effects are typically minimal and reversible.

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Hexarelin Side Effects and Safety | A Comprehensive Review

Comparatively little of the research into hexarelin has involved human subjects. This has limited much of the data on hexarelin’s possible benefits and side effects to be drawn from test-tube and animal studies.

Even so, when hexarelin is administered for research, the benefits seem to be many and the side effects seem to be few.

The below side effects of hexarelin are presented as worst-case scenarios to make researchers aware of what could happen during experimentation. As long as a responsible dosing schedule and cycle are followed, these are unlikely to manifest.

Hexarelin and Desensitization

Researchers working with growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) usually want to know if the body will either stop producing its own GH or stop responding to the exogenous compound.

With hexarelin administration, the body’s production of pulsatile GH is enhanced, but not overridden by the peptide. This means that the body will not stop producing growth hormone endogenously once hexarelin therapy ceases, as shown in long-term experiments [4].

But partial and reversible desensitization to hexarelin is a concern. Studies have found that subjects’ responses to hexarelin significantly declined at week 4 and again at week 16 of daily administration. Notably, after a four-week break from hexarelin administration, the subjects’ sensitivity to the peptide returned to pre-experiment baseline levels [7].

Overproduction of Cortisol

One human study by Massoud et al. (1996) demonstrated that when administered in high doses, hexarelin causes an increase in serum cortisol levels [8].

When cortisol levels remain elevated over time, severe hypercortisolism (known as Cushing’s disease) can develop. This is life-threatening, as the disease causes other bodily systems to malfunction and eventually fail [9]. Please note that this is rare and will not occur without hexarelin or GH abuse.

This side effect can be avoided by using the minimal effective dose of hexarelin during experimentation and taking subjects off hexarelin treatment if signs of high cortisol become evident.

Overproduction of Prolactin

In the same human study mentioned above, high doses of hexarelin caused excess prolactin production [8].

In extreme cases, hyperprolactinemia can develop from chronically elevated prolactin levels. While many people may not exhibit symptoms from this condition, some will experience complications like blindness, infertility, and disruptions in other hormones [10].

This condition is particularly dire when experienced by men, as their testosterone levels will plummet due to hypogonadism [11].

This rare side effect, like hypercortisolism, is preventable with a conscientious approach to experimentation.

General Injection Side Effects

Hexarelin is given as a subcutaneous injection. Here are some of the potential side effects associated with this delivery method, all observable at or near the injection site [12]:

• Pain
• Burst blood vessels
• Bruising
• Infection

As seen, responsible dosing, careful monitoring, and good hygiene will drastically mitigate the likelihood of these side effects from interfering with the desired outcomes of hexarelin.

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Is Hexarelin Safe?

Since growth hormone-releasing peptides work synergistically with the body’s endogenous GH-release process, most of them are considered to be safe to use and well-tolerated by most subjects [13]. Hexarelin is no exception.

In their study of the long-term impact of hexarelin therapy on growth hormone, Rahim et al. (1994) attributed a favorable safety profile to the compound. With its ability to increase growth hormone while minimally disrupting auxiliary systems, the potential for hexarelin to cause long-term damage is low [3].

Not only is hexarelin widely considered to be safe on its own, but researchers are also discovering that it might be preferable to exogenous ghrelin therapy in the treatment of certain cardiovascular conditions. This is because hexarelin is a more stable chemical with more potency than ghrelin, and thus can be administered in lower doses to get the same effect as high-dose ghrelin [14].

The study by Massoud et al. (1996) on the potential of hexarelin to increase prolactin and cortisol also revealed the key to ensuring subjects’ safety. The undesirable rises in cortisol and prolactin were associated with progressively higher doses of hexarelin. With more modest doses, prolactin and cortisol were almost completely unaltered. Better yet, when hexarelin use was discontinued, levels returned to normal [8].

Overall, hexarelin cannot be described as 100% safe, as there needs to be substantially more human trials conducted. But when we take all the existing research into account, the future for hexarelin looks bright.

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Is Hexarelin Legal?

When questioning whether hexarelin is legal, the answer is that it depends on the context.

The United States Food and Drug Administration tightly regulates the use of exogenous growth hormone therapy, but generally views GH secretagogues as Investigational New Drugs. When it comes to GHRPs like hexarelin, the FDA has not approved any of these peptides for use in humans. While some peptides can legally be prescribed by compounding pharmacies, hexarelin is not yet one of these [13].

And although hexarelin is not a steroid (see next section), its status as a growth hormone secretagogue has prompted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to add it to its list of prohibited substances [15].

This means that even if an athlete subject to the WADA Code or similar statute could legally obtain hexarelin from a doctor, they would still be penalized for violating the anti-doping rules if they were tested for the substance.

So no, hexarelin is not legal for human use.

But hexarelin is legal for use in in vitro research and laboratory experimentation.

Continued experimentation with hexarelin is important, because every study showing its benefits and safety may further persuade the FDA to consider approving it for human use.

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Is Hexarelin a Steroid?

A common misconception about peptides is that they are equivalent or comparable to anabolic steroids, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Steroids, derived from lipids, primarily mimic testosterone to stimulate muscle growth and to encourage the development of male traits like facial hair growth and deepening of the voice [16].

Steroids are frequently abused as performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs, by athletes looking to gain a competitive edge. However, using these substances carries inherent legal risks, not to mention these side effects commonly resulting from steroid usage [16]:

• Psychiatric problems
• Stunted growth (teenagers)
• Excessive body hair growth (women)
• Excessive breast tissue development (men)

Steroid abuse can unfortunately lead to irreversible side effects and can lead to death [16].

Hexarelin is not a steroid but a peptide, or chain of amino acids. It was designed to enhance the body’s natural growth hormone production without blunting it, and does not significantly affect other hormones when administered responsibly.

As researchers now know from reading the section regarding its side effects, hexarelin is largely safe and has a comparably small list of potential adverse effects. Most side effects that have been documented were reversible.

In summary, hexarelin does not mimic testosterone, it will not cause androgenization, and it is certainly not a steroid.

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Hexarelin Benefits | Top 3

Though not all-encompassing, this section will touch on a few of the benefits of hexarelin in which researchers are most interested.

Hexarelin for Fat Loss

Hexarelin activates CD36 receptors within fat cells. This results in decreased lipid content of the cells (i.e. fat loss) and mobilization of the free fatty acids for use in energy production (i.e. fat burning) [17].

In a study on non-obese insulin-resistant mice, hexarelin improved the blood lipid profile and insulin sensitivity in the rodents, with the remarkable effect of reversing fatty liver disease and diabetes. Rectifying obesity-related complications allows subjects to reach and maintain a healthy body composition [18].

Hexarelin for Lean Mass Gain

Hexarelin can promote an increase in muscle tissue by protecting it from mitochondrial damage. This is particularly important for older individuals, those going through chemotherapy, and those inducing muscle damage via resistance training [19].

Another way hexarelin protects and promotes muscle growth is by maintaining proper calcium levels within muscle tissue. This keeps the muscles functioning optimally, resulting in greater contractile force and an enhanced ability to heal from damage [20].

Hexarelin for Protection of Heart and Brain Tissue

Hexarelin is a target for preventing and treating atherosclerosis. Not only does hexarelin prevent arterial plaque from forming as rapidly as it would in untreated subjects, but it also prevents foam cell formation and other detrimental effects of high LDL cholesterol [14, 21].

Finally, hexarelin has impressed researchers with its ability to reduce inflammation in the brain, protect healthy brain cells from damage or death, encourage the formation of new brain cells, and facilitate the death and disposal of diseased brain cells [22].

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Where to Buy Hexarelin Online? | 2024 Edition

Safely conducting studies on hexarelin starts with finding a pure product. Professionals know they should not work with research chemicals that have questionable potency, unnecessary fillers, or shady sourcing.

What makes finding high-quality hexarelin challenging is the sheer number of online vendors advertising peptides for sale. It can be daunting to hand over money in exchange for a product that may not even reflect what’s on the label.

Luckily, the Peptides.org team feels confident in its recommendation on where to buy excellent hexarelin that is held to a 99% purity guarantee.

PureRawz

PureRawz is our top pick for purchasing hexarelin and other research chemicals.

Aside from being a beacon of light in the peptide research community, PureRawz has the following features of a standup company:

• Great Prices: One of the main perks of buying pure hexarelin from PureRawz is that researchers will never overpay. This vendor keeps its costs as low as possible and offers multiple-item discounts, as well as free U.S. shipping past a certain spending threshold.
• Speedy Delivery: Once the order is out the door, express shipping will have the peptide to its destination in about 4-7 business days — in most cases.
• Verified By Multiple Labs: PureRawz purity tests its research peptides by both first- and third-party labs to ensure 99% purity. This allows researchers to conduct study with confidence.

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Side Effects of Hexarelin | Verdict

After reviewing this in-depth guide, we trust that researchers have a better grasp of the many facets of hexarelin research, including about the peptide’s known uses and side effects.

Since we need more research to understand all the ways hexarelin can be utilized to improve human health, we do not know the extent of adverse effects it could cause.

That said, the hexarelin side effects discovered up to this point have been dose-dependent, minimal, and reversible.

When viewed from a lens of risk versus reward, the beneficial potential of hexarelin seems to significantly outweigh its possible side effects. Just make sure to purchase responsibly and follow a science-based dosing protocol in research.

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