# GHRP-2 and GHRP-6

The first generation of growth-hormone-releasing peptides. They act on the receptor for the hunger hormone.

Also called: Pralmorelin, Growth-hormone-releasing peptides
Source page: https://peplogue.com/peptides/ghrp/
Updated: 2026-10-22. Not medical advice.

## How it works

- Where it acts: Ghrelin receptors on the pituitary gland and in the brain.
- What it changes: Strong pulses of growth hormone. Both can also raise cortisol and prolactin.
- What people notice: GHRP-6 sharply increases hunger. Water retention is common. Little trial data.

## What the evidence shows

- **Muscle gain or anti-aging**: Lab only. No long-term controlled trials.
- **Raises growth hormone**: Early. Small, short studies. In six growth-hormone-deficient children, GHRP-2 raised growth from 3.0 to 5.3 cm a year.
- **Appetite stimulation**: Early. Seven lean men ate 36% more after GHRP-2, the opposite of a fat-loss drug.

## Side effects and risks

- serious: FDA notes deaths among critically ill patients in GHRP-2 studies. The cause was not established.
- common: Strong hunger, higher cortisol and higher blood sugar.
- unknown: No long-term safety or cancer data.

Who should avoid it: People with diabetes, and athletes.

## How it has been given in studies

Short infusions, single injections or nasal sprays, dosed by body weight. There is no approved consumer dose.

## Legal status

- United States: undefined. Not on the list pharmacies may compound from. On the FDA safety-risk list for outsourcing facilities.
- European Union: undefined
- Spain: undefined. Research peptide. No authorised medicine in Spain (no CIMA entry found). Not lawful to sell to the public as a medicine, food or cosmetic.
- Germany: undefined. Not approved in Germany. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are named in the AntiDopG doping annex; unapproved sale is a crime under the AMG.
- France: undefined. No French authorisation found. Not named by ANSM, but its Jul 2026 alert says peptides bought outside the official circuit are illegal.
- Italy: undefined. No Italian authorisation found. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are on the WADA banned list. Sold online as research vials; not a lawful medicine.
- Netherlands: undefined. No Dutch marketing authorisation for GHRP-2 or GHRP-6. Online sale as a medicine is illegal per IGJ. Banned in sport (WADA S2).
- United Kingdom: undefined
- Canada: undefined. Named in a 2025 Health Canada advisory on unauthorized injectable peptides.
- Australia: undefined. Schedule 4 and Appendix D of the Poisons Standard: possession without authority is illegal.

## Questions people ask

**Does GHRP-6 make you hungry?**

Yes. GHRP-6 sharply increases hunger, and in one study seven lean men ate 36% more after GHRP-2. Some users take them on purpose for bulking.

**How do GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 compare with ipamorelin?**

Both give strong pulses of growth hormone and can also raise cortisol and prolactin. They have largely been replaced by ipamorelin in clinics and stacks.

**What are the side effects of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6?**

Strong hunger, higher cortisol and higher blood sugar, plus water retention. FDA notes deaths among critically ill patients in GHRP-2 studies, cause not established, and there are no long-term safety or cancer data.

**Are GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 legal?**

In the US they are not on the list pharmacies may compound from and are on the FDA safety-risk list for outsourcing facilities. In Australia possession without authority is illegal, and Health Canada named them in a 2025 advisory.

## Sources

- Sigalos & Pastuszak 2018: review of growth-hormone secretagogues: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5632578/
- FDA: bulk substances that may present significant safety risks: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
- WADA Prohibited List: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list