Peplo · Reconstitution calculator

Semax

Russian-developed ACTH 4-10 analog; studied for nootropic, neuroprotective, and stroke-recovery effects.

cognitive

Reconstitution calculator

Vial Amount

The total peptide in the vial — the mg number on the label (e.g. 5 mg). This is your whole supply, not one dose.

Bacteriostatic Water

The sterile water you add to dissolve the powder (this is called reconstituting). More water makes small doses easier to measure.

Desired Dose

mcg

How much you take in one injection. 1 mg = 1000 mcg.

Syringe Size

Draw to 18 units

0.18 mL on a U-100 insulin syringe

A starting reference, not medical advice — see how we source this.

Half-life: ~0.5 h
Route: Nasal
Storage: Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (~30 days)
Citations: 6 referenced

US regulatory status

Not approved by the FDA for human use; sold and used as a research compound.

What is Semax?

Semax is a Russian-developed analog of the ACTH 4-10 fragment, typically administered nasally. It has been studied for nootropic, neuroprotective, and stroke-recovery effects and is proposed to influence BDNF expression and neurotrophic signaling.

How Semax works

Modulates BDNF expression, dopaminergic signalling, and neurotrophic factor release in the brain.

What the research says

The cited literature reports nootropic-like activity in humans, regulation of BDNF and trkB expression in rat hippocampus, and effects on NGF and BDNF gene expression across brain regions. Additional citations examine its use in patients at different stages of ischemic stroke and its effect on the human electroencephalogram. The evidence spans both animal models and some human observations.

Evidence limitations

These citations indicate what was examined and do not establish confirmed clinical outcomes.

Safety & use boundary

Semax is a research compound with limited large-scale controlled human evidence outside of specific regional studies. This information is for general education and is not medical advice.

Published protocols

Dosing figures reported in the cited research. Educational reference, not a recommendation.

cognitive
200–500 mcg, once daily
1996 study

How to reconstitute Semax

New to this? Here's the whole process, start to finish. Educational only — not medical advice.

What you'll need

The Semax vial — a small glass vial of white, freeze-dried powder
Bacteriostatic water — the liquid you mix in (not plain sterile or tap water)
U-100 insulin syringes — the small syringes marked in units
Alcohol swabs to wipe the vial tops before you touch them with a needle
A spot in the fridge to keep it once it's mixed

Step by step

Wipe everything down
Swab the rubber top of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water with an alcohol wipe. Clean tops are what keep the mixed solution good for weeks instead of days.
Draw the water
Use the calculator above to see how much bacteriostatic water to add for your vial size. Pull exactly that amount out of the water vial with a syringe.
Add it slowly
Push the needle into the peptide vial and let the water run gently down the inside glass wall — don't blast it straight onto the powder.
Let it dissolve
Swirl the vial gently or just let it sit. The powder goes into solution on its own in a minute or two. Never shake it hard.
Read your draw
Enter your vial size, the water you added, and your dose in the calculator. It shows the exact units to pull into your syringe — you never do the math yourself.
Store it cold
Cap it and keep it in the fridge. Semax stays good for about 30 days once it's mixed.

Reading your dose

The calculator gives you a number like “Draw to 20 units.” Units are just the numbered marks on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units fill 1 mL). “20 units” means pull the plunger back to the 20 mark. You don't convert milligrams to micrograms in your head — that's the whole point of the calculator. If you're brand new to injecting, learn proper technique and site rotation from a qualified clinician or nurse before your first dose; this page covers the mixing and measuring, not the injection itself.

Storing it

Before mixing: Refrigerated Once reconstituted: Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (about 30 days). Don't freeze a reconstituted vial.

What “cycling” means

Many peptides are used in “cycles” — a stretch of daily or weekly use (“on”), then a break (“off”), rather than continuously. Cycling gives the body a rest and is a common pattern in the research. Any specific on/off lengths for a compound live in its published protocols above, drawn from the cited studies — this site shows you what the research used, it doesn't recommend a schedule for you.

Which form do you have?

Semax is sold in more than one form — each is used differently.

Injectable vial: Ships as a freeze-dried powder you reconstitute with bacteriostatic water and draw on a U-100 insulin syringe — the reconstitution steps above walk through it.
Nasal spray: The powder is reconstituted and loaded into a nasal spray bottle rather than drawn into a syringe; each pump delivers a metered amount. Prime a new bottle with a few sprays before the first dose.

Common first-timer mistakes

Shaking the vial to mix it
Swirl it gently or just let it sit. Shaking can damage delicate peptides — you want the powder to dissolve, not foam.
Using tap water or plain sterile water
Use bacteriostatic water. Plain sterile water has no preservative, so a mixed vial spoils in a day or two instead of lasting weeks.
Leaving a mixed vial on the counter
Keep reconstituted vials in the fridge. Heat and light break the peptide down faster.
Eyeballing the dose instead of measuring
Use the calculator and draw to the exact unit mark on the syringe. Guessing a tiny volume is where most measuring errors happen.
Reusing needles
Use a fresh syringe each time. A used needle is duller, hurts more, and is no longer sterile.
Mixing up mg and mcg
1 mg = 1000 mcg. The calculator keeps them straight so you don't have to — just enter your dose in the unit it asks for.

Words you'll see

Reconstitution: Mixing a freeze-dried peptide powder with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
Bacteriostatic water: Sterile water with a tiny amount of benzyl alcohol that stops bacteria growing, so a mixed vial keeps for weeks. Not the same as plain sterile water.
U-100 insulin syringe: A small syringe marked in “units,” where 100 units = 1 mL. Peptide draws are measured in these units.
Subcutaneous (SubQ): An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin, rather than into muscle or a vein.
mcg vs mg: 1 mg = 1000 mcg. Doses are often written in micrograms (mcg); the calculator handles the conversion for you.
Lyophilized: Freeze-dried. The powder in the vial is the peptide with its water removed so it stays stable on the shelf.
Half-life: Roughly how long it takes your body to clear half of a dose — a rough sense of how long it stays active.

Common questions

What is Semax?

Russian-developed ACTH 4-10 analog; studied for nootropic, neuroprotective, and stroke-recovery effects. Modulates BDNF expression, dopaminergic signalling, and neurotrophic factor release in the brain.

How is Semax reconstituted?

Semax ships as a lyophilised powder and is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use, then drawn on an insulin syringe. Use the calculator above to see the exact units to draw for your vial size and dose. This is a reference tool, not medical advice.

What is the half-life of Semax?

Research reports an approximate half-life of 30 minutes for Semax. Half-life informs how frequently a compound is studied; it is not a dosing instruction.

How should Semax be stored?

Refrigerated Once reconstituted: Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (about 30 days). This is general storage information, not medical advice.

What is Semax commonly studied alongside?

In the research literature Semax is often discussed together with selank. Co-occurrence in studies is not an endorsement of any combination.

Related compounds

selank

Keep your protocol, doses, and vials in one place.

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