Your First Peptide Cycle

Why BPC-157 Is the Best First Peptide

If you’re running your first peptide cycle, the answer is BPC-157. Here’s why:

• Wide safety margin. Preclinical toxicology showed no adverse effects at any dose tested. The LD50 is 2 grams per kg of body weight — thousands of times above the therapeutic dose. A 2025 human pilot study of IV BPC-157 found no effects on heart, liver, kidney, or blood biomarkers.
• Simple protocol. One peptide, one injection per day, subcutaneous only. No complex stacking, no PCT, no cycling gymnastics.
• Forgiving dosing. The effective range (250–500 mcg/day) is wide. Being slightly off on your reconstitution math won’t ruin the protocol.
• Broad applicability. Tendons, ligaments, muscle, gut, general inflammation — most beginners have a relevant use case.

What You Need (Shopping List)

1. BPC-157 — One 5 mg vial (lyophilized powder). Source from a reputable supplier with third-party certificates of analysis (CoA). This is the most important purchase decision.
2. Bacteriostatic water (BAC water) — One 30 mL bottle. NOT sterile water. BAC water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative that prevents bacterial growth, allowing multi-use over 28 days.
3. Insulin syringes — U-100, 29–31 gauge, 0.5 inch needle, 1 mL capacity. One per injection, never reuse. Buy at least 30.
4. Mixing syringe — One 3 mL syringe with 20-gauge, 1-inch needle. Only for transferring BAC water during reconstitution.
5. Alcohol prep pads — Box of 100.

Total cost for supplies (excluding peptide): approximately $15–25. Pre-made injection kits bundle everything.

The Protocol: 250 mcg/Day for 4 Weeks

Parameter	Value
Peptide	BPC-157
Daily dose	250 mcg (single injection)
Frequency	Once daily, same time each day
Route	Subcutaneous
Cycle length	4 weeks (extend to 6–8 if healing is progressing)
Vial size	5 mg
BAC water added	2 mL
Concentration	2,500 mcg/mL
Per injection	10 units on insulin syringe = 250 mcg
Injections per vial	20 (= 20 days)

Why 250 mcg and not lower: 100 mcg is below the minimum effective dose. Starting at 250 mcg ensures you’re in the therapeutic range. The safety profile supports it. Going lower to “test tolerance” just wastes time and product.

Why once daily, not twice: Twice daily (125 mcg morning + 125 mcg evening) maintains more stable blood levels, but asking a first-timer to inject twice on day one is a psychological barrier. Start with once daily. If comfortable after week 1, consider splitting to twice daily or increasing to 500 mcg once daily.

How to Reconstitute Your Peptide

This is the step that intimidates people most. It’s dead simple.

1. Wash hands thoroughly.
2. Remove the BPC-157 vial from the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.
3. Pop the plastic cap off the peptide vial to expose the rubber stopper.
4. Wipe the rubber stopper with an alcohol prep pad. Let it air dry.
5. Wipe the BAC water bottle stopper with an alcohol prep pad.
6. Draw 2 mL (200 units) of BAC water into the mixing syringe.
7. Insert the needle through the rubber stopper of the BPC-157 vial.
8. Inject the BAC water slowly, aimed at the glass wall — not directly onto the powder. This prevents foaming and degradation.
9. Remove the syringe gently.
10. Swirl gently until the powder dissolves. Never shake. Should dissolve in 30–60 seconds into a clear, colorless solution.
11. Label the vial: “BPC-157, 5 mg/2 mL, 25 mcg/unit” + date.
12. Refrigerate immediately.

You do this once per vial. Every injection after this is just drawing from the reconstituted vial.

How to Inject (Step by Step)

1. Remove the reconstituted vial from the fridge. Let it warm 5–10 minutes. Cold injections sting more.
2. Wash hands.
3. Wipe the vial stopper with an alcohol prep pad.
4. Draw your dose: pull back the insulin syringe to 10 units. Tap out air bubbles, push slightly to expel them.
5. Choose an injection site:
   • Belly fat — 2+ inches from the navel. Most common, most tissue to work with.
   • Front of thigh — midway between hip and knee.
   • Back of upper arm (harder to reach solo).
6. Clean the site with an alcohol prep pad. Let it air dry.
7. Pinch a fold of skin between your thumb and forefinger.
8. Insert the needle at a 45-degree angle into the pinched skin fold.
9. Push the plunger slowly and steadily. Almost no resistance — this is nothing like a flu shot.
10. Remove the needle. Release the skin fold.
11. Don’t rub. Light pressure with a clean pad if there’s any bleeding.
12. Dispose of the syringe in a sharps container. Never recap and reuse.

Rotate injection sites. Alternate between at least 4 sites (left belly, right belly, left thigh, right thigh). Same spot every day causes lipohypertrophy.

What to Expect Week by Week

Week 1: Baseline

• Days 1–3: Mostly nothing. Maybe mild injection-site redness that fades within an hour. Some people report slightly improved sleep.
• Days 4–7: If you have an active injury, the “background noise” of pain starts to quiet. Inflammation decreases. Less morning stiffness.
• Important: Less pain does NOT mean the tissue is healed. Do not increase activity yet.

Week 2: Noticeable Changes

• Reduced joint stiffness, especially mornings
• Gut issues: less bloating, improved motility
• Injury swelling continues decreasing
• Range of motion may improve

Weeks 3–4: Functional Improvement

• Real tissue repair is happening: collagen fibers realigning, tendon outgrowth accelerating
• Load tolerance returns — you can start doing things that hurt before
• Gut improvements become more consistent
• Many users report feeling “back to normal” for injuries that have nagged for months

Weeks 5–8 (Extended Cycle)

• Tissue strength and load-bearing return in earnest
• Chronic injuries complete deeper structural repair
• Diminishing returns after week 6–8 for most use cases

Caveat: Individual response varies. Some people feel dramatic improvement by day 5. Some don’t notice much until week 4. Neither is wrong. Track your pain scale, range of motion, and morning stiffness daily.

When Not to Use BPC-157

These are hard stops, not soft suggestions:

• Active cancer or tumor history. BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis. New blood vessels can feed tumors. Anyone with cancer, cancer in recent remission, or strong family history should consult an oncologist.
• Blood thinners. Zero clinical data on interactions. BPC-157’s pro-angiogenic properties create fragile new vessels. Combined with reduced clotting, this creates bleeding risk.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding. No safety data. Not studied. Don’t be the case study.
• Autoimmune conditions. BPC-157 modulates immune pathways. In an overactive immune system, the effect is unpredictable. Consult your specialist.
• Under 18. No pediatric data.
• Subject to WADA/USADA testing. Both are banned substances.

Mistakes That Will Waste Your Time and Money

1. Buying cheap peptides without a CoA. 12–58% of unregulated products are contaminated. If no third-party certificate of analysis, you don’t know what’s in the vial.
2. Using sterile water instead of BAC water. Sterile water has no preservative. Once pierced, bacteria can grow. BAC water is safe for 28 days of multi-use.
3. Dosing below the effective range. 100 mcg is below threshold. Start at 250 mcg.
4. Stacking multiple peptides on day one. You won’t know what’s working or causing any side effects. Master one peptide first.
5. Not rotating injection sites. Same spot daily causes lumps.
6. Stopping early because you “feel better.” Pain reduction happens before structural repair. Complete the 4-week minimum.
7. Freezing reconstituted peptide. Freezing destroys it. Only freeze unreconstituted powder.
8. Reusing needles. An insulin syringe costs $0.20. A skin infection costs significantly more.

How to Know If It’s Working

BPC-157 isn’t caffeine. There’s no immediate “I feel it” moment. Track these:

Objective markers:

• Pain scale 1–10, every morning before you move
• Range of motion: can you reach/bend further than last week?
• Morning stiffness duration: how long to “loosen up”?
• Load tolerance: what activity level triggers pain?

Red flags (stop and reassess):

• Persistent injection-site reaction lasting 24+ hours
• Heart palpitations or chest discomfort
• Severe nausea or systemic reaction

These are rare but reported with contaminated products. Stop the protocol and consult a provider.

“It’s not working” at 3+ weeks:

1. Verify your source (is the peptide legitimate?)
2. Verify your reconstitution math (are you actually injecting 250 mcg?)
3. Verify storage (has it been refrigerated?)
4. Consider increasing to 500 mcg/day
5. Consider adding TB-500 via the Wolverine Stack

What Comes After Your First Cycle

Once you’ve completed a BPC-157 cycle, you have options:

• Run another BPC-157 cycle after 4–8 weeks off, if the injury needs more time
• Add TB-500 for the Wolverine Stack — the most popular second step
• Explore the full BPC-157 Protocol for advanced dosing strategies
• Browse the Directory for other peptide protocols matched to your goals