The peptide reference, written by people who actually use them.
Long-form, opinionated guides on pharmacology, dosing, reconstitution, sourcing, bloodwork, side effects, and the law. No fluff, no hype, no eight-sentence stubs.
- Guides
- 12
- Total reading
- 122 min
- Clusters
- 5
Start here. Mechanism, administration, dosing, mixing — the things every protocol assumes you know.
Peptides 101: what they are and why everyone is talking about them
A grounded primer on what peptides actually are, how they work in the body, why interest has exploded, and how to think about the category without hype.
Administration routes: subq, IM, nasal, oral, topical
Subq vs IM vs nasal vs oral vs topical — how the delivery route shapes what a peptide can actually do.
Dosing fundamentals: mcg, mg, IU, titration, and cycling
How to read a peptide protocol without getting yourself hurt — units, titration, dose-response, cycling on and off, and why 'more' is almost never 'better'.
Reconstitution: bacteriostatic water, syringe math, and storage
Mixing a lyophilized peptide vial is the most error-prone step in self-administration. Here is the math, the technique, and the storage rules — with a calculator you can drive yourself.
How to verify what is in the vial, and what we refuse to recommend.
Sourcing and CoAs: how to verify a peptide is what the label says
Sourcing is the single biggest practical risk in the peptide category. Here is how to read a Certificate of Analysis, spot a fraudulent supplier, and assemble a sourcing checklist that actually filters.
The red list: peptides and products we will not recommend
Every category has compounds that should not be in circulation. Here is what we exclude from the PepVault index, and the reasoning behind each exclusion — so you can apply the same logic when something new appears.
Safety first: what to know before any peptide protocol
Sourcing, storage, sensitization, contraindications, and the questions worth asking before starting anything.
Bloodwork, side effects, and working with a clinician who actually knows the category.
Bloodwork and monitoring: what to test before, during, and after
A baseline panel before you start, a monitoring panel during a cycle, and a recovery panel after — broken down by peptide class so you actually know what you are looking at.
Side-effect playbook: what's normal, what's not, what to do
A class-by-class field manual for peptide side effects — what is expected, what is dose-related, what is a stop-immediately signal, and how to triage each one.
Working with a clinician: how to find one who actually knows peptides
Peptide-literate clinicians exist. So do clinics that will sell you whatever the protocol-of-the-month is. Here is how to tell the difference and what to ask in the first call.
What is legal, what is compounded, what is research-only — and how that is changing.
How we build the index, score matches, and decide what to publish.