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Semax

Discussed for focus and memory; registered as a medicine in Russia.

StatusRegistered in Russia; not approved (EU/UK/US)
How well studied in peopleSmall human studies
Experts quoted6 experts

iNot medical advice. We don’t recommend any dose. Every dose below is a quote from the person named, describing their views or their own use. Semax is registered as a medicine in Russia. It is not approved in the EU, UK or US.

What experts say about dosing

8 statements from 6 people. Each one is word for word: we add punctuation only and mark cuts with […]. The chips repeat the exact words used.

Dr Edwin LeeEndocrinologist; founder of the Institute for Hormonal Balance (Orlando)

Slides for doctors: one spray in each nostril daily

Dose
“750 mcg per nasal spray in each nostril (total 1500 mcg)”
How often
“once a day”
How taken
“intranasal”

“• Suggested dosing • 750 mcg per nasal spray in each nostril once a day. (total dose of 1500 mcg) • The stroke studies used up 18 mg a day”

Read the source (at p. 44)Neuro regenerative Peptides, conference slides by Edwin Lee MD (agemed.org, PDF) · upload date not confirmed

Context: On the same slide he notes that Semax has poor oral delivery and can be given under the skin or into the nose. From his conference slides for doctors (Age Management Medicine Group); the slides are undated.

Vigorous SteveBodybuilding coach and YouTuber (VigorousSteve)

Own use: intranasal

Dose
“a thousand micrograms … 500 micrograms in each nostril”
How often
“once per day”
How long
“four weeks and then take a break”
How taken
“inter-nasally … nasal spray”
When
“upon waking”

“to be clear, i've been using a thousand micrograms c-max upon waking inter-nasally like once per day so i administer 500 micrograms in each nostril with the nasal spray upon waking”

Watch at 9:08SEMAX: The KGB Super Soldier Serum For Strength Athletes (VigorousSteve) · 2 Sep 2021

Context: “c-max” is how the captions render Semax. He was 10 days in and planned “four weeks and then take a break”.

Own use: comparison protocol

Dose
“a th000 micrograms”
How taken
“nasal drops or subcutaneous”

“I've been doing this comparison with dosages of exactly a th000 micrograms SX nasal drops or subcutaneous administrations or 1,000 micrograms sank nasal drops or subc subcutaneous Administration so the dosing protocol has been exactly the same”

Watch at 15:13Semax Vs. Selank PART 2 | Peri-Workout Protocol Against BRAIN FOG (VigorousSteve) · 15 Oct 2021

Context: “SX” is how the captions render Semax and “sank” Selank. In part 1 he says he used both for four weeks.

Own use: on/off cycling

Dose
not stated
How long
“one month on, one month off”

“but I've tried some Max, I like it one month on, one month off. I haven't touched it in a while because of course the fertility data is uh far from, far from conclusive”

Watch at 28:46IGF-1-LR3 Protocols, High-Dose Test… (VigorousSteve Q&A, 23 Dec 2023) · 23 Dec 2023

Context: “some Max” is how the captions render Semax. Said in a solo Q&A livestream.

Ben GreenfieldFitness and longevity author; host of Ben Greenfield Life

Brain-health stack

Dose
“1–2 sprays”
How taken
“nasally”

“Semax: 1–2 sprays nasally.”

Read the sourceWhat Are Peptides? Find Out the Best Peptide Stacks (bengreenfieldlife.com) · 18 Dec 2023

Context: Listed in his “Sample Stack for Brain Health”, which he introduces with “I recommend the following peptide stacks for various purposes”. The spray strength is not stated.

Dr Jones DCDoctor of chiropractic (DC); YouTube channel on peptides and GLP-1 medications

Nasal Semax + Selank: per application

Dose
“around 1 milligram per application”
How often
“up to three times per day”
How long
“break after 2 to 3 months if daily”
How taken
“nasal spray”

“Now, both are in nasal spray because we do want this in the brain. Nasal is optimal here. Doing can be anywhere around 1 milligram per application up to three times per day. Switching between nostrils. Some patients use it daily for cognitive demands. Others use it situationally like a bit of a neutropic where only when I need it. If you are running it every day, give yourself a break probably after 2 to 3 months.”

Watch at 10:59Doctor Reveals The 10 Most POWERFUL Peptide Stacks (Dr Jones DC) · 17 Oct 2025

Context: “both” means Semax and Selank, which he presents as a pair (the captions render them “CAX” and “Seal”). He does not give separate amounts for each. “Doing” is how the captions render “Dosing”.

Dr Alex TatemBoard-certified urologist and men’s health specialist; YouTube educator

Russian label vs grey-market use

Dose
“somewhere between 100 and 1,000 micrograms a day”
How often
“usually 5 days on, 2 days off”
How taken
“nasal sprays”

“Now, the Russian stuff comes as nasal drops with two strengths. We have a 0.1% solution for the cognitive boost and stroke recovery indications, and then a stronger 1% reserve for acute stroke in the hospital. One drop of the 0.1% is about 50 micrograms, and the labeled daily range runs from a few hundred up to a couple thousand micrograms. Usually only run for a couple days at a time. The gray market, meanwhile, is its own animal. Biohackers have reported using nasal sprays, usually somewhere between 100 and 1,000 micrograms a day, usually 5 days on, 2 days off.”

Watch at 9:59The “Limitless” Peptide Actually Exists… (Dr Alex Tatem) · 29 Jun 2026

Context: He describes the Russian product label and what biohackers report, not his own use. He adds that injecting it under the skin has “no obvious upside” in his view.

Nicholas TrigiliHuman performance specialist and coach; fitness YouTuber

Dose, split and cycling

Dose
“300 400 … 600 micrograms is a lot”
How often
“Split into two doses, morning afternoon”
How long
“21 to 30 days on and then off”

“Typical dosing, 300 400 I mean, 600 micrograms is a lot. I don't typically go that high unless it's like I got to hammer it. Split into two doses, morning afternoon. You can cycle this a couple times a year. I don't recommend running as needed, but people do. […] I like structuring it to 21 to 30 days on and then off”

Watch at 10:16I ran EPITALON so you don't have to, here are my honest results (Nicholas Trigili) · 17 Jul 2026

Context: Part of an epitalon-based stack. The cut removes “You're going to do what you want.”

What experts say about safety

2 statements from 2 people about risks and how strong the evidence is.

Vigorous SteveBodybuilding coach and YouTuber (VigorousSteve)

Clinical dose range and caution

“now the clinical dosages vary from 100 to 300 micrograms once or twice per day again that's from what I was able to piece together there's a little bit of caution advised dosing SX Beyond 5 micrograms per 1 kilogram of body weight so for 100 kilo bodybuilder that would be 500 micrograms of SX and Beyond those dosages several Studies have shown that might raise liver enzymes and alter lipid concentrations”

Watch at 5:01Semax Vs. Selank PART 2 | Peri-Workout Protocol Against BRAIN FOG (VigorousSteve) · 15 Oct 2021

Context: His summary of clinical use in Russia, not his own protocol. We have not verified the liver-enzyme claim.

Ben GreenfieldFitness and longevity author; host of Ben Greenfield Life

Own use

“And for a nootropic-like brain boost, the peptide Semax is one of my favorites, as it can provide hours of focused cognitive performance without deleteriously affecting sleep or causing any type of anxiety or jitters.”

Read the sourcePeptides Part 1 (bengreenfieldlife.com) · 11 Jan 2022

Context: No dose given.

Go deeper

What the research used

Context, not a dosing guide. The clinical study we could verify is in stroke rehabilitation, published in Russian. It is not a guide to nootropic use.

Human studies

StudyStudied inWhat the study usedWhat it found
Gusev et al., 2018, Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S KorsakovaPubMed 29798983110 patients after ischaemic stroke6,000 mcg/day, two 10-day coursesHigher BDNF levels and better recovery of daily function vs control
What we don’t know yet
  • Clinical studies are few, mostly in stroke and published in Russian.
  • No placebo-controlled trial of Semax for cognition in healthy people found.
  • Vigorous Steve mentions possible liver-enzyme and lipid changes at higher doses; we have not verified this.
  • Grey-market products are unregulated, so identity, purity and dose accuracy vary.
Common questions

Why do the quotes say “c-max”, “SX” or “some Max”?

That is how YouTube’s auto-captions render “Semax”. We keep the captions as they are.

How is Semax taken?

The quotes describe nasal sprays or drops, and sometimes subcutaneous injection.

Why does the protocol section only contain quotes?

We do not write our own dose ranges. The protocol cards show, word for word, what named people have publicly said, with their caveats and a link to the source.

About this page

Word-for-word statements about how Semax is used, usually as a nasal spray, each with a link to the source. The research, mostly from Russia, is listed separately as context.

Also known as
Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro; ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro
Type
Synthetic heptapeptide (ACTH fragment analogue)
Last updated
11 Oct 2026

Last reviewed 11 Oct 2026 · Compiled by the Peptide Dosing editorial team · How we check quotes