Sermorelin Eligibility & Contraindications, OPTML

✓You are likely a fit if

Sermorelin is a recovery and sleep tool, not a body-recomp shortcut. The right candidate is healthy with a specific recovery deficit.

Adults 30+ with declining sleep quality, slow recovery from training, or skin/joint changes.
Suboptimal but normal IGF-1 for age (typically lower quartile).
You sleep, train, and eat protein consistently, sermorelin amplifies inputs, it doesn't replace them.
You are willing to inject nightly for 6+ months.
You're cleared of malignancy and have no active illness.

Active or recent malignancy, growth-promoting therapies are inappropriate; oncology clearance required for any history.
Active proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Critical illness, sepsis, or post-cardiac/abdominal surgery within 12 months.
Significant intracranial hypertension or unexplained severe headaches.
Pituitary tumor, untreated or active.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Hypersensitivity to sermorelin or related peptides.
Severe untreated obstructive sleep apnea.

History of cancer in remission, oncology clearance required.
Diabetes / insulin resistance, GH axis activation can transiently worsen glucose; we monitor.
Active joint inflammation, can flare initially.
Carpal tunnel symptoms, can worsen at higher doses; we titrate.
Treated obstructive sleep apnea, OK if CPAP-adherent.
IGF-1 already at the upper end of normal, sermorelin may push it above range.

Lab	Why
IGF-1	The primary biomarker for GH axis. Baseline and re-test at week 12.
HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin	GH axis affects glucose handling.
CMP	Liver and kidney baseline.
Lipids	Cardiometabolic baseline.
CBC	General health.
TSH, free T4	Thyroid baseline; can shift on therapy.
Cortisol (AM)	HPA axis baseline.
PSA (men ≥ 40)	Standard prostate baseline.