Semax Dosage Chart: 1mg SubQ, 2-3x/Week Protocol

Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of ACTH(4-10) — the fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone responsible for cognitive effects without hormonal activity. Approved in Russia for cognitive disorders and ischemic stroke, it has documented BDNF upregulation in preclinical (rat hippocampus) studies and neuroprotective effects in Russian clinical research.

Research-context information only. Semax is a research peptide. Protocols, doses, and reactions reported below come from published research and self-reported community sources. This article reports what has been documented, not what should be done. Consult a licensed physician for personal medical decisions.

Semax is not FDA-approved. It has clinical approval in Russia only. This is not medical advice. For a deeper look at how Semax works, see our Semax benefits guide.

Semax Dosage Chart by Route

Semax doses are reported in micrograms for nasal use and in milligrams for injection, which is why figures across sources look so different. The Russian prescribing label covers the 0.1% nasal drops (1 mg/mL, about 50 mcg per drop); SubQ figures come from community reports only.

Drop math for the 0.1% solution: 1 drop is about 50 mcg, so 2 drops per nostril is about 200 mcg, and 3 drops per nostril is about 300 mcg.

SubQ Vial Protocol (Community-Reported)

The intermittent SubQ schedule below is the one most often described for reconstituted research vials. It does not come from a clinical trial; Russian clinical use is short daily courses of nasal drops.

For stack protocols and peptide comparisons, see our peptide stacking guide.

SubQ Cycling (Community Reports)

The intermittent schedule most often described in community sources is 1 mg subcutaneous in the morning, 2-3 days per week, for 8 weeks on / 8 weeks off. Daily schedules at 200-500 mcg are the other common pattern, typically run for several weeks followed by a break. Neither schedule has been tested in a clinical trial.

Community-described weeks 1-2 (assessment phase): Documented community protocols begin at 1 mg, 2 days per week, to gauge cognitive response and tolerance. Semax has mild stimulatory effects — community sources describe dosing before cognitive tasks and avoiding late evening dosing.

Community-described weeks 3-8 (maintenance phase): Documented community protocols continue at 1 mg, 2-3 days per week depending on self-reported response. Community sources commonly describe residual cognitive benefits persisting into the off-cycle.

Semax Variants

• Standard Semax — the original clinically studied heptapeptide
• N-Acetyl Semax (NASA) — acetylated for improved stability and CNS penetration
• N-Acetyl Semax Amidate — further modified for enhanced potency; less clinical data

Routes of Administration

Intranasal drops are the original Russian clinical route and the only one on the approved label. The 0.1% solution (about 50 mcg per drop) is used for cognitive, fatigue and optic-nerve indications at 2-3 drops per nostril, several times a day; the 1% solution is used in hospital for acute stroke. Effects are reported within 15-30 minutes of nasal delivery.

Subcutaneous injection is the community alternative, described in community sources as offering more consistent absorption. Community sources describe 29-31 gauge insulin syringes and abdominal or flank injection sites.

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Reconstitution Quick Reference

Community reconstitution resources describe the following dilution math; it is reported here, not recommended as a preparation.

Community resources describe the math as 30 mg / 3 mL = 10 mg/mL, so a 1 mg dose is described as 0.1 mL (10 units).

Community protocols describe gentle swirling — not shaking — to avoid degradation, with storage at 2–8°C and use within 28 days.

Where These Numbers Come From

Semax has a substantial clinical evidence base from Russian research institutions. Almost all of it uses the nasal route in short daily courses; none of it tests the SubQ schedules described in community sources.

Approved label doses: the Russian prescribing information for Semax 0.1% nasal drops states that one drop contains 50 mcg and lists daily doses of 400-900 mcg for fatigue and adaptation, 600-900 mcg for optic nerve disease and 800-8,000 mcg (four times daily, 10-14 days) for cognitive and cerebrovascular disorders.

Stroke dose finding: in 30 patients with acute hemispheric ischemic stroke, compared with 80 conventionally treated controls, the most effective daily doses of Semax were 12 mg for moderate and 18 mg for severe strokes, given over 5-10 day courses (Gusev et al., 1997).

Dopaminergic and serotonergic activation: Semax activates brain dopamine and serotonin systems, explaining its nootropic and mood-enhancing effects (Eremin et al., 2005).

BDNF upregulation: A single intranasal dose increases BDNF protein levels 1.4-fold and BDNF mRNA 3-fold in the rat hippocampus, with concurrent trkB receptor activation (Dolotov et al., 2006).

Stroke neuroprotection: Experimental studies reported angioprotective, antihypoxic and neurotrophic activity at 100-150 mcg/kg, and a clinical study in acute ischemic stroke examined the immune and biochemical mechanisms behind its neuroprotective effect (Miasoedova et al., 1999). Semax suppresses proinflammatory mediator transcription during brain ischemia (Dergunova et al., 2021).

Stacking Protocols

Community-reported stacks (no clinical trials combine these):

Overstimulation is reported when Semax is combined with caffeine or other stimulants. Community sources describe keeping stimulating stacks to the first half of the day.

Side Effects & Safety

• Low toxicity — Russian trial reports describe low toxicity across extensive preclinical and clinical testing
• No hormonal effects — trial reports describe that, unlike full ACTH, Semax does not stimulate cortisol or adrenal activity
• No tolerance documented — Russian clinical trial data report consistent efficacy across documented course durations
• Mild nasal irritation — intranasal route
• Slight headache — particularly first 1-2 days
• Mild insomnia — if dosed too late in the day
• Hair loss — community sources describe rare reports at elevated doses, speculatively attributed to melanocortin receptor activity
• Clinical exclusion criteria (from Russian trial protocols): Pregnancy/breastfeeding, active malignancy (BDNF/growth-factor interactions noted), acute psychosis (dopaminergic stimulation). Trial protocols excluded subjects with these profiles.

mg to Units Conversion

On a standard 100-unit insulin syringe, each "unit" equals 0.01 mL (so 100 units = 1 mL). Once Semax is reconstituted, the conversion from a target dose to syringe units depends on the chosen dilution.

The two reconstitution ratios most often described in community protocols are below.

Reconstitution A: 30 mg vial + 3 mL BAC water (10 mg/mL) — the standard dilution from the Quick Reference above.

Reconstitution B: 30 mg vial + 5 mL BAC water (6 mg/mL) — more BAC water for larger, easier-to-measure draws.

These conversions reflect the dilutions documented in community reconstitution protocols. They report how the math is described, not a recommended dosing schedule.