Three different friends mentioned peptide therapy to me within a single month. One swears by it for her energy levels. Another started it for post-exercise recovery. The third got it recommended by her doctor for gut health issues.
Suddenly I felt like I’d missed a memo. Peptide therapy near me seemed to be everywhere, but I had no idea what peptides actually were, why people were injecting them, or whether this was legitimate medicine or the wellness industry’s latest expensive fad.
So I did what I always do: research until my eyes hurt, then tried to make sense of it. Here’s what I learned about peptide therapy, where to find it, and how to evaluate whether it might be relevant for you.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. When amino acids link together in chains of 50 or fewer, we call them peptides. Longer chains become proteins.
Your body makes thousands of peptides naturally. They act as signaling molecules, telling your cells and organs to do specific things. Some stimulate growth hormone production. Others affect inflammation, hunger, or tissue repair. Insulin, which regulates blood sugar, is technically a peptide.
Peptide therapy involves using specific peptides to trigger particular effects in your body. Some peptides occur naturally and are synthesized in a lab. Others are synthetic versions designed to mimic natural signaling molecules.
This is where it gets complicated: peptide therapy isn’t one thing. It’s a category that includes dozens of different peptides, each with different claimed effects and different levels of research supporting those claims.
Common Peptides Used in Therapy
BPC-157
A peptide derived from a protein found in stomach acid. People use it for gut healing, joint and tendon repair, and injury recovery. Most research has been done on animals, not humans, which is important to note.
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide
These are the peptides in weight loss medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. They’re FDA-approved for diabetes and obesity. Originally diabetes medications, they’ve become widely known for their weight loss effects.
PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
FDA-approved to treat low sexual desire in premenopausal women. Works differently than hormones, acting on the brain’s pathways related to desire.
CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin
Often used together, these stimulate growth hormone production. People use them for muscle development, fat loss, sleep improvement, and anti-aging effects. Not FDA-approved for these purposes.
Thymosin Beta-4 (TB-500)
Used for tissue repair and healing. Popular among athletes for injury recovery. Research is limited in humans.
GHK-Cu
A peptide combined with copper. Used topically for skin health and wound healing, or as an injection for more systemic effects.
This is not a complete list. New peptides appear regularly, and the uses people claim for them continue to expand.
Where to Find Peptide Therapy
Peptide therapy is offered through several types of providers:
Functional medicine practices
Doctors who practice functional or integrative medicine often offer peptide therapy as part of their treatment options. They typically do full health evaluations before recommending specific peptides.
Anti-aging and longevity clinics
These clinics focus on wellness optimization and often include peptides in their offerings. Quality varies significantly between clinics.
Medical spas
Some med spas offer peptide therapy alongside other aesthetic treatments. Be more cautious here, as medical oversight may be less rigorous than at physician practices.
Telehealth platforms
Several telehealth companies now offer peptide prescriptions after virtual consultations. Convenience is high, but make sure the prescribing physician is actually licensed in your state.
Compounding pharmacies
For FDA-approved peptides, regular pharmacies fill prescriptions. For many other peptides, you’ll need a compounding pharmacy that creates custom formulations.
Your primary care doctor or endocrinologist
For FDA-approved peptides like semaglutide, your regular doctor can prescribe them if appropriate for your health situation.
To find providers near you:
- Search “peptide therapy” plus your city
- Look for functional medicine doctors in your area
- Check anti-aging clinic directories
- Ask your doctor for referrals if you have specific health concerns
What Peptide Therapy Costs
Costs vary enormously depending on the peptide, the provider, and whether insurance covers any of it:
FDA-approved peptides (semaglutide, etc.)
- With insurance: $25-100/month copay typically
- Without insurance: $800-1,500/month retail
- Compounded versions: $200-400/month (legal gray area, quality varies)
BPC-157
- $150-400/month at most clinics
- Supply typically lasts 4-8 weeks depending on dosing
Growth hormone peptides (CJC-1295, Ipamorelin)
- $200-500/month for the peptides themselves
- Often sold as 3-6 month protocols at $600-2,000
PT-141
- $200-400 for a supply of 8-10 doses
- Used as-needed rather than daily
Initial consultations
- In-person: $200-500
- Telehealth: $100-300
- Some clinics offer free initial calls
Lab work
Many clinics require baseline and follow-up labs, which can add $200-500 per round.
Insurance coverage is limited. FDA-approved peptides for approved uses may be covered. Everything else is typically out of pocket.
What to Expect from Your First Appointment
A legitimate peptide therapy provider should do more than just hand you a prescription. Here’s what a thorough initial process looks like:
Medical history review
They should ask about your health conditions, medications, previous treatments, and what you’re hoping to address. Peptides interact with your body in complex ways, and certain conditions may contraindicate certain peptides.
Lab work
Most providers want baseline labs including hormone panels, metabolic markers, and sometimes more specialized tests depending on what you’re seeking treatment for. This helps them recommend appropriate peptides and dosing, plus track changes over time.
Physical exam
In-person practices should include a basic physical. Telehealth can’t do this, which is one reason in-person is often preferable for initial evaluations.
Discussion of options
A good provider explains which peptides might address your concerns, how they work, what the research shows (and doesn’t show), and what side effects or risks exist.
Instruction on administration
Most peptides require subcutaneous injection, meaning you inject yourself with a small needle into fatty tissue. The provider or their staff should teach you proper technique, including how to reconstitute the peptide (they often come as powder), draw the correct dose, and inject safely.
Follow-up plan
You should leave knowing when to follow up, what to monitor, and who to contact if you have questions or concerns.
Red flags to watch for:
- No health history or labs required
- Pressure to commit to expensive long-term packages upfront
- Claims that peptides will cure specific diseases
- No follow-up appointments planned
- Unwillingness to discuss risks or side effects
- Providers who aren’t licensed physicians or supervised by one
Is Peptide Therapy Legitimate?
This question deserves a nuanced answer.
Some peptides are FDA-approved and well-researched. Semaglutide for diabetes and weight management has extensive clinical trial data. PT-141 for low sexual desire went through the full FDA approval process. These are legitimate treatments with documented efficacy and known side effect profiles.
Many peptides used in therapy lack robust human research. BPC-157, for example, has promising animal studies but limited controlled human trials. CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are used widely but aren’t FDA-approved for the purposes people use them for.
The wellness industry makes claims that outpace the evidence. Some clinics market peptides as miracle treatments for everything from aging to chronic disease. Skepticism is warranted when claims sound too good to be true.
Legitimate researchers are studying peptides seriously. This isn’t purely fringe wellness territory. Peptides represent a genuine area of pharmaceutical development. The challenge is that much of what’s available to consumers runs ahead of what’s been proven.
My take after researching this: peptide therapy exists on a spectrum from evidence-based medicine to speculative wellness intervention. Where any specific peptide falls depends on the peptide, the condition being treated, and the current state of research.
Questions to Ask Before Starting Peptide Therapy
If you’re considering peptide therapy, get answers to these questions:
- What specific peptide are you recommending and why? The answer should be tailored to your health situation, not a generic protocol.
- What does the research show? Ask specifically whether research has been done in humans, whether studies were controlled, and what the quality of evidence is.
- What are the potential side effects and risks? Every treatment has them. A provider who claims there are none isn’t being honest.
- Is this peptide FDA-approved for this use? Know what you’re getting into. Off-label use isn’t automatically wrong, but you should understand it.
- Where are the peptides sourced? Quality and purity matter enormously. Peptides from unknown or unverified sources carry contamination risks.
- What labs will we monitor and how often? Ongoing monitoring should be part of any responsible peptide therapy program.
- How long should I expect to be on this treatment? Is this a short-term intervention or indefinite?
- What happens if I stop? Will benefits persist, or is this a maintenance treatment?
Who Might Consider Peptide Therapy
Based on the current state of evidence and common clinical uses:
Weight management concerns
FDA-approved GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide have robust evidence for weight loss when other interventions haven’t been sufficient.
Injury recovery (with appropriate caution)
Some people use peptides like BPC-157 to support healing from injuries, particularly soft tissue injuries. Research is limited but anecdotally popular among athletes.
Hormone optimization in perimenopause/menopause
Some peptides are used to support hormonal balance, though this is often better addressed through established hormone therapy approaches first.
Sexual health concerns
PT-141 is specifically approved for low sexual desire in premenopausal women.
General wellness and aging
This is where claims outpace evidence most dramatically. Proceed with extra caution and skepticism.
Who Should Be Cautious
Peptide therapy isn’t appropriate for everyone:
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Most peptides haven’t been studied in pregnancy
- People with active cancer or cancer history: Some peptides stimulate cell growth
- Those on certain medications: Drug interactions may exist
- People with certain autoimmune conditions: Immune-modulating peptides can complicate these conditions
- Anyone with a history of eating disorders: Weight loss peptides require careful consideration
Always disclose your complete health history to any provider considering peptide therapy.
The Bottom Line
Peptide therapy is a legitimate category of medical treatment that ranges from FDA-approved medications with strong evidence to experimental interventions with limited research. If you’re interested, the key is finding a qualified provider who does proper evaluation, explains the evidence honestly, and monitors you appropriately.
Start with understanding what you’re actually trying to address. If there are established treatments with good evidence, those should usually come first. Peptides may be worth exploring when conventional approaches haven’t worked or when specific peptides have good evidence for your particular situation.
Do your research. Ask questions. Be skeptical of miracle claims. And remember that the newest, most expensive treatment isn’t automatically the best one.
