Cerebrolysin
What it’s used for
Cerebrolysin is a ready-made mixture of peptides and amino acids taken from pig brain, given as an injection or IV infusion. It's used for recovery after stroke and brain injury, and for memory problems like Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia. It has human trials, but results are mixed: a 2023 Cochrane review found little or no survival benefit after acute stroke.
- Stroke recovery Small human studies A 2025 study of moderate stroke linked added Cerebrolysin to less disability at 90 days. It wasn't blinded.
- Brain injury recovery Small human studies Tested in human trials after traumatic brain injury and brain bleeds (subarachnoid hemorrhage); results vary.
- Memory & cognition Small human studies Used for Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia and thinking problems after stroke. Trial results are mixed.
- Movement & independence Community reports Used during rehab to support movement, neurological scores and day-to-day independence.
What to expect
- Weeks 1–2
Early effects; some people feel dizzy
- Weeks 2–4
Neurological and thinking changes
- Weeks 4–8
Movement recovery
- Weeks 8–12
Progress levels off
Side effects & safety
Side effects
- More non-fatal serious adverse events in acute-stroke trials, per a 2023 Cochrane review
- Dizziness, reported in the first 1–2 weeks
Stop and get help if
- Rash or signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- Seizure
- Heart or circulation problems
- Signs of worsening kidney function
- Dizziness or agitation
Which symptoms mean call 911 or see a doctor
Avoid or check first if
- Epilepsy
- Severe kidney problems (renal insufficiency)
In sport
Not on WADA’s banned list. A registered medicine outside the US that fits no WADA class, so the substance isn’t banned. But its 10–50 mL doses are given as diluted IV drips, and more than 100 mL in 12 hours outside hospital care breaks the IV rule.
Which peptides are banned in sport
How much people take
- Intramuscular (lower doses) Once daily · Undiluted IM injection over 3 minutes Up to 5 mL
- Small volume IV Once daily · Undiluted IV slow push over 3 minutes Up to 10 mL IV · in a clinic
- Acute stroke Once daily for 10–21 days · IV infusion (diluted to 100 mL minimum) 20–50 mL IV · in a clinic
- Traumatic brain injury Once daily for 7–30 days · IV infusion (diluted to 100 mL minimum) 20–50 mL IV · in a clinic
- Alzheimer's disease 5 days weekly for 4 weeks · IV injection/infusion (2–4 cycles yearly) 10–30 mL IV · in a clinic
Similar doses appear in 2 other sources
How to store it
How many units do I draw?
Room temp · ≤25°C Ready-made ampoules. Keep out of light and never freeze; open right before use
Ready to use
The injectable form doesn’t need mixing.
Combining it with others
What the research says
Few human studies
- Trial results are mixed, and research-integrity concerns have been raised.
- Better neurological test scores don't always mean better day-to-day function.
- It's a mixture, so its effects can't be swapped with those of single research peptides.
- Its human half-life is unknown, and interactions haven't been studied in people.
What studies found
- Newer observational stroke evidence The 2025 C-REGS 2 study reported better 90-day disability outcomes with added Cerebrolysin. It was an open-label comparative-effectiveness study, so the association does not have the causal strength of a blinded randomized trial.
- Randomized evidence remains less favorable The 2023 Cochrane review found probably little or no mortality benefit and an increase in nonfatal serious adverse events in Cerebrolysin trials. Later observational findings do not resolve this randomized-evidence concern.
How long it stays in your body
Half-life is how fast the level in your body halves — not how long effects last or how often to dose.
- Half-life
- Differs by ingredient
Commonly listed as 1 hour, but each ingredient clears at its own rate.
What it’s made of
- Length
- Mixture; no single sequence
- Molecular weight
- Varies
- Formula
- Varies
A blend of several compounds, so there is no single sequence.
What's in it
Multiple ingredients; amounts vary by product.
Product-level trial findings do not identify one active peptide.
Sources
Sources 18
How this page was made
How it may work: Neurotrophic/neuroprotective activity is proposed; mixture findings do not establish individual-peptide effects.
Preparation in studies: No product-specific preparation or stability instruction was verified.
Research last checked: Oct 12, 2026 (a targeted search, not a full review).
Community doses, how long people take it, timing and storage are compiled with AI from public peptide guides, clinics and forums, cross-checked against other sources where we could, and rewritten in plain language. “Combining it with others” is an AI assessment of how the compounds work. Study notes are written from each paper’s abstract where one exists. How we source
Original source guide