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GHKCU for surgery repair?

36 replies14 peopleApr 19, 2026β˜† Follow
Summary

Can GHK-Cu or blends like GLOW/KLOW speed healing after surgery such as Nissen fundoplication?

Forum users describe personal recoveries after orthopedic and abdominal surgeries while using GHK-Cu blends, BPC-157, TB-500, HGH, and testosterone. Several report being weeks ahead of expected timelines, avoiding grafts, or regaining motion faster than predicted, though one contributor stresses the complete absence of human or animal data on the blends. HGH is credited with lowering visceral fat and supporting tissue repair, while others favor adding BPC/TB for post-operative needs or note that tendons require specific loading plus collagen.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether observed improvements come from the peptides themselves or from placebo, regression to the mean, and good baseline fitness

Still open

Optimal combinations, long-term safety of the blends, and whether any version outperforms the others for tendon versus soft-tissue healing

Nothing here is advice.

36 replies Β· 14 people
LevelCompass63archiveopening postApr 19

I came across information that GHK-Cu supports collagen and elastin formation, which could strengthen a new stomach wrap and hiatal repair, improves blood vessel growth for better tissue blood supply, lowers swelling and oxidative stress after surgery, and aids tissue remodeling with potentially less scarring. I had the Nissen procedure this past Tuesday after years of severe reflux. The surgeon noted I had unusually little visceral fat, which I suspect came from two months of HGH beforehand. Has anyone used this peptide after an operation?

WarmLantern83archiveApr 19

I took KLOW for eight weeks following surgery for a broken femur and road rash on my calf. My doctor was surprised at how well I healed and said I avoided a skin graft he had expected. I was forty-three at the time and recovered better than the medical outlook for my age. I was already fit before the accident, though muscle disappeared fast and has not fully returned. Good luck with your own recovery.

IronBramble31archiveApr 19

I just finished thirty days of KLOW plus an extra milligram each of BPC-157 and TB-500 daily for shoulder surgery that included rotator-cuff, bicep tenodesis, and labrum work. The care team says I am two weeks ahead of schedule and might begin strength training at six weeks instead of the usual eight to twelve. I am male and in my mid-fifties.

CopperAlder25archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @LevelCompass63 (opening post)

Just HGH, or other things too? I ask because of the visceral-fat comment. Retatrutide produced the largest drop in my own visceral fat.

WryCinder57archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @LevelCompass63 (opening post)

I would get KLOW. It offers benefits, but after surgery I would increase BPC and TB-500 instead. Some compounds are needed in larger amounts at that time.

CopperSignal27archiveApr 19

Even though people online claim GLOW, KLOW, and their peptides speed healing, there are no human or animal studies on the mixtures and no human evidence that any of the separate peptides improve healing. Placebo and natural return toward average results can explain the reported improvements. The peptides might work, yet nothing supports that claim. Their varied biological actions also make trials of the blends unlikely, because such testing would be viewed as too risky without far more animal work first, and no animal studies of the combinations have been done. HGH, by contrast, probably does aid healing, but

SharpHarbour48archiveApr 19

I used Glow after a second tattoo session and healed much faster than after the first one. It is only one person's story, but that was my result.

GreenThistle75archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @WarmLantern83

That is a strong argument for resistance training. Extra lean mass can matter a lot when recovering from surgery or anything else that leaves you unable to move. I dropped ten kilograms in a few months with almost no fat loss, so most of it was muscle. I had never weighed more than eighty-three kilograms, so losing that much was significant.

WarmLantern83archiveApr 19

I have a Cartalax kit on the way and plan to try it with modest hopes. I can update later. The peptide is said to support cartilage regeneration, joint movement, connective-tissue repair, and possibly lower inflammation and cellular aging.

LevelCompass63archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @CopperAlder25

Also two hundred milligrams of testosterone weekly and two milligrams of Reta, probably all compounded together.

LevelCompass63archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @CopperSignal27

You are correct. I think we are all here trying to move the science forward a little. This is me experimenting on myself and weighing the risks against the stories of possible benefits. The HGH was not prescribed; I bought it from a pharmacy in Mexico because I wanted to avoid being scammed with an expensive item. I will share how things go and what my doctors say. They do not encourage these compounds but they understand the background and have been helpful. I already feel much better than my father did after the same operation years ago, and I am surprised at the early results from just the testosterone and HGH.

NorthThistle70archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @WarmLantern83

I have been using Cartalax together with PEG-MGF and it is working better than wolverine or BPC.

WryBramble37archiveApr 19

I would run some form of GLOW or KLOW but pin the parts separately rather than using only the copper component.

PatientHarbour23archiveApr 21
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

I am nine weeks out from the same procedures plus repairs to the teres, lat, and trap insertion points, and I have been looking at this option too. My other shoulder also needs work, so maybe adding this could buy time. I was more interested in the skin-care effects than the healing side at first. I just started physical therapy last week on purpose because of how extensive the repair was.

IronBramble31archiveApr 21
↳ replying to @PatientHarbour23

I knew I would find someone in the same situation eventually. My rotator cuff had three small tears. I had to wait ten days for a PT evaluation and cannot imagine eight weeks. The surgeon was most concerned about protecting the bicep anchor. My physical therapist says my range of motion is already three weeks ahead of expectations. I have an x-ray follow-up tomorrow. The therapist thinks I could begin rotator-cuff strengthening now and possibly bicep work if the surgeon agrees. Up to twelve weeks of therapy is planned, and I am glad to be off work for that long. I also need the left shoulder repaired because it is in worse shape, but we decided to do the dominant arm and worse bicep anchor first. I feel I am already seeing returns from the peptides and I am taking plenty of collagen as well. How long did they say until full normal function? Happy healing.

PatientHarbour23archiveApr 22
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

You did find a kindred spirit, and happy healing to you too. I am still debating whether to use just the GHK or a GLOW/KLOW stack. If it helps healing on top of any skin benefits it might be worth it. The surgeon told me six months for full recovery. Because this was not a standard repair I stayed in the sling the entire eight weeks, which I knew ahead of time, and PT is limited to range-of-motion front to back until at least twelve weeks. I see him again in about three weeks and then he will decide if the repair is solid enough internally for more movement. His current instructions allow no strengthening at all on that arm or shoulder. The heaviest thing I am supposed to hold is a bottle of water, a soda can, or my phone, though the phone already feels extremely heavy. The surgeon had to call the PT office to stop them from following their usual shoulder protocol because this repair is different. Moving back

IronBramble31archiveApr 22

You're really something while I struggle just to rise from bed and align my footwear properly. I've ramped up activities around the house lately and feel satisfied with where things stand, same as my therapist. Focus stays on resuming work duties without issues. A scan of my spine happened near an operation time, which isn't something I'd suggest repeating. If the doctor clears me today for lying face down, plans include a lower back procedure plus injections higher up. Left arm joints require fixes too, though combining them with the shoulder got turned down. Two operations on the left foot already happened, and now heel plus lower leg tendons act up, possibly needing another. Can't stand the usual post-op support, so picked up a better version for tighter hold. Got the yard trimmed a few times and like the battery self-moving model. Still banged into things five times because growth reached high in spots. Paid a coworker to take my dog out daily for weeks, yet won't bring in outside help for the grass. Makes sense where priorities sit. None of the options look bad, though the pricier pick adds skin perks. Thinking about keeping higher amounts of the compounds going longer after checking more details. Realize one needs stopping after three months, but the other can continue. Taken a mix now for five weeks with one left, then shifting to a different combo. Might be worth looking into further.

PatientHarbour23archiveApr 22

Planning to look into the details more, though that option seems worth trying. Starting with just one on its own feels reasonable. Both of us come across as total disasters with bones and joints, right? πŸ˜‚ Returned to the job on reduced hours after two weeks, then slowly built back to full time over the next three. My role is mostly at a desk, so it stayed manageable. Handled a few tasks from home early on, since staying idle would have driven me nuts. Other people stepping in never works out, since they ignore the steps and do it their way instead of asking. Held off on trying the car until last week, and it went smoothly. I usually steer left-handed anyway, so the real hassle is just not reaching stuff on the other side.

IronBramble31archiveApr 22
↳ replying to @PatientHarbour23

I feel like an idiot. I just noticed your two girls with green eyes and recognized Big Trouble in Little China right away. Great movie, and I have always thought Kurt Russell was under-appreciated. Then I saw your avatar, which is cool. I am telling you my feet were not far from where Thunder blew himself up before I lost the four hundred pounds. I am starting to put my orthopedist's grandkids through college after thirteen operations. I am on concrete six to seven hours a day, half standing in one spot and half walking. It is like doing origami twenty-five to thirty hours a week hunched over a four-foot cart, which does nothing good for my neck or back. I wish I had a desk job, though I know being on my feet helps keep weight off. I punch a time clock so I do not have to worry about anything until I return to twelve weeks of emails. I am struggling with weight regain, have increased to four milligrams of Reta, and plan to try walking the Husky tomorrow. I am trying to be careful with this foot and build up gradually. I am out of the sling early but no strength training until May first. I started driving about one and a half we

PatientHarbour23archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

This film stands as my top pick ever. I've collected made-to-order brick figures, put together the main villain's base plus the delivery truck, and own some custom toys too. It's unbeatable. Back when we were young we kept replaying the explosion moment dozens of times while cracking up hard. My sibling played it for her son not long ago and he enjoyed seeing every antagonist get finished off, unlike another comedy where the survivors wash up inside the giant head on the shore which put him off completely. I've also built brick versions of the small characters, that oversized head, and the ship. Maybe that explains why I'm on my own even though hunting for company doesn't interest me. So I could give those a go, I'm thinking about one small bottle holding both and might pick some up just to check.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 23

This thread has been informative. I have a very similar situation with a torn rotator cuff and biceps tendinosis. The rotator cuff was torn in three places on last year's MRI. I wanted to avoid shoulder surgery if possible. After a sleeve gastrectomy in 2022 the weight loss made the tears worse and I had terrible range of motion on the left side. In July 2025 I had stem-cell treatment in India and gained about twenty percent more motion. While still there a week later I began daily subq BPC-157 and TB-500 in the abdomen. That added another five percent motion but did nothing for the biceps pain. Starting in February I returned to the gym regularly even though the left arm was nearly useless. From April eleventh I began injecting BPC-157 into the lower front delt of the left shoulder while keeping TB-500 in the stomach. I have done five BPC injections so far and three

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @PatientHarbour23

Those are awesome. The Pork Chop Express looks really good and the detail is on point. Kurt needs a shave. That also looks like Rick Moranis. I am feeling old now. I remember John Candy and Joan Rivers. They just happen to be sitting out for pictures. I got my sister to try some KLOW but the copper stung too much for her. I have her on the BPC/TB4 mix instead. She had a neck fusion two weeks ago. Fun times.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 23

I forgot to add earlier that for me BPC worked best when injected close to the injury site. TB-500 acts systemically, so a blend may not be the most useful choice.

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

Sounds like you have kept after it. Good to hear someone having success with stem cells. I have always been a bit fascinated by them. Did they use your own cells or donor cells? I almost went to Mexico for weight-loss surgery and later plastics, but a doctor pointed out that if something went wrong there would be no follow-up care, so I stayed in the country. The BPC/TB combination sounds like it is helping you. I have done a couple courses during shoulder rehab and it reduced pain, improved range, and lowered fatigue, but it never actually healed the problem. The damage kept getting worse until I needed surgery and still need the other side done. Stem cells or PRP might help some people, but I needed the surgical fix. How much weight did you lose with the sleeve?

SlowSignal40archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

The stem cells came from my own fat. After the sleeve gastrectomy I went from one hundred forty kilograms down to one hundred two, about eighty pounds. Then I had to take the Covid shot and gained forty pounds afterward. I have lost twelve since. The stem-cell treatment cost around two thousand dollars.

PatientHarbour23archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

That is a striking coincidence. One of my physical therapists mentioned stem-cell therapy, but finding someone locally who offers it is nearly impossible and those who do are not covered by my insurance. I never had further shoulder trouble tied to the sleeve. The damage came from hard falls with bad catches and from years of training that kept aggravating it. The KLOW option appeals more for the skin benefits than the repair side, though the possibility of better repair quality made me consider it over GLOW. My insurance covers weight-loss surgery if comorbidities are met, but not the GLP medications unless you are diabetic and have tried every other option. The surgery was required before my back could be fixed, and I wish I had done it years earlier when I first looked into it. Skin removal is never covered, so I would have to pay cash or go overseas, and any complications would not be covered because it was cash or out of country. My

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

That is a good price. I can see why you went to India. Medical tourism is definitely a thing.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 23

Rotator-cuff tears and biceps tendinosis are tendon injuries, not muscle tears. BPC and TB-500 mainly work by increasing new blood-vessel formation to improve nutrient delivery. Tendons have very little blood supply, so that mechanism is limited. I focus on tendon hyperplasia training together with the BPC-TB injections to try to recover. Tendon strengthening differs from muscle hypertrophy. Large amounts of collagen are also needed.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

I am also originally from there. Among other reasons, I wanted to start a small mango farm.

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @PatientHarbour23

It's ironic how stuff I originally paid for myself like weight loss surgery and skin removal ended up covered by insurance a decade later once my employer got acquired. I went through male breast reduction, hernia repair, and what I figured was abdominal contouring. That operation triggered a lung clot, which meant nine days hospitalized where I nearly didn't survive, and those count as some memorable times. In all seriousness, one alternative involves a procedure that takes off the worst lower belly overhang, which is exactly what I got, and it can cut expenses quite a bit. Around here certain bariatric doctors will handle it affordably for their own cases, or cosmetic surgeons sometimes charge less. After those skin operations I gained back one hundred forty pounds, and I wish the medication had existed then so I could repeat the procedures now. For a full tummy tuck I checked out several doctors focused on people who dropped massive weight. These days we have options that help keep weight steady. I really enjoy a snug compression top too. Sorry if this sounds like I'm lecturing, but my time was awful and I hate the idea of anyone else living through it. I wound up with loose upper arm skin but still can't take off.

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

I have been drinking ten grams of collagen and taking some as a supplement too. I also take ten milligrams of tadalafil and nitric oxide to support blood supply. Might be worth considering.

IronBramble31archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

That is cool. My coworker is from Kerala. I know her family well. Somehow I got adopted by them and have been to many parties and a couple local festivals. I have a lot of respect for the culture and the food.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 24
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

Hey there, same spot in India here, what a coincidence with the spices and all. Yeah the meals stand out big time. Around ten grams of that protein supplement might explain things for me, since I went closer to thirty but the workout style matters a lot too. Cialis and nitric oxide boosters feel great. Thanks, I will test adding my own version made with help from the model. I pair the recovery peptides with this workout approach. Research points to the supplement aiding tendon changes, though the gains stay limited unless you combine it with proper strain on the tissue. Pooling numbers across trials proves tricky due to variations in body parts tested, amounts used, exercise methods, and results measured, so one recent overview stuck with a story-style wrap up instead. Practical takeaway from all that points to fifteen grams daily plus steady heavy lifts over three months or so for better tendon thickness, while higher amounts around thirty grams taken with some vitamin C roughly an hour ahead of the session seem better for making the tissue less stretchy. That overview noted the larger doses tended to shift the material properties more, whereas smaller ones mainly bumped up size. Across the work, training three times weekly for twelve to fifteen weeks with loads at seventy percent or more of max effort gives the clearest tendon growth, and the same setup with the higher supplement dose plus the vitamin looks strongest for stiffness. Training by itself already improves things, so the supplement just adds a bit on top, and it rarely boosts muscle power beyond what the lifts do alone. One trial with five grams daily during fourteen weeks of heavy work showed bigger tendon area gains than dummy pills, yet stiffness rose the same in both. Another with fifteen grams found no added size or property changes over placebo after fifteen weeks, though both sides got stiffer from the lifts. A thirty gram version with the vitamin around sessions improved stiffness but not area, possibly since the athletes already loaded their tendons heavily. One more using thirty grams reported gains in area plus stiffness and modulus. An analysis of several trials saw an overall effect on tendon shape from the peptides but not on mechanical traits, with low in the numbers due to differences and small groups. Tendons adapt best to heavy strain rather than light pump sets, so a solid plan uses three sessions a week for three to four months with slow controlled moves at high effort on the target area, like presses, squats, extensions, or calf raises, done in three to five sets of six to ten at seventy to eighty five percent max, with focus on the lowering part and steady weight increases. Common setups in the work used similar frequency and intensities with those exact movements. The version with the most backing uses fifteen to thirty grams of the peptides or hydrolysate plus fifty to five hundred milligrams of the vitamin about an hour before the loading work, done most days for at least three months, since the key building blocks peak then and the vitamin helps the linking process. Overall the strongest combo for remodeling seems to be the heavy progressive lifts plus the fifteen to thirty gram dose with the vitamin timed that way, where lower amounts might cover size but higher ones look better for quality, though the loading itself drives almost everything and the supplement needs that strain to matter.

IronBramble31archiveApr 26
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

I am fortunate to have made good friends from different countries at work and have gotten to try food prepared the way they make it at home rather than restaurant versions. I care more about food quality than quantity now. You are really on top of this. I am going to bookmark it so I can come back. I will need to make some dietary changes. Thank you. I can start strength training on May first. I was hoping for sooner because my range of motion is well ahead and I no longer need the sling, but they do not want me to push it. It is nice to be able to type with two hands again.

SlowSignal40archiveApr 26
↳ replying to @IronBramble31

You are right about food quality. Do whatever you need. I am lazy so I mix the collagen and glutamine into a big whey protein shake. For the training part, look up Dr. Andy Galpin, Dorian Yates, and time under tension. The key terms are overcoming isometrics and, even better, slow stretching eccentric partials. Thank me later.

IronSignal60archiveApr 28

I've found the recovery process quite satisfying with that extra addition layered on. Switching to individual injections for the combination has been on my mind lately instead of a single mixed one.

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