Let’s say you’ve been microdosing tirzepatide or semaglutide for the past few weeks.

Maybe you started because you wanted to lose weight. Or because your blood sugar, appetite, cravings, and energy felt like they were spinning out of control. Or maybe because you heard a few people say it changed their life, and you were skeptical but intrigued.

Now, here you are… a few weeks (or months) in.

✔️ Your cravings are under control.
✔️ You’re eating smaller portions, without white-knuckling it.
✔️ You feel more stable, focused, and clear-headed.
✔️ You’re finally losing weight after years of spinning your wheels.
✔️ You have energy you thought disappeared sometime in 2017.

And then the thought creeps in:

“What else could I be doing to support how good I’m finally feeling?”

You’re not alone.

Almost every client I work with eventually asks this exact question.

GLP-1s like tirzepatide are phenomenal foundational peptides. But they’re also just the beginning.

Let’s break down what they do, how to use them wisely, and which FDA-approved peptides are worth stacking to support your specific goals, whether that’s better sleep, recovery, libido, skin, muscle, or nervous system support.

Why Tirzepatide Is the Best “Base” Peptide Stack

Let’s start here.

Tirzepatide isn’t just a weight loss drug. When used appropriately, it acts as a metabolic multitool that helps:

• Regulate blood sugar and insulin

• Reduce inflammation

• Improve GLP-1 and GIP signaling

• Support brain health and neuroplasticity

• Reduce body weight and visceral fat

• Restore appetite awareness (a forgotten gift)

• Improve mood and focus

In fact, many of my clients, especially women, notice mental clarity, calmness, and resilience within the first week, well before they see the scale move.

When you microdose it (0.5–2.5 mg/week), you get most of the benefits without the side effects: minimal nausea, no food aversions, no muscle loss.

Tirzepatide becomes the foundation, because it helps everything else you’re doing...nutrition, movement, peptides, supplements...work better.

Tap here to get started with Tirzepatide.

But once the fire is under control (blood sugar, inflammation, appetite), you’ll want to rebuild the house.

That’s where stacking peptides comes in.

What Peptides Should You Stack Next?

Here’s the lens I use to help clients pick the right next step.

These are FDA-approved, U.S. pharmacy-produced, and available through EllieMD, the telehealth platform I trust to deliver quality, physician-prescribed peptides.

Let’s go through each of them by outcome.

1. Sermorelin

Goal: Body Composition, Longevity, Sleep

Sermorelin is a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog. It stimulates your own natural GH production, especially while you sleep.

Why it’s helpful:

• Increases lean muscle and reduces visceral fat

• Improves deep sleep and recovery

• Supports cellular repair, cognitive clarity, and mood stability

• Slows aging by restoring what naturally declines after age 30

Clients often report much better sleep and fewer nighttime wake-ups, morning energy, better skin tone, and improved body comp without changing anything else.

And since it boosts your own GH release, it’s safer and more sustainable than HGH.

✅ Perfect for: Anyone who wants to look and feel younger, sleep deeper, and recover faster.

Tap to get started with Sermorelin.

2. BPC-157 / TB-500

Goal: Gut Health, Autoimmunity, Injury Rehab, Nerve Repair

This is the “tissue repair stack,” a powerhouse for healing.

• BPC-157 (Body Protective Compound) comes from gastric juices and promotes gut lining repair, reduces intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and supports the gut-brain axis.

• TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4) works systemically to promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, and stimulate new blood vessels and nerve growth.

Together, they support:

• Healing of tendons, ligaments, and nerves

• Reduction in systemic and local inflammation

• Reversal of damage from autoimmune flares

• Mood improvement by reducing neuroinflammation

• Relief from chronic joint pain or nagging injuries

They’re especially useful if you:

• Have joint or tendon issues

• Struggle with bloating, gut sensitivity, or food reactivity

• Are recovering from surgery, injury, or past trauma

• Have MCAS, histamine issues, or autoimmune conditions

✅ Perfect for: The person who feel inflamed, in pain, or out of alignment.

Tap for BPC-157/TB-500.

3. GHK-Cu

Goal: Skin, Hair, Inflammation, Recovery

Want to look as good as you’re starting to feel?

GHK-Cu (a copper-binding peptide) is known for:

• Enhancing collagen and elastin production

• Reducing wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin roughness

• Stimulating hair follicle growth and reducing thinning

• Speeding up wound healing

• Reducing inflammation at a cellular level

And yes, it’s safe, systemic, and doesn’t require a fancy facial.

Think of GHK-Cu as a “cosmetic biohack” that works from the inside out.

✅ Perfect for: Those wanting healthier skin, stronger hair, or enhanced tissue regeneration.

Get started with GHK-Cu here.

4. PT-141 (Bremelanotide)

Goal: Libido, Sexual Function, Connection

PT-141 is the “why didn’t anyone tell me about this?” peptide.

Originally developed for women with low libido, it works for both sexes by acting on the hypothalamus, the brain’s desire center.

It’s not like Viagra or Cialis that increase blood flow.

This increases actual arousal and desire. Even people who say, “I’m just not in the mood anymore,” feel a shift.

Benefits:

• Increased sexual desire and pleasure

• Enhanced connection with a partner

• Can reduce feelings of sexual apathy or anxiety

• Especially helpful for perimenopausal or postpartum women

You don’t need to use it every day, just when you want to feel more like yourself again.

✅ Perfect for: Those whose bodies are healing… but their connection and intimacy haven’t caught up yet.

5. Tesamorelin + Ipamorelin

Goal: Performance, Strength, Fat Loss, Muscle Growth

When you’re feeling ready to hit another level, physically, mentally, and metabolically, this is it.

Tesamorelin: FDA-approved GHRH analog, best known for reducing visceral fat and improving metabolic markers.

Ipamorelin: Clean, cortisol-free GHRP analog that enhances recovery, and muscle growth.

Together, this duo:

• Boosts natural growth hormone pulses

• Increases lean mass and reduces abdominal fat

• Improves energy, motivation, and resilience

I think of this as the “optimal aging” protocol, where performance, aesthetics, and health finally align.

One thing to note, though: This combo does not seem to improve sleep quality like Sermorelin does, so even though Ipa/Tesa do improve growth hormone, I don't recommend it for those who need better sleep, as Sermorelin is a better option.

✅ Perfect for: Those who want to go beyond “not feeling bad” and start performing and recovering like they’re 20 years younger.

The Big Question: “Which One Should I Try First?”

Here’s my advice:

• Start with GLP-1s (like tirzepatide) if you haven’t already and you struggle with weight, cravings, insulin resistance, or low energy

• Once you’re stabilized and feeling better, choose your next stack based on your biggest bottleneck

Start with the one that feels like it’ll change your quality of life the fastest, not the flashiest one.

This is how I help clients build protocols that make a measurable difference, not just give them something new to inject.

And by the way…none of these peptides are permanent. Most work best when used for 3-6 months at a time, then cycled off or rotated. That’s the beauty of it...you give your body exactly what it needs, when it needs it.

Where to Get Peptides You Can Actually Trust

I don’t recommend peptides from overseas “research” sites. You don’t know what’s in them, and frankly, there’s too much risk for contamination or under-dosing.

I get mine, and refer my clients to, EllieMD .

You’ll get:

• U.S.-licensed pharmacy-grade peptides

• A telehealth consult to customize your dose and plan

• Direct shipping

• Ongoing medical support (not DIY guessing)

👉 Click here to get started 

This is the future of personalized health.

You don’t need to “wait until things get worse.” You can use the tools already available to make your body, brain, and biology stronger today.

And stacking the right peptides after you’ve built your foundation?

That’s how you stay ahead of the curve, and everyone else still trying to outwillpower their way through midlife.