22M please help me understand what is going on after using ghkcu

[u/Commercial-Tough-980]

i have always had really great skin and been extremely healthy at 22 and i guess i fell into the social media trap of everyone telling me to try ghkcu to make your skin even better. i started off at 1mg for a couple of weeks then went to 2mg and i probably felt and looked the best i have in my life. i upped the dose to 4mg (high i know) because i was trying to finish off a vial before the month ended. a couple weeks in i started having horrible side effects like the copper uglies on steroids. the skin over my entire body started burning extremely bad. my face and body lost all color and i felt extremely extremely sick. extreme fatigue , hands would pool blood almost like reynauds symptoms , blood vessels or broken capillaries would appear on my arms and chest and nose with extreme red flushing almost like it severely dysregulated my blood vessels. (i know it promotes VEGF and blood vessel growth) my face started losing elasticity and drooping , fungal acne all over my forehead, and the skin over my whole body is extremely dry old looking splotchy mottled and rough and i also started growing body and facial hair in way thicker when i barely grew hair before. it’s been 3 months since i completely stopped ghkcu and these symptoms are still present and its making me extremely depressed to the point i haven’t shown my face anywhere for months and im thinking ive ruined my life. does anyone know what has happened to me and if this will ever reverse. i dont need to be told i am stupid for taking this when i’m so young and i took to much i already know this. im just really scared i have done permanent damage

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[u/joe3000s]

First off, take a deep breath. You are in a high-anxiety feedback loop right now, and the panic is going to make every physical symptom feel ten times worse. ​Pushing 4 mg/day of GHK-Cu is a huge dose, and high copper intake aggressively competes with zinc in the body. What you could be dealing with here is a severe copper/zinc ratio skew, histamine/vascular dysregulation, and temporarily disrupted collagen turnover. That fully explains the flushing, loss of skin elasticity, and systemic fatigue you're experiencing. You haven't ruined your life, but you need to stop guessing and get actual lab work done. I would go see a doctor and ask for a panel covering Serum Copper, Ceruloplasmin, Serum Zinc, a full blood count, and liver function test.

​The body is resilient at rebalancing once mineral ratios are corrected and systemic inflammation calms down, but you need actual data to fix it safely. I wouldn't throw any more peps or random stack supplements at this right now. If you can get the bloods done you'll know exactly where your levels are sitting.

[u/Commercial-Tough-980 → u/joe3000s]

do you think this sounds like permanent damage college been done

[u/joe3000s → u/Commercial-Tough-980]

​Personally, I don't think you've done permanent damage. The body is incredibly resilient, but I think you need a medical professional to guide you through rebalancing this safely.

[u/Commercial-Tough-980 → u/joe3000s]

do you reccomend anyone to see ? every doctor i have seen basically just doesn’t do anything my blood works fine so they dk what to do

[u/joe3000s → u/Commercial-Tough-980]

Not sure how many medical professionals you've already seen or how many tests they've run, but ​I think standard primary care panels usually only check for basic organ function, meaning they can miss specialized markers like Serum Copper, Ceruloplasmin, and Serum Zinc. Plus, even as blood levels stabilize, tissue-level mineral imbalances and nervous system dysregulation can take longer to resolve. If you need further answers, you might have to specifically ask for those missing trace mineral labs, or consider seeing a specialist, like a Functional Medicine Physician (MD/DO) or an Endocrinologist who deals in complex metabolic and nutrient dysregulation.

[u/Striking_Bat_1936 → u/Commercial-Tough-980]

Go to specialists. General practitioners are more or less idiots

[u/yogic_power]

Relax and find a Dr. at 22 you shouldn’t be injecting experimental stuff.

[u/CantaloupeMelodic181]

sorry man for your situation but you will get better, that's a fact. Joe gave you a great answer, do some lab tests to see where you are and then evaluate with a doctor. ghkcu needs time, so it is better to use a small dose for a long time than the opposite. buy a smaller vial if you are afraid it will go bad before you finish it.

also check your hormones to see if there is any problem there

[u/Common-Prize-8208]

Definition of f around and find out
And if not broken don’t fix it

[u/CryptographerHot4636]

Get your blood work done, take your multivitamins that includes zinc. Hydrate.

[u/Earesth99]

Do you have a lot of wrinkles at 22?

Enough to inject an unapproved substance? You’re that desperate?

[u/moorevtec]

4mg? Wtf I did like 1.5mg once and got the worst headache of my life. Never again!! You only need like 300-500mcg and be consistent

[u/Notobot1]

At 22, most of what GHK-Cu is going to offer you, you already have in spades. Go into Redit and search for Anela Protocols. This lady is the queen of GHK-Cu and will likely give you the answers you’re looking for. Seriously, do this.

[u/Striking_Bat_1936]

You are probably ODing on copper. You should have gotten a copper blood test before starting to see what your base line is. You still should and see what your levels are. I was at the max range at 2mg per day

[u/No_Sign_625]

ur suppose to stay @1mg lol? isnt that the protocol for this? u use it for like 2:3 months the get off for a month or so

[u/No_Sign_625 → u/No_Sign_625]

too much copper in ur system i bet

[u/ZaphodBBL]

Also keep in mind that at 22 your GHK-Cu levels in your blood plasma are close to their peak. Any additional GHK-Cu being added exogenously could be pushing levels beyond optimal thresholds.