VIP: Dosage & Administration

VIP is a 28-amino-acid endogenous neuropeptide with a very short plasma half-life (approximately 1 minute by IV; 2–10 minutes by other routes after absorption). This short half-life is the single most important practical fact about dosing — it forces frequent dosing for sustained effect and limits how much systemic exposure any single dose produces.

Intranasal compounded VIP from a licensed pharmacy is the most common form of use today, primarily for the off-label Shoemaker CIRS protocol.

The Shoemaker protocol for chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) uses intranasal VIP as the final step, only after preceding steps have normalized other biomarkers.^[2] The standard intranasal dose is:

• 50 mcg in each nostril (100 mcg total per dose)
• 4× daily: morning, midday, afternoon, evening
• Duration: typically 30 days, then biomarker reassessment

Preceding steps (must be completed first per the Shoemaker protocol)

1. Remove exposure (e.g., from water-damaged building).
2. Cholestyramine or welchol binder.
3. MARCoNS (multiple antibiotic-resistant coagulase-negative Staph) treatment.
4. Visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) normalization.
5. Anti-gliadin antibody normalization.
6. Androgen and ADH/osmolality normalization.
7. MMP-9, VEGF, and C4a normalization.
8. TGF-β1 normalization.
9. MSH and finally VIP.

This is a contested protocol in mainstream medicine. CIRS is not in mainstream diagnostic guidelines. The protocol is widely used by integrative and functional medicine practitioners. Discuss with the prescribing clinician for context on whether this fits your case.

VIP is obtained from licensed compounding pharmacies, typically as:

• Intranasal spray: pre-mixed liquid at a defined concentration (e.g., 50 mcg per actuation). Refrigerated.
• Lyophilized powder for injection: reconstitute with bacteriostatic water before use. Use the peptide calculator for volumes. See the reconstitution guide.

Quality varies between compounding sources. Use a reputable pharmacy with batch testing. The blue-green color of GHK-Cu is unique to that peptide — VIP solutions are clear and colorless. Cloudy, discolored, or particulate-containing solutions should be discarded.

• BP check at baseline: if systolic BP < 100 mmHg or orthostatic symptoms exist, defer use and address volume status / antihypertensive dosing first.
• Hydrate before dosing: reduces hypotension risk from vasodilation.
• Avoid combining with alcohol or PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil) in the same window — additive vasodilation.
• 4× daily dosing is the standard for intranasal — the short half-life means doses spread across the day maintain anti-inflammatory effect.
• Track effects: the Shoemaker protocol uses biomarker-driven endpoints (TGF-β1, C4a, MSH, MMP-9, VEGF). Without baseline + post-treatment labs, you cannot judge response objectively.

Shoemaker protocol VIP is typically used in 30-day courses with biomarker monitoring. Some patients require multiple courses. No formal cycling schedule has been established outside the protocol. Research IV VIP for pulmonary hypertension has been used continuously for up to 12 weeks in trials.^[3]

VIP does not appear to produce receptor tolerance the way GHRPs do — receptor expression remains stable with intermittent dosing. Long-term continuous-dose safety in healthy adults is poorly characterized.

• Intranasal spray: refrigerate at 2–8°C. Use by the pharmacy's beyond-use date (typically 30–60 days).
• Lyophilized powder: store at -20°C for long-term, or 2–8°C short-term.
• Reconstituted injectable: refrigerate at 2–8°C; use within 28 days.
• Avoid freeze-thaw cycles for reconstituted solution.
• Protect from light.

For broader storage rules, see the peptide storage guide.