Page last checked 2026-08-12

Growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF) analog · safety

Tesamorelin side effects

The tesamorelin side effects reported most often are injection site reactions, arthralgia and pain in extremity. The full list is below, with the FDA label cited at the bottom of the page.

Rarer, but worth being able to spot: increased risk of new or reactivated malignancy, elevated IGF-1 levels and fluid retention, and 3 more in the table below.

The sources describe these effects in relation to the dose and to the early weeks.

Tesamorelin is a prescription copy of the hormone that prompts growth hormone release, sold as Egrifta. It is approved for one thing: reducing excess belly fat in adults with HIV-related lipodystrophy. It is bought off-label for visceral fat and for general anti-aging.

Its label is unusually blunt about the second use. It says the drug is not approved for weight loss, and describes the effect on body weight as neutral.

Also sold as Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR — one molecule, so these reactions apply to every brand of it.

Further down: the full list with frequencies · when to get medical help · questions

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Montecillo, MD · non-practicing medical reviewerReviewed 2026-08-12open the primary sources

At a glance

Common reactions listed

Serious reactions listed

Boxed warning

None on label

Strongest source

FDA label

The counts show how many distinct reactions the FDA label names. The percentages show how often a reaction appeared in a study group, not the chance that it will happen to you.

Common reactions

The full list, with the frequency band the FDA label gives for each one.

◆ Common reactionslabel frequency

Reaction	Frequency
Injection site reactions	17% vs 6% on placebo (26 weeks)
Arthralgia (joint pain)	13% vs 11% on placebo (26 weeks)
Pain in extremity	6% vs 5% on placebo (26 weeks)
Myalgia (muscle pain)	6% vs 2% on placebo (26 weeks)
Peripheral edema	6% vs 2% on placebo (26 weeks)
Paresthesia	5% vs 2% on placebo (26 weeks)
Hypoesthesia (reduced sensation)	4% vs 2% on placebo (26 weeks)
Rash	4% vs 2% on placebo (26 weeks)
Vomiting	3% vs 0% on placebo (26 weeks)
Dyspepsia (indigestion)	2% vs 1% on placebo (26 weeks)
Musculoskeletal pain	2% vs 1% on placebo (26 weeks)
Pruritus (itching)	2% vs 1% on placebo (26 weeks)
Musculoskeletal stiffness	2% vs 0% on placebo (26 weeks)
Carpal tunnel syndrome	1% vs 0% on placebo (26 weeks)

Serious reactions to watch for

These are rarer, and they are the ones clinicians monitor for. Seek medical care if you have symptoms.

◆ Serious — monitorwarning/precaution

Reaction	Frequency
Increased risk of new or reactivated malignancy	Labeled warning — contraindicated in active malignancy
Elevated IGF-1 levels	47% exceeded +2 SDS and 36% exceeded +3 SDS by 26 weeks — monitor
Fluid retention (edema, arthralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome)	Labeled warning — transient or resolves on discontinuation
Glucose intolerance or new-onset diabetes	HbA1c reached 6.5% or higher in 5% vs 1% on placebo by week 26 — monitor
Hypersensitivity reactions (pruritus, erythema, flushing, urticaria, rash)	4% in trials — discontinue and seek medical attention
Increased mortality in acute critical illness	Labeled warning — reported with pharmacologic growth hormone

FDA labelEvery reaction above comes from the product’s regulatory document. These are label facts, not personal advice.

When to seek medical care

Each one below is a serious reaction from the table above, written as the signs you would actually notice. Spotting them is the job of this section; working out what they mean is a clinician’s.

Severe hypersensitivity reaction

Urgent

Signs: Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, a rash or hives spreading fast, or suddenly feeling faint.

This is the one on the list that does not wait. Call emergency services immediately rather than a clinic.

EmergencySome symptoms should not wait for an appointment. Call emergency services (911 in the US) if they are severe, getting worse fast, or involve trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting or confusion.

2Read deeperTiming, evidence limits, and product context

When these effects tend to occur

The cited evidence describes these effects in relation to the dose and to the early period of taking it, rather than as a constant background throughout.

When a study reports how side effects changed over time, it describes the group as a whole. It cannot predict one person’s experience.

Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR side effects

Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR are brand names for tesamorelin. The frequency bands above describe the molecule. Percentages can still differ by brand because each label may be based on different trials, doses and groups of people.

Tesamorelin won FDA approval in 2010.

It sells in two forms, and their own labels state they are not substitutable. Egrifta SV holds 2 mg per vial and gives 1.4 mg once daily. Its label directs Sterile Water, and use right away.

Egrifta WR holds 11.6 mg per vial and gives 1.28 mg once daily. Its label directs Bacteriostatic Water, then discard 7 days after mixing. Dose, diluent, vial count and storage all differ.

A number read off one form does not describe the other.

Common questions

How long do tesamorelin side effects last, and do they go away?

The sources do not commit to a set number of days. What they describe is a pattern — reactions cluster after you start and after each increase, then ease while the dose is held steady. Any page quoting an exact number of days is quoting something the sources do not say.

What are the most common tesamorelin side effects?

Injection site reactions, arthralgia (joint pain), pain in extremity and myalgia (muscle pain) — the table above has the rest, each with its frequency band and source.

Does tesamorelin have a boxed warning?

No — its label carries none. That reflects what regulatory review has and has not covered, not a finding that serious risks were looked for and ruled out.

Can the tesamorelin dose be lowered if side effects are hard to tolerate?

That decision belongs to the prescribing clinician. The label sets a single dose rather than a ladder, so there is no step to hold at. Any change to it sits with the prescriber.

Does tesamorelin cause hair loss?

Hair loss is not among the reactions listed on this page for tesamorelin, because the FDA label cited here does not carry it. Anything missing from the tables is outside what can be sourced here rather than ruled out, and a symptom that worries you belongs with a clinician.

Is fatigue a listed tesamorelin side effect?

No — the FDA label cited here does not list it. That describes what was reported, not proof that the symptom cannot happen.

Is constipation a listed tesamorelin side effect?

Not separately. If a source groups stomach and gut events together, this page keeps that group intact. It does not invent named reactions the source never listed.

What should someone do about a serious tesamorelin reaction?

Contact a clinician promptly, and emergency services if symptoms are severe or getting worse quickly. The section above describes what those reactions actually look like, so they can be spotted early rather than explained away.

Do the frequencies on this page mean the chance it happens to one person?

No. These figures describe groups in a study. A band shows how often a reaction appeared under that trial’s conditions. It cannot predict what will happen to one person.

The schedule these reactions were recorded against, the comparisons, and the sourcing rules behind every grade on this page.

Tesamorelin — class, half-life and regulatory standing

Brand names include Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR; each contains the same active ingredient.

Where tesamorelin stands in tesamorelin vs sermorelin

Dosing, source strength, half-life and reactions for tesamorelin vs sermorelin, cited row by row past tesamorelin.

The tesamorelin half of tesamorelin vs cjc-1295

Each page in tesamorelin vs cjc-1295 on its own terms, rather than folded into tesamorelin.

Tesamorelin concentration and dose-draw tool

The concentration in mg/mL for every tesamorelin vial and water pairing, printed in full.

Tesamorelin abdominal-fat results, study by study

Each percentage keeps its study, comparator, visit and population attached.

Mixing tesamorelin with something else

Alcohol is a common question, but the published studies did not evaluate it, including tesamorelin

Check the same draw on a vial that is not tesamorelin

Any vial at all, tesamorelin among them, with the arithmetic shown rather than hidden.

Muscle loss across every page, not just tesamorelin

1 of 36 pages carry muscle loss, counted class-wide rather than within tesamorelin.

2primary sources, each with the day we read it — open the documents used on this page

EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection — FDA-approved Prescribing Information (DailyMed SPL)retrieved 2026-08-12FDA label
EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection — FDA-approved Prescribing Information (DailyMed SPL)retrieved 2026-08-12FDA label