Physician-prescribed · San Francisco telehealth
Learn what each peptide is, what it is being studied for and whether one may fit your goals. Start with a free telehealth consult. If a peptide is appropriate, it is prescribed by a board-certified M.D. and shipped to your home.
The basics
Peptide therapy uses prescribed peptides, short chains of amino acids, to send specific signals in the body.
Your body already makes thousands of peptides. They help direct things like hormone release, tissue repair, metabolism and immune activity. Therapeutic peptides are made to resemble or support those natural signals.
Each peptide does something different, so there is no single peptide that fits everyone. The right question is not which peptide is best, but whether one makes sense for your goals and your health history.
Not everything we offer is strictly a peptide. NAD+ is a coenzyme, and Lipo-B is a blend of nutrients. We include them here because patients often ask about them together.
GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are peptides too. They are part of our medical weight loss program.
Peptides act like messengers. They attach to receptors on your cells and prompt a specific response, such as releasing a hormone or starting a repair process.
Many peptides break down in the digestive system, which is why they are often given as a small injection under the skin. Many are self-injected at home, and Dr. Broussard provides instructions for yours.
Peptides are widely sold online, but quality and contents can be hard to verify, and no one is watching how your body responds.
With TruSpine, a physician reviews your health history, your medication is prescribed for you individually, and it comes from a pharmacy. You also have a team to call if you have questions.
Start with your goal
Pick the goal closest to yours and jump to the options patients most often ask about. Your physician will make the final recommendation.
For people dealing with strains, overuse and slow recovery.
For people focused on fatigue, stamina and how their cells make energy.
NAD+ · MOTS-C · Glutathione
For people thinking long term about how they age.
Epithalon · Sermorelin · NAD+
For people interested in growth hormone support.
For people interested in skin quality and collagen.
For people working on weight and metabolic health.
What we offer
Here is what each one is and what researchers are looking at. Research on many of these is still developing, and individual results vary.
Recovery
A lab-made chain of 15 amino acids, modeled on a protein found in stomach fluid.
Being studied for: tendon, muscle and gut tissue repair.
Patients most often ask about it for nagging tendon or muscle injuries and for gut concerns. We encourage a proper exam first, so that a peptide is part of a full plan rather than a stand-in for one.
Ask about BPC-157 →Recovery
A combination of BPC-157 and TB-500. TB-500 is a lab-made peptide related to thymosin beta-4, a protein involved in cell movement and repair.
Being studied for: soft tissue repair and recovery.
Dr. Broussard will review whether a combination or a single peptide is the better fit for you.
Ask about BPC-157/TB-500 →Energy
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme found in every cell that helps turn food into energy. Levels tend to fall with age.
Being studied for: cellular energy, healthy aging and brain function.
Patients often ask about it for fatigue and mental sharpness. Some people notice flushing or nausea, so your physician will guide your dose and schedule.
Metabolism
A small peptide produced from the DNA inside your mitochondria, the energy centers of your cells.
Being studied for: metabolic health, exercise capacity and how the body handles blood sugar.
It was first described in 2015, which makes it one of the newer peptides on this list.
Ask about MOTS-C →Antioxidant
An antioxidant made of three amino acids that your body produces naturally.
Being studied for: oxidative stress and cellular protection.
Your natural levels can be affected by age, stress and illness. Patients often ask about it for general wellness and skin.
Ask about Glutathione →Growth hormone
A lab-made peptide based on growth hormone-releasing hormone. It signals your pituitary gland to release your own growth hormone.
Being studied for: growth hormone levels, sleep, recovery and body composition.
Sermorelin is not growth hormone. It works through your own pituitary gland, which is why patients often ask about it as an alternative to taking growth hormone directly.
Ask about Sermorelin →Healthy aging
A synthetic peptide made of four amino acids (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly).
Being studied for: healthy cellular aging.
It is usually prescribed in intermittent courses rather than continuously.
Ask about Epithalon →Skin
A small peptide bound to copper that occurs naturally in the body and is widely used in skin care.
Being studied for: skin quality, collagen and wound healing.
Your physician will discuss which form is right for you.
Ask about GHK-Cu →Nutrients
A blend of nutrients that typically includes methionine and choline with vitamin B12.
Being studied for: energy and fat metabolism support, often alongside a weight loss plan.
Formulas vary by pharmacy, so your physician will go over the exact ingredients in yours.
Ask about Lipo-B with B12 →What to expect
Choose a time online. Your telehealth consult has no cost and no obligation.
By telehealth, you go over what you want to improve and which options may fit. Then you complete a short intake with your health history and medications.
Dr. Crystal Broussard, M.D. reviews your intake, orders labs only if needed, and decides whether a peptide is appropriate.
If prescribed, your medication ships to your home from a pharmacy. Many peptides are self-injected, and Dr. Broussard provides instructions.
Your physician
Peptides are prescription medications, so your care is led by a physician. Dr. Crystal Broussard, M.D. is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in functional medicine, anti-aging and weight management. She is licensed in all 50 states.
She reviews your intake, decides whether a peptide is appropriate, chooses your medication and dose, and adjusts your plan over time. If a peptide is not right for you, she will tell you.
Safety
These vary by peptide and can include redness or irritation at the injection site, headache, flushing, nausea and fatigue.
Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, chest pain or a severe reaction.
The peptides on this page are compounded for individual patients by prescription. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Your physician will explain what that means before you decide.
Avoid products sold online as "research use only." They are not made for people.
More than a prescription
Peptides are one piece of the picture. If you are dealing with pain, an injury or low energy, our San Francisco team can look at the bigger picture with hands-on care and recovery treatments.
FAQs
Peptide therapy uses prescribed peptides, which are short chains of amino acids, to send specific signals in the body. Peptides your body already makes help direct processes such as hormone release and tissue repair. At TruSpine, a physician decides whether a peptide is appropriate for you and prescribes it if so.
Book a free telehealth consult online. You will talk through your goals with Dr. Supreet Shah from home, then complete a short intake. Dr. Crystal Broussard, M.D. reviews your intake and decides whether to prescribe.
Yes. The telehealth peptide consult has no cost, and there is no obligation to start treatment afterward.
No. The consult is by telehealth, and if you are prescribed a peptide it ships directly to your home with instructions for use.
It depends on the peptide and your plan. We will go over the exact cost with you during your free consult, before you decide anything.
Peptide therapy usually is not covered by insurance, so plan on it being an out-of-pocket expense.
It depends on the peptide, your goal and your health. Research on many peptides is still developing, and results vary from person to person. Your physician will tell you what is reasonable to expect for your situation, and we cannot promise a specific result.
Some peptide medications are FDA-approved, such as semaglutide. The peptides on this page are compounded for individual patients, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Your physician will explain the status of anything she recommends. Federal rules on compounded peptides changed in 2026 and continue to evolve.
Prescribed peptides are generally used under medical supervision so that your health history, medications and side effects can be monitored. Like any medication, they carry risks. Your physician will review those risks with you and may decide that a peptide is not right for you.
Possible side effects vary by peptide and can include redness or irritation at the injection site, headache, flushing, nausea and fatigue. Allergic reactions are possible. Report anything unusual to your provider, and call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or chest pain.
Peptides are generally not appropriate if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Tell your physician if you have now or have had cancer, or if you have a chronic condition or take prescription medications. She will decide what is safe for you.
We advise against it. Products sold online as research use only are not made for people, and the FDA has issued warning letters to sellers of these products. A prescription from a physician and a licensed pharmacy give you much better oversight.
Yes. GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are peptides too, and they are part of our separate medical weight loss program. Lipo-B with B12 is often discussed alongside a weight loss plan.
Talk with your physician, because this depends on your diagnosis. None of the peptides on this page is a replacement for finding out what is causing your symptoms. Learn about our neuropathy treatment program.
People often ask about BPC-157 for this, and your physician can tell you whether it makes sense for you. Peptides do not replace a proper exam or rehab. Our team can evaluate your knee pain or injury and build a full plan.
It depends on the peptide. Many are self-injected under the skin at home, using instructions from Dr. Broussard. She will tell you how yours is used and how often.
It varies by peptide, your goal and your health. Your physician will tell you what to watch for and when to check back, so you can decide together whether to continue.
Sometimes. Whether that makes sense depends on your goals, your health and what your physician recommends. More is not automatically better.
Only if needed. If labs would help Dr. Broussard make a safe decision, she will let you know what to order.
No. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as signals. Anabolic steroids are a different class of drug, and growth hormone is a much larger protein. Sermorelin, for example, signals your body to release its own growth hormone.
No. The consult is by telehealth, and Dr. Broussard is licensed in all 50 states. Call us at (415) 421-1115 to confirm availability where you live.
No. Your free consult is with Dr. Supreet Shah, DC, but peptides are prescription medications. After you complete your intake, Dr. Crystal Broussard, M.D., who is board certified in internal medicine, reviews it and handles any prescription.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Crystal Broussard, M.D., board certified in internal medicine.
This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Prescriptions are issued only when a physician determines they are appropriate. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Individual results vary.
Book a free telehealth consult. There is no cost and no obligation, and you can do it from home.
