Pinc PeptideThe girly peptide research blog

DSIP (emideltide) · Dose evidence · updated 8 October 2026

DSIP dosage: what studies actually used

The short answer

DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide, also called emideltide) is not an FDA-approved drug, and FDA’s 2026 review called the sleep results ‘inconclusive and at best preliminary’, so no dose is established outside Russia1. The placebo-controlled studies all gave it into a vein, dosed in nmol/kg (nanomoles, a count of molecules rather than a weight, per kilogram of body weight), most often 25 nmol/kg once or on 3 or 4 nights123. Other studies used 30 or 35 nmol/kg for up to 7 days, fixed totals of 3 or 4 mg, or up to 100 nmol/kg around surgery145. The only registered DSIP medicine we found, Russia’s nonprescription Deltaran nose drops, has 0.3 mg per ampoule, and its label lists 1 to 3 ampoules a day for 5 to 10 days67.

Not dosing advice. This page reports doses that studies and approved labels used, with their sources. It does not recommend a dose, and we do not give mixing, injection or unit-conversion instructions. Gray-market vials often do not contain what their label says. How we report doses.

Every dose studied in people

StudyWhoPeopleDose and routeWhat happened
Dick 1984, open study with no comparison group Hospital inpatients in Geneva in alcohol withdrawal (47) or opioid withdrawal (60) 107 25 nmol/kg per injection, up to 6 a day, either on request when symptoms returned or every 6 to 8 hours
Into a vein (IV) · Up to 6 days; the fixed schedule ran 3 days		 Symptoms disappeared or improved markedly in 97% of evaluable opioid patients and 87% of evaluable alcohol patients, though anxiety eased more slowly8. Some opioid patients who had responded relapsed into anxiety with marked insomnia within 24 to 72 hours of stopping1. FDA counts 9 people with short-lived side effects such as sweating, headache, nausea or vertigo, and 3 with serious ones, 2 of them a drop in blood pressure at the start of the first injection1.
Pomfrett 2009, randomized controlled trial Women having surgery under general anesthesia; 12 got DSIP and 12 got saline 24 25, 50 or 100 nmol/kg, given once while awake and again after anesthesia began
Into a vein (IV) · Day of surgery		 The authors expected DSIP to deepen anesthesia, but it raised heart rate, lowered heart-rate variability and, at 25 nmol/kg, raised the bispectral index, a brain-monitor score, meaning lighter anesthesia5.
Schneider-Helmert 1986, double-blind study without a separate placebo group People with long-term insomnia: 9 aged 29 to 59 and 9 aged 60 to 83 18 30 nmol/kg each evening: 6 doses in the abstract, 5 nights in FDA’s summary
Into a vein (IV) · 1 week, then 1 week of follow-up		 The middle-aged group’s sleep reached normal values by the end of dosing and stayed there; the older group, whose sleep was twice as disturbed at the start, reached normal values only by the end of follow-up9. FDA reports immediate gains in total sleep of 97 minutes in the older group and 57 minutes in the middle-aged group, but says small samples and the lack of an adequate control group limit what this shows1.
Bes 1992, double-blind placebo-controlled trial (matched pairs) People with long-term insomnia; half got a glucose solution as placebo 16 25 nmol/kg in the afternoon before each treatment night
Into a vein (IV) · 3 nights, after 2 baseline nights		 Sleep efficiency was higher and time to fall asleep shorter than on placebo, but the effects were weak, partly reflected a chance change in the placebo group, and subjective sleep quality did not change3. The authors concluded that short-term DSIP ‘is not likely to be of major therapeutic benefit’3.
Kresiun 2014 (in Russian), no placebo group described People with insulin-dependent diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina) 15 0.0003 g of DSIP a day, as a product called deltalicin
In the nose · 2 months		 After a bright-light test of the retina, the brain’s electrical response to visual signals took 137.2 seconds to recover in this group and 95.1 seconds after treatment, against 73.5 seconds in 15 healthy volunteers10.
Schneider-Helmert 1987, double-blind study without a separate placebo group Middle-aged people with severe long-term insomnia 14 30 nmol/kg each night
Into a vein (IV) · 7 nights in a row		 Time to fall asleep fell from 58.4 minutes at baseline to 27.6 minutes after the last dose, and total sleep rose from 313 to 385 minutes1. FDA notes the comparison was with the patients’ own placebo nights and with healthy people studied separately, not with a placebo group of insomniacs1.
Bjartell 1989, randomized double-blind crossover Healthy men aged 25 to 39 11 A single 25 nmol/kg dose, or saline
Into a vein (IV) · Single dose		 Blood levels of ACTH, a pituitary stress hormone, were lower for at least 3 hours after DSIP, while cortisol was unaffected11.
Backmund 1998, open study with no comparison group People with opioid dependence going through detox 7 35 nmol/kg per injection: 4 to 6 injections on day 1, 4 a day on days 2 to 4 and 2 a day on days 5 to 7
Into a vein (IV) · 7 days		 The mean withdrawal score fell from 34.4 to 17.8 after the first injection, but only 2 people received every scheduled dose and completed detox, and both needed doxepin, another drug, for insomnia on day 31. The authors called it ‘an open question whether DSIP could be an effective alternative detoxification approach’1.
Monti 1987, randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover People with severe long-term insomnia 6 25 nmol/kg each night, or placebo
Into a vein (IV) · Two 9-night sleep-lab periods, 4 days apart, each with 4 nights of DSIP or placebo		 Time to fall asleep fell slightly and total sleep rose by a mean of 20 minutes, but neither differed significantly from baseline or placebo nights, and the authors judged the improvement ‘of little clinical significance’12.
Schneider-Helmert 1981, double-blind crossover Healthy volunteers: 4 men and 2 women 6 A single 25 nmol/kg dose in the morning, or placebo
Into a vein (IV) · 2 days in a row: DSIP on one, placebo on the other		 Median total sleep in the 130 minutes after dosing was 59% higher than after placebo, with no sedation in the usual drug sense, and no side effects were seen12.
Schneider-Helmert and Schoenenberger 1981, randomized double-blind crossover Middle-aged people with long-term insomnia 6 25 nmol/kg just before bedtime, or placebo
Into a vein (IV) · 3 test nights, alternating DSIP and placebo		 After a slight arousing effect in the first hour, sleep was longer and less interrupted from the second hour for up to 6 hours, while time to fall asleep did not change113. FDA notes the paper gave p-values and percentage changes without placebo figures1.
Schneider-Helmert 1984, single case report A 35-year-old man who had had narcolepsy for 10 years 1 25 nmol/kg in the evening during one week and in the morning during another
Into a vein (IV) · 2 weeks, after a week of baseline measurements		 Sleep attacks fell from 6 in the baseline week to 3 in each dosing week, and daytime activity, alertness and performance rose114. FDA says a single-person case report limits what can be concluded1.
Späth-Schwalbe 1995, two placebo-controlled experiments Healthy young men: 5 in each condition of the first experiment, then another 10 – Total doses of 3 or 4 mg in the first experiment and 4 mg in the second, or placebo
Infusion into a vein (IV) · One infusion, from 30 minutes before to 90 minutes after a CRH injection in the first experiment		 ACTH and cortisol responses to CRH, a hormone that switches on the body’s stress-hormone system, were almost the same with DSIP as with placebo, and DSIP did not change the midday rise in these hormones after a meal4.
Schneider-Helmert and Schoenenberger 1983, report of five small double-blind studies Healthy volunteers and people with insomnia; FDA describes insomnia groups of 6, 4 and 2 people – 25 nmol/kg: a single dose, or one dose on each of 4 evenings or 6 mornings
Into a vein (IV) · 1 to 6 days		 The report gives a delay of 1 hour before sleep began and says ‘a complete normalization of disturbed sleep was achieved by four consecutive injections’15. FDA says the series had ‘insufficient details on study design’1.

Studies, animals and users: kept apart

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

All placebo-controlled studies gave DSIP into a vein, most often 25 nmol/kg (about 21 µg/kg) as a slow injection, over 4 minutes in several trials, as a single dose or on 3 to 7 nights; some studies used 30 or 35 nmol/kg12317. Withdrawal studies gave up to 6 injections a day for up to 6 days1. In total, FDA counted 209 people given 25 to 150 nmol/kg for 1 to 15 days1. A 2009 anesthesia study gave 25, 50 or 100 nmol/kg twice, once while awake and again under anesthesia5. FDA found no human study of injection under the skin, the form sold in the US1. For nasal use, Russia’s Deltaran label lists 1 to 3 ampoules of 0.3 mg a day for 5 to 10 days7, and a 2014 study gave 0.0003 g of DSIP a day for 2 months10.

In animal studies

As reported. Rabbits: 6 nmol/kg infused into the brain’s fluid spaces over 3.5 minutes raised delta brain-wave activity by about 35%18. Mice: Deltaran at 2.5 µg per mouse (about 100 µg/kg) under the skin on 5 days each month, from 3 months of age until death19. Half-life studies gave single IV doses of about 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg to dogs, 2.0 mg/kg to rats and 0.2 mg/kg to a monkey1.

What users report Anecdotal · not validated · not a recommendation

A dosing-chart site (updated 28 September 2026) lists 100 to 300 µg injected under the skin once a day, with an ‘advanced’ range up to 500 µg that it says rests on anecdote. The same page says the small, older human studies, often using IV doses, do not validate its schedule16.

Half-life and how it is taken

Half-life
About 8 minutes in blood plasma1FDA’s 2026 review gives DSIP a plasma half-life of 8 minutes1. After IV doses in animals it was 3 to 6 minutes in dogs and about 2 to 3 minutes in rats and a monkey; in human serum in the lab it lasted 5 to 10 minutes120. Blood enzymes break it down from its starting (amino) end into smaller fragments121. FDA found no data on how long it lasts after injection under the skin1.
Routes
  • Intravenous injection (all placebo-controlled human studies, 1981 to 2009)
  • Nasal drops (Russia’s approved Deltaran; one small 2014 human study of a nasal DSIP product)
  • Nasal spray (marketed by US clinics and retailers, per FDA; no human data found on these products)
  • Subcutaneous injection (the route proposed for US compounding and shown in dosing charts; no human data found; used in a lifelong mouse study)
  • Infusion into the brain’s fluid spaces (the rabbit studies that defined DSIP)

What Russia’s Deltaran label says

Deltaran is a freeze-dried powder for the nose, with 0.3 mg of DSIP per ampoule, sold in Russia without a prescription67. Its label lists two uses, both as part of combined treatment: treating and preventing stress-induced conditions, and alcohol withdrawal and craving for alcohol7.

The copy of the label in the RLS drug encyclopedia gives one daily course, the same for prevention and for treatment, and says that people with severe conditions such as alcohol withdrawal need a doctor to prescribe additional detoxification medicines7. The Vidal drug reference prints no schedule: it calls dosing ‘individual, depending on indications’ and says a doctor sets the best regimen (our translation)6.

The label rules Deltaran out for anyone under 18, in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and in people with hypersensitivity to it, and advises against it with severe bradycardia (a very slow heartbeat)7. It lists allergic reactions and irritation of the nose lining as possible side effects67.

Vidal dates the current registration 31 July 2026, with no end date6. We could not check Russia’s official drug register (GRLS) directly, and FDA’s 2026 review says the forms of DSIP it examined ‘are not registered drugs in any country searched’ through the GlobalEdge database1. The label’s 0.3 mg is a weight per ampoule, while the IV studies dosed by body weight in nmol/kg, so the two do not compare directly, and we do not convert one into the other17.

Why no dose is established

FDA’s 2026 review said small samples, differences between patients and ‘different treatment regimens’ limit what the sleep studies show, and that there was ‘no information regarding benefit with long-term administration’1. The positive sleep results came from studies by Schneider-Helmert, while two similar double-blind trials by other teams did not reach the same conclusions1.

Both of those trials used 25 nmol/kg: one judged the change ‘of little clinical significance’, and the other found DSIP ‘not likely to be of major therapeutic benefit’23.

On 24 July 2026, FDA’s compounding advisers voted 6 for and 7 against adding DSIP to the list of substances US pharmacies may compound, with 1 abstention2223. Members who voted no cited an uncertain dosing regimen among their reasons, along with low-quality evidence that it works22.

FDA’s safety count includes doses up to 150 nmol/kg, but none of the study reports we read gives a body-weight dose above 100 nmol/kg, so we could not tell which study used the highest dose15.

Studies that did not report a dose

Two small open studies from 1984 give no dose in their summaries2425:

  • Kaeser 1984: 7 people with severe insomnia were given a series of 10 injections, and sleep was normal in all but 1 over follow-up of 3 to 7 months24.
  • Larbig 1984: 7 people with migraine and other headaches, long-term ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or attacks of pain with a psychological cause were given DSIP into a vein on 5 days in a row, then 5 more injections every 48 to 72 hours, and pain fell in 6 of the 7 compared with their own earlier levels25.

Questions people ask

How much DSIP should I take?

No dose is established: FDA’s 2026 review called the sleep evidence ‘inconclusive and at best preliminary’1. Studies gave it into a vein, most often at 25 nmol/kg, and Russia’s Deltaran nose-drop label, which rules out anyone under 18, sets its own course17. DSIP is not an FDA-approved drug, and US pharmacies may not compound it12627.

How long does DSIP take to work?

In small studies of people with insomnia, sleep improved from the second hour after an IV dose, after a slight arousing effect in the first hour113. A 1983 report described a 1-hour delay before sleep began15. FDA judged these results ‘inconclusive and at best preliminary’1.

Can you take DSIP every night?

FDA found ‘no information regarding benefit with long-term administration’ of IV DSIP for insomnia1. One insomnia study gave 30 nmol/kg on 7 nights in a row, and a nasal study gave a daily dose for 2 months but described no placebo group11017.

What is the dose of Deltaran?

The RLS copy of Russia’s label lists 1 to 3 ampoules a day in the nose, each holding 0.3 mg of DSIP, for 5 to 10 days, for both prevention and treatment7. It rules Deltaran out for anyone under 18 and in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and the Vidal reference says a doctor sets the best regimen67.

Go deeper

Sources

  1. 1FDA Evaluation of Emideltide-Related Bulk Drug Substances (Emideltide (Free Base) and Emideltide Acetate), PCAC briefing document U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 11 May 2026. fda.gov
  2. 2Study of delta sleep-inducing peptide efficacy in improving sleep on short-term administration to chronic insomniacs International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research, 1987. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3Effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide on sleep of chronic insomniac patients. A double-blind study Neuropsychobiology, 1992. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 4Delta-sleep-inducing peptide does not affect CRH and meal-induced ACTH and cortisol secretion Psychoneuroendocrinology, 1995. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. 5Delta sleep-inducing peptide alters bispectral index, the electroencephalogram and heart rate variability when used as an adjunct to isoflurane anaesthesia European Journal of Anaesthesiology, Feb 2009. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. 6Дельтаран (Deltaran), nasal lyophilizate 0.3 mg: instructions for use Vidal Russia drug reference, 4 Jun 2026. vidal.ru
  7. 7Дельтаран (Deltaran), nasal lyophilizate 0.3 mg: instructions, doses, side effects RLS (Register of Medicinal Products of Russia), 22 Sep 2026. rlsnet.ru
  8. 8DSIP in the treatment of withdrawal syndromes from alcohol and opiates European Neurology, 1984. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. 9Efficacy of DSIP to normalize sleep in middle-aged and elderly chronic insomniacs European Neurology, 1986. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. 10Using deltalicin for the treatment of patients with diabetic retinopathy (in Russian) Eksperimental’naia i Klinicheskaia Farmakologiia, 2014. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. 11Reduction of immunoreactive ACTH in plasma following intravenous injection of delta sleep-inducing peptide in man Psychoneuroendocrinology, 1989. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. 12Acute and delayed effects of DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) on human sleep behavior International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Therapy, and Toxicology, Aug 1981. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  13. 13The influence of synthetic DSIP (delta-sleep-inducing-peptide) on disturbed human sleep Experientia, 1981. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  14. 14Effects of DSIP on narcolepsy European Neurology, 1984. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  15. 15Effects of DSIP in man. Multifunctional psychophysiological properties besides induction of natural sleep Neuropsychobiology, 1983. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  16. 16DSIP (5 mg Vial) Dosage Protocol PeptideDosages, 28 Sep 2026. peptidedosages.com
  17. 17Effects of delta-sleep-inducing peptide on 24-hour sleep-wake behaviour in severe chronic insomnia European Neurology, 1987. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  18. 18The delta EEG (sleep)-inducing peptide (DSIP). XI. Amino-acid analysis, sequence, synthesis and activity of the nonapeptide Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology, 6 Sep 1978. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  19. 19Effect of delta-sleep inducing peptide-containing preparation Deltaran on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female SHR mice Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, Jun 2003. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  20. 20Development of an enzyme immunoassay for delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and its use in the determination of the metabolic clearance rate of DSIP administered to dogs Neuroendocrinology, Jul 1984. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  21. 21Degradation and aggregation of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and two analogs in plasma and serum Peptides, Jul 1987. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  22. 22The PEPTIDE-L Wave Rolls On! PCAC Adds Two More Bulk Drug Substances for the 503A List FDA Law Blog (Hyman, Phelps & McNamara), 28 Jul 2026. thefdalawblog.com
  23. 23FDA Panel Backs 6 Peptides for Compounding AJMC (The American Journal of Managed Care), 31 Jul 2026. ajmc.com
  24. 24A clinical trial with DSIP European Neurology, 1984. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  25. 25Therapeutic effects of delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) in patients with chronic, pronounced pain episodes. A clinical pilot study European Neurology, 1984. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  26. 26Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov
  27. 27Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 22 Apr 2026. fda.gov

Not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any drug. Report an error.