VIP
What do these badges mean?
Evidence tier
- AHuman-validated — Human trials showing positive results and good safety.
- BAnimal-grade — No human trials yet, but solid animal/preclinical evidence of effect and safety.
- CAnecdotal — No human or animal trials — only anecdotal/observational reports.
- DInsufficient evidence — No or insufficient evidence (encyclopedia only — never recommended by the builder).
Safety light
- 🟢 Green — Only mild, manageable side effects; reasonable safety data.
- 🟡 Yellow — Needs active management, has a meaningful contraindication/interaction, or has thin long-term data.
- 🔴 Red — Risk of a hospital-level event — treat with serious caution.
Browse-only — not on the protocol builder's curated shortlist, so the builder won't recommend it.
What is it?
VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide your body makes throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, GI tract, and immune system. It belongs to the secretin/glucagon family. Exogenous intranasal VIP is the centerpiece of Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) protocol for mold-illness patients — and its standout finding is that it measurably restores grey-matter volume on MRI in patients who completed the prerequisite cleanup steps.
OHM groups VIP alongside LL-37 and KPV as part of the same “calm the inflammatory fire, support host defense, restore tissue” theme, approached from a different route than either — VIP’s job is neuroimmune restoration after the inflammatory triggers (mold, chronic infection) have already been cleared, rather than fighting the trigger directly.
What does it do in my body?
Four pathways at once:
- Vasodilation — the original “V”: VIP was first characterized for its blood-vessel-relaxing effect.
- Immunomodulation — shifts T-helper response, suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β1, MMP-9, C4a).
- Neuroprotection — trophic support for CNS neurons; the basis for the grey-matter restoration finding.
- Circadian regulation — VIP-expressing neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus coordinate the master circadian clock.
How can it help me?
- Best fit: CIRS / mold illness (post-cleanup only), grey-matter restoration
- Where the science stands: Shoemaker 2017 observational/retrospective human cohort + practitioner-network reporting; no RCT
The full evidence — every human, animal, and lab study, graded — is one tap away: use the See the deeper science → toggle at the top.
Is it dangerous? What are the side effects?
- Mild nasal irritation from the spray vehicle is the most common.
- No hepatotoxicity or cardiovascular signals reported.
- The biggest practical risk is starting too early — beginning VIP before completing the prerequisite cleanup steps can worsen inflammatory symptoms.
Regulatory status: Not FDA-approved. Available as a compounded prescription via 503A compounding pharmacies in the U.S. Not on a major sport-doping prohibited list as of mid-2026.
Typical dosing
Educational context only — talk to a licensed medical provider before any protocol. What follows describes the doses and schedules most commonly reported in the research and by practitioners, shared so you can have an informed conversation. These compounds are sold for research use only, are not FDA-approved drugs, and this is not medical advice.
- Route (validated): intranasal — direct CNS access via the olfactory pathway. This is the only route with documented imaging outcomes.
- Standard dose: 50 mcg/spray, 4×/day (200 mcg/day total).
- Extended dose for grey-matter phase: >6 doses/day = 300+ mcg/day.
- SubQ and IV exist but are off the validated Shoemaker rail with less supporting data.
- Duration: 30 days initial; 12+ weeks for full neuroimaging response.
- Storage: refrigerated, light-protected; use within compounding-pharmacy label window.
What should I avoid combining — and what's synergistic?
VIP doesn't have a dedicated stacking protocol in our notes — the interactions that matter most are in the safety section above. For how people combine it with other peptides, the deeper-science view has the full detail.
Where do people source this?
OHM does not sell or handle any compound. Research-use-only material is sold by third-party vendors; our vetting notes and disclosures are on the Where to buy page. If you'd rather have a physician in the loop, see the telehealth option. Whatever the route, the supply chain is the real risk: only consider vendors that publish batch-level third-party Certificates of Analysis.
VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide behind Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s mold-illness (CIRS) protocol, best known for a striking finding: intranasal VIP measurably restored grey-matter volume on MRI in patients who had already completed the required cleanup steps — real human evidence, observational rather than randomized-controlled, but genuine.
| Class | 28-amino-acid neuropeptide, secretin/glucagon family |
| Mechanism (one line) | Vasodilation + immunomodulation + neuroprotection + circadian regulation; centerpiece of the Shoemaker CIRS (mold-illness) protocol |
| Route / frequency | Intranasal — the only route with documented imaging outcomes; 50 mcg/spray, 4×/day standard (200 mcg/day), extended to 6+ doses/day (300+ mcg/day) for grey-matter restoration |
| Evidence base | Shoemaker 2017 observational/retrospective human cohort + practitioner-network reporting; no RCT |
| Safety record | Clean — “no significant adverse effects reported by any patients” in the Shoemaker cohort; the real risk is starting too early (before CIRS cleanup is complete) |
| Regulatory status | Not FDA-approved; available as a compounded prescription via 503A compounding pharmacies in the U.S. |
| Best-fit use | CIRS / mold illness (post-cleanup only), grey-matter restoration |
What it is
VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide your body makes throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, GI tract, and immune system. It belongs to the secretin/glucagon family. Exogenous intranasal VIP is the centerpiece of Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) protocol for mold-illness patients — and its standout finding is that it measurably restores grey-matter volume on MRI in patients who completed the prerequisite cleanup steps.
OHM groups VIP alongside LL-37 and KPV as part of the same “calm the inflammatory fire, support host defense, restore tissue” theme, approached from a different route than either — VIP’s job is neuroimmune restoration after the inflammatory triggers (mold, chronic infection) have already been cleared, rather than fighting the trigger directly.
How it works
Four pathways at once:
- Vasodilation — the original “V”: VIP was first characterized for its blood-vessel-relaxing effect.
- Immunomodulation — shifts T-helper response, suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β1, MMP-9, C4a).
- Neuroprotection — trophic support for CNS neurons; the basis for the grey-matter restoration finding.
- Circadian regulation — VIP-expressing neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus coordinate the master circadian clock.
What the research shows
Shoemaker 2017: the cornerstone paper:
- Intranasal VIP safely restores volume to multiple grey-matter nuclei in patients with CIRS.
- Observational/retrospective patient series.
- Dose: 50 mcg per metered intranasal spray, 4 doses/day standard, extended to >6 doses/day for grey-matter restoration phases.
- Treatment window: 30 days initial; >12 weeks for grey-matter atrophy reversal.
- Imaging: sequential NeuroQuant MRI volumetric measurement showing multinuclear grey-matter restoration.
- Biomarker shifts: MMP-9, TGF-β1, C4a all dropped; low VEGF normalized; acquired von Willebrand-pattern clotting abnormalities corrected; ACTH/cortisol and ADH/osmolality axes normalized.
- Safety: no significant adverse effects reported by any patients, plus documented durability of benefit.
Practitioner-network reporting:
- More than 300 prescribing physicians in the Shoemaker network and greater than 90% patient-response rates at the time the 2017 paper was published.
- Earlier (2008–2013) Shoemaker-affiliated work demonstrated VIP safety and biomarker normalization in CIRS.
The Shoemaker protocol sequencing — the part you can’t skip
VIP is the last step in the Shoemaker CIRS protocol, not the first. Starting VIP before the inflammatory triggers are cleaned up can make patients worse. The prerequisite steps:
- Mold avoidance / remediation (or relocation).
- Toxin binders (cholestyramine / Welchol).
- MARCoNS (multi-antibiotic-resistant coag-negative Staph) eradication from the nasal vault.
- Anti-gliadin antibody normalization.
- Androgen / ADH / VEGF / MMP-9 / C3a / C4a normalization to the extent possible without VIP.
Only after those is VIP added as the “rebuild” step that restores neuroendocrine and immune function. This sequencing is non-negotiable — every responsible VIP write-up needs to make it clear.
Where experts disagree. Shoemaker-trained practitioners insist on the cleanup-first sequence; some users skip steps. The data favors the sequence — VIP added too early appears to destabilize patients rather than help them.
Real-world protocol
The doses and schedules here are for educational and informational purposes only. These peptides are sold for research use only and are not FDA-approved drugs. This is not medical advice. Consult a qualified physician before beginning any protocol.
- Route (validated): intranasal — direct CNS access via the olfactory pathway. This is the only route with documented imaging outcomes.
- Standard dose: 50 mcg/spray, 4×/day (200 mcg/day total).
- Extended dose for grey-matter phase: >6 doses/day = 300+ mcg/day.
- SubQ and IV exist but are off the validated Shoemaker rail with less supporting data.
- Duration: 30 days initial; 12+ weeks for full neuroimaging response.
- Storage: refrigerated, light-protected; use within compounding-pharmacy label window.
Side effects & management
- Mild nasal irritation from the spray vehicle is the most common.
- No hepatotoxicity or cardiovascular signals reported.
- The biggest practical risk is starting too early — beginning VIP before completing the prerequisite cleanup steps can worsen inflammatory symptoms.
Regulatory status
Not FDA-approved. Available as a compounded prescription via 503A compounding pharmacies in the U.S. Not on a major sport-doping prohibited list as of mid-2026.
Sources
- the source digest behind this article (originally built into
wiki/immune-cluster-ll37-kpv-vip.md, since split into standalone compound articles). - cluster-level grading baseline.
- Primary literature anchor: Shoemaker 2017 (intranasal VIP / grey matter).
Sources & references
- the source digest behind this article (originally built into
wiki/immune-cluster-ll37-kpv-vip.md, since split into standalone compound articles). - cluster-level grading baseline.
- Primary literature anchor: Shoemaker 2017 (intranasal VIP / grey matter).