Decide in advance, not in the moment
Every protocol in the Playbook has a "When to Stop" section, and they are written before you start for a reason. Deciding what would make you stop while you are six weeks in, invested, and hopeful is not a decision made under good conditions.
The universal stop signals
Any unusual systemic reaction beyond mild injection site effects. This appears in nearly every protocol. Local redness that fades is expected. Anything that feels systemic, and that you would not have had otherwise, is a stop-and-assess.
Injection site reactions that spread beyond the immediate area or persist. The distinction is between a reaction that fades and one that expands.
A new symptom you cannot explain. This is where running one compound at a time pays for itself.
Compound-specific signals
BPC-157 and TB-500: active cancer or suspected malignancy. Pregnancy.
Tesamorelin: persistent joint pain or carpal tunnel symptoms that do not resolve. Blood glucose elevation. Spreading injection site reactions.
Retatrutide: MTC family history or MEN2 syndrome. Pregnancy, discontinuing at least two months before trying to conceive. Persistent severe GI symptoms that do not resolve with dose reduction. Gallbladder symptoms.
GHK-Cu: persistent skin irritation or rash that does not resolve with reduced frequency. Signs of copper sensitivity: itching or discoloration at the application site.
MOTS-C: persistent injection site bumps. Hypoglycemic symptoms: shakiness, dizziness, confusion.
DSIP: persistent headaches or worsening sleep quality. And a standing caution rather than a stop signal: currently taking CNS-active medications, because DSIP affects the same GABA pathways as benzodiazepines.
Stopping is not always failure
Several protocols have a planned end.
DSIP cycles 2–4 weeks and then stops, with benefits typically persisting for days to weeks afterwards. Long-term safety beyond six weeks is not characterised, so cycling off is the protocol rather than a retreat from it.
MOTS-C runs 4–8 weeks on, 4 weeks off.
Epitalon runs 10–20 day courses, two to three times a year.
BPC-157 runs 4–6 weeks, with a 2–4 week break before any second cycle.
Reaching the end of a cycle and stopping is the protocol working as designed.
The "it did nothing" case
This deserves naming, because our sources do.
The Playbook's MOTS-C troubleshooting says: without human efficacy trials, individual response is unpredictable, not everyone will notice subjective effects, and if nothing after four weeks this may not be the right compound for you.
The DSIP guidance says: if nothing after two weeks at 200 mcg, it may not be effective for you, and this is consistent with the mixed clinical results.
A null result is a legitimate outcome. It is not a dosing error to be corrected by escalating, and for DSIP specifically our sources describe no added benefit above 300 mcg, with one describing worse sleep.
What happens after you stop
BPC-157 and TB-500: benefits generally persist. The tissue actually repaired.
DSIP: no withdrawal, no rebound insomnia. Benefits typically persist for days to weeks.
Tesamorelin: partial reversal over months. Visceral fat returns to baseline without ongoing treatment; LIPO-011 demonstrated this directly.
The incretin agonists: weight returns on discontinuation across the entire class. This is a maintenance decision, not a course.
Knowing which category a compound falls into before you start is the difference between a plan and a surprise.