HCG Reconstitution & Dosage Calculator
Human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that stimulates endogenous testosterone production via LH receptor agonism. Supplied and measured in international units (IU); no standard mass conversion.
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Research use only. Not medical advice. Not for human consumption.
How to reconstitute HCG
HCG is measured in international units (IU). Add 2 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 2000 IU vial for a 1000 IU/mL solution.
Mixing is one decision: how much bacteriostatic water goes in. Dosing follows from it, and the syringe reads the result. The instructions below are the whole procedure.
| Vial size | BAC water | Concentration | 250 IU draws to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 IU | 2 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units |
| 5000 IU | 5 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units |
| 10000 IU | 10 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units |
Units are shown for a U-100 insulin syringe. A common starting dose is 250 IU. At 1000 IU/mL, that draws to 25 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
How many units is my HCG dose?
The number on the syringe comes from the concentration, not from the vial size alone. The same 5000 IU vial reads 10 units for a 500 IU draw when it takes 1 mL of bacteriostatic water, and 50 units for the same draw when it takes 5 mL. Find your vial and the water you added, then read across. Units are the marks on a U-100 insulin syringe, where 100 units is 1 mL.
| Vial | BAC water | Concentration | 250 IU draws to | 500 IU draws to | 1000 IU draws to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 IU | 1 mL | 2000 IU/mL | 12.5 units | 25 units | 50 units |
| 2000 IU | 2 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units | 50 units | 100 units |
| 5000 IU | 1 mL | 5000 IU/mL | 5 units | 10 units | 20 units |
| 5000 IU | 2 mL | 2500 IU/mL | 10 units | 20 units | 40 units |
| 5000 IU | 3 mL | 1667 IU/mL | 15 units | 30 units | 60 units |
| 5000 IU | 5 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units | 50 units | 100 units |
| 10000 IU | 1 mL | 10000 IU/mL | 2.5 units | 5 units | 10 units |
| 10000 IU | 2 mL | 5000 IU/mL | 5 units | 10 units | 20 units |
| 10000 IU | 5 mL | 2000 IU/mL | 12.5 units | 25 units | 50 units |
| 10000 IU | 10 mL | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units | 50 units | 100 units |
These are conversions, not a protocol. HCG is standardised by biological activity, so a vial is labelled in international units and there is no single conversion to milligrams. The syringe math stays in IU per mL.
How HCG works
Occupies LH receptors on testicular Leydig cells, activating cAMP-dependent signaling that drives cholesterol uptake and the enzymatic steps yielding testosterone.
Reported side effects
- Gynecomastia at high doses
- Water retention
- Mood swings
- Hormonal fluctuations
When is HCG taken?
HCG is commonly taken in the morning.
Reconstituting HCG, step by step
Reconstituting is the mixing step: bacteriostatic water goes into the vial of lyophilized powder, and the powder becomes a solution a syringe can measure. For a 5000 IU vial of HCG the calculator's water volume is 5 mL, which gives 1000 IU/mL. The technique is the same for every peptide; only the water volume changes.
- Prep. Remove the plastic caps from the HCG vial and the bacteriostatic water vial. Wipe both rubber stoppers with an alcohol pad and let them air dry for about ten seconds.
- Equalize the pressure. Pull 5 mL of air into the mixing syringe and push it into the water vial. The positive pressure makes the draw easier.
- Draw the water. Turn the water vial upside down and draw 5 mL.
- Inject down the glass. Put the needle through the center of the HCG stopper, aim the tip at the inside wall, and press slowly so the water runs down the glass instead of hitting the powder. Peptides are fragile chains, and a jet of water straight onto the powder can damage them.
- Swirl, never shake. Withdraw the syringe and roll the vial in slow circles until the solution is clear.
The reasoning behind each step is in the guide Peptide reconstitution is one number. Bacteriostatic water, not sterile water, is what makes a multi-draw vial possible; the difference, and the 28-day question, is in bacteriostatic vs sterile water.
Dilution: the water volume sets the units
Two numbers decide everything on the syringe. Concentration is the vial's IU divided by the water added, and the draw is the dose divided by that concentration, read as units on a U-100 insulin syringe, where 1 mL is 100 units. Diluting a vial with more water does not change the amount of HCG in it; it spreads the same 5000 IU across more liquid, so every dose becomes a larger draw. Less water does the opposite.
| Water added to 5000 IU | Concentration | 250 IU draws to |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mL | 2000 IU/mL | 12.5 units |
| 5 mL (the standard) | 1000 IU/mL | 25 units |
| 10 mL | 500 IU/mL | 50 units |
The standard row is what the calculator uses for this vial. The other rows show the arithmetic, not a recommendation. The dose is entered in the calculator, never read off a table.
How many vials a 10 mL bottle of bacteriostatic water mixes
Bacteriostatic water is sold in 10 mL and 30 mL bottles. At 5 mL per 5000 IU vial of HCG, a 10 mL bottle reconstitutes 2 vials, and a 30 mL bottle reconstitutes 6. The 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative is what lets one bottle serve several vials over several weeks. What a milligram costs right now across the stores TR8CE tracks is on the peptide price index.
| Vial size | Water per vial | Vials per 10 mL bottle | Vials per 30 mL bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 IU | 2 mL | 5 | 15 |
| 5000 IU | 5 mL | 2 | 6 |
| 10000 IU | 10 mL | 1 | 3 |
HCG in units on a U-100 syringe
At 1000 IU/mL, every 100 IU is 10 units. The rows below are the conversion at the calculator's standard concentration, up to one full 100-unit syringe. A vial size not listed follows the same rule: water equals size divided by 1000.
| Amount of HCG | U-100 syringe |
|---|---|
| 50 IU | 5 units |
| 100 IU | 10 units |
| 200 IU | 20 units |
| 250 IU (the COMMON reference) | 25 units |
| 500 IU | 50 units |
| 1000 IU | 100 units |
Storage after reconstituting
Once mixed, a HCG vial is kept refrigerated at 36 to 46 °F (2 to 8 °C) and is not frozen. TR8CE's vault uses a common 28-day refrigerated use-by window as general research guidance, not medical advice. Most peptides reconstitute clear, and a solution that stays cloudy or shows particles after a few minutes of gentle swirling may be degraded or low purity, which is exactly the question a certificate of analysis answers before the vial is ever opened.
Why HCG is measured in IU, not milligrams
HCG is standardized by biological activity, so its vials are labeled in international units (IU) rather than milligrams. The arithmetic does not change: 5000 IU in 5 mL is 1000 IU per mL, so 250 IU is 0.25 mL, which reads 25 units on a U-100 syringe.
Frequently asked
How much bacteriostatic water do I add to HCG?
Add 2 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 2000 IU HCG vial for a 1000 IU/mL solution.
What is a common HCG dose?
A common HCG starting dose is 250 IU, which at 1000 IU/mL draws to 25 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
How do you reconstitute HCG?
Draw bacteriostatic water into a syringe, inject it slowly down the inside glass of the HCG vial (not onto the powder), and swirl gently until clear. Store refrigerated and use within the common window.
How do you reconstitute a 5000 IU HCG vial?
Add 1 mL of bacteriostatic water for 5000 IU/mL, 2 mL for 2500 IU/mL, 3 mL for about 1667 IU/mL, or 5 mL for 1000 IU/mL. At 5000 IU/mL a 500 IU draw is 10 units on a U-100 syringe. At 1000 IU/mL the same 500 IU draw is 50 units.
How many mL is 500 IU of HCG?
It depends on the concentration. At 5000 IU/mL, 500 IU is 0.1 mL, which is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 2500 IU/mL it is 0.2 mL, or 20 units. At 1000 IU/mL it is 0.5 mL, or 50 units.
How many mg is 5000 IU of HCG?
There is no single answer. HCG potency is defined by biological activity against an international standard rather than by mass, which is why vials are labelled in IU. Keep the math in IU per mL and read the syringe in units.
How many vials of HCG does a 10 mL bottle of bacteriostatic water reconstitute?
At 5 mL per 5000 IU vial, a 10 mL bottle of bacteriostatic water reconstitutes 2 vials, and a 30 mL bottle reconstitutes 6.
What happens if you add more water when reconstituting HCG?
The amount of HCG in the vial does not change; the concentration falls and each dose becomes a larger draw. 5000 IU in 5 mL is 1000 IU/mL, so 250 IU draws to 25 units; in 10 mL it is 500 IU/mL and the same 250 IU draws to 50 units.
How is reconstituted HCG stored?
Refrigerated at 36 to 46 °F (2 to 8 °C), never frozen, with a common 28-day refrigerated use-by window as general research guidance, not medical advice.
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