Reconstitution is the process of turning a powdered peptide into an injectable liquid solution. It’s a simple process, yet many people mess it up and end up with a damaged final product, and wasted peptides.
This article is a simple guide on doing the reconstitution process correctly. It will also provide information on properly storing reconstituted peptides, and calculating dosing when reconstituting.
Peptides are sold in powdered form, and before they can be injected, they must be reconstituted. Peptides should be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (BAC). BAC is bacteria-proof water containing 0.9% Benzyl Alcohol.
Doing the reconstitution with sterile water is also an option, but most peptide vendors sell BAC water, so that’s what I recommend you use.
To do the peptide reconstitution you will need the following:
P.S. These are my recommended sources for peptides and BAC water alike:
Remove plastic caps from both vials and clean the robber stoppers with alcohol wipes.
Once both vials have been disinfected, you can proceed with extracting the BAC water from its vial and transferring it into the peptide vial.
Use anywhere from 1ml to 5ml of bacteriostatic water per peptide vial. Given the size of Peptide vials, 2ml of BAC water per vial is ideal, but there are exceptions.
By the end of the article, you will logically know which peptides are exceptions based on their dosing & amount per vial.
Anyways, in case your syringe is in units, here’s how to calculate units into milliliters:
10UI (units) = 0.1ml
100UI (units) = 1ml
If you reconstitute 2ml of bacteriostatic water per vial of a peptide, you would have to take out 200 units of BAC with your syringe.
If your syringe can only hold 100UI or 1ml, then you will have to move 1ml from vial to vial at a time. If this is the case, it may be smart to use different needles. Simply jab a needle inside both vials and take out just the syringe when transferring.
Stick the needle into the bacteriostatic water vial, and pull out your desired amount (2ml in my example, or 1ml twice if there is no room in the syringe).
After you have fully loaded the syringe make sure there are no trapped air bubbles.
If there are, simply point the needle upwards, lightly tap the syringe so the bubbles float toward the needle, then push them out.
Finally, insert the needle into your peptide vial.
IMPORTANT: Place the needle on either side of the peptide vial and slowly inject the BAC water inside, making sure the water slides down the walls before reaching the powder.
If you shoot the water directly at the powder, you may damage the peptide and decrease its effectiveness.
Once you’ve filled the peptide vial with the desired amount of liquid do NOT shake it. Instead, swirl it very gently and let the water and powder mix for a few minutes.
If both agents are pure the powder will be fully dissolved.
The peptide is now ready for use, store it in a refrigerator and use it within 30 days.
Reconstituted peptides last for 30 days if properly stored in a fridge.
Calculating the concentration and dosage after reconstitution can be confusing at first, but fortunately, it’s very simple.
First, calculate the concentration based on the amount of water mixed with the amount of peptide powder:
Next, let’s calculate the dosage:
The correct dosages are calculated by dividing the desired dosage in mcg by the concentration in mg/ml and multiplying by 1000 to convert from ml to UI (units).
Please remember that these calculations assume a linear relationship between dosage and volume, which may not be true for all substances or medications. It is essential to consult the specific instructions and guidelines provided by the manufacturer or healthcare professional when determining dosages.
This is useful to know, but I’ve made a dosage calculator to make it easier. Simply enter the concentration of your reconstituted peptide and your desired dose, then the calculator will tell you how much liquid you need to inject:
Reconstituting peptides is a simple but very touchy process, especially if it’s your first time. The instructions in this article will guide you to doing it as optimally and easily as possible, and hopefully, save you a ton of headaches.
