HCG: which line to draw to

Enter your HCG vial amount, the water you added and your dose. HCG is dosed in IU; the syringe shows exactly where to stop. New to this?

Your line shows up here.

Fill in the vial, water and dose boxes.

Approved drug. Prescription only.

In the vial

IU

Water added

mL

Your dose

IU

Syringe

What do these boxes mean?

In the vial: The amount of powder in the vial before you add anything, e.g. “5 mg”. It’s on the label or the box.
Water added: How much bacteriostatic water you mixed in. It doesn’t change how much peptide you get, only how strong the mix is. More water makes each dose a bigger amount that’s easier to measure.
Your dose: How much peptide you want per injection, from your prescription or plan. Not the number of units on the syringe; that’s what we work out.
Syringe: Check the packet: 1 mL, 0.5 mL or 0.3 mL (sometimes written 100, 50 or 30 units). All are U-100: 100 units is 1 mL. Smaller syringes measure small doses more accurately.

When does this vial expire?

Mixed on

Good for (days)

HCG at a glance

Evidence: Approved drug. Prescription only.
Vial sizes: 5,000, 10,000, 11,000 IU
Usual dose range: 250–2,000 IU
How often: 2–3× weekly
Unmixed: Fridge 2–8°C
After mixing: Fridge 2–8°C, use within 30 days

HCG IU to units chart

Syringe units on any U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL), worked out by the same engine as the calculator. Your own vial and water may differ: use the calculator for your numbers.

5,000 IU vial + 2 mL water (2,500 IU per mL)
Dose	Units	mL
250 IU	10	0.1
500 IU	20	0.2
1,000 IU	40	0.4
1,500 IU	60	0.6
2,000 IU	80	0.8

10,000 IU vial + 5 mL water (2,000 IU per mL)
Dose	Units	mL
250 IU	12.5	0.125
500 IU	25	0.25
1,000 IU	50	0.5
1,500 IU	75	0.75
2,000 IU	100	1

11,000 IU vial + 5 mL water (2,200 IU per mL)
Dose	Units	mL
250 IU	11.4	0.114
500 IU	22.7	0.227
1,000 IU	45.5	0.455
1,500 IU	68.2	0.682
2,000 IU	90.9	0.909

HCG questions

How many units is 250 IU of HCG?

With a 5,000 IU vial mixed with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, 250 IU is 10 units (0.1 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. A different vial size or amount of water changes this, so check it with your own numbers.

How much water do I add to a 5,000 IU HCG vial?

2 mL of bacteriostatic water is common, which makes 2,500 IU per mL. More water makes each dose a bigger amount that is easier to measure; it doesn't change how much is in the vial.

How long does mixed HCG last?

Once mixed, keep it at fridge temperature, 2–8°C and use it within 30 days. Unmixed powder: fridge 2–8°c.

What is HCG?

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone made during pregnancy. As a prescription drug it’s used in fertility treatment, and alongside testosterone therapy to keep the testes making their own testosterone.

Why it’s measured in IU

HCG is measured in international units (IU), a measure of biological activity rather than weight. Vials, prescriptions and the calculator all use IU, and it never converts to mg.

IU on the vial and ‘units’ on an insulin syringe are different things. The calculator turns one into the other for you.

Keep it cold, not frozen

HCG is more fragile than most: keep it in the fridge before and after mixing, never in the freezer, and use it within 30 days once mixed.

Monitoring

HCG can raise oestradiol, and doses vary a lot depending on what it’s prescribed for, so it’s used with blood tests and a prescriber’s plan.

Sources

Coviello AD et al. Human chorionic gonadotropin and intratesticular testosterone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005.