Oxytocin 2 mg Reconstitution: BAC Water & Units
[Peptide · Oxytocin · 2 mg vial]

Oxytocin 2 mg reconstitution: how much water and how many units

Water volume chart · Syringe units · Draws per vial

Short answer: 2 mL of bacteriostatic water in a 2 mg oxytocin vial makes 1 mg/mL. On a U-100 insulin syringe (1 mL = 100 units), every 10 units then holds 100 mcg. More water gives a weaker solution and a bigger draw for the same amount; the amount in the vial stays 2 mg.

Water volume chart for a 2 mg vial

2 mg oxytocin vial, U-100 insulin syringe.
Water addedConcentrationPer 10 unitsPer 1 unit
1 mL2 mg/mL200 mcg20 mcg
2 mL1 mg/mL100 mcg10 mcg
3 mL666.7 mcg/mL66.667 mcg6.667 mcg
5 mL400 mcg/mL40 mcg4 mcg

Syringe units by amount

The amounts below are examples to show the conversion, not doses. How much to take is a decision for you and your prescriber.

Units on a U-100 syringe from a 2 mg vial.
Water added50 mcg100 mcg200 mcg
1 mL2.5 units5 units10 units
2 mL5 units10 units20 units
3 mL7.5 units15 units30 units
5 mL12.5 units25 units50 units

A 2 mg vial holds 40 draws of 50 mcg, 20 draws of 100 mcg, 10 draws of 200 mcg, no matter how much water you add.

How far a 2 mg vial goes

Draws per vial depend only on the amount per draw, not on the water. The volume and units columns use 2 mL of water (1 mg/mL). Example amounts only, not doses.

2 mg vial: draws, volume and units per example amount.
Amount per drawDraws per vialVolume per drawUnits per draw
25 mcg800.025 mL2.5 units
50 mcg400.05 mL5 units
100 mcg200.1 mL10 units
200 mcg100.2 mL20 units
400 mcg50.4 mL40 units

Real counts run a little lower: some liquid stays in the syringe and at the bottom of the vial.

2 mg next to other oxytocin vial sizes

To get the same 1 mg/mL from another vial size, scale the water with the vial. Same strength means the same units for the same amount, whichever vial it comes from.

Water for 1 mg/mL, and 100 mcg draws per vial, by vial size.
VialWater for 1 mg/mL100 mcg draws per vial
2 mg (this page)2 mL20
5 mg5 mL50

The math

  1. Concentration. 2 mg ÷ 2 mL = 1 mg/mL
  2. Volume to draw. amount ÷ 1 mg/mL = mL
  3. Syringe units. mL × 100 = units

For a different water volume or amount, the free peptide reconstitution calculator works backwards from the amount you want and suggests a water volume that lands on a clean syringe mark.

Other oxytocin vial sizes: Oxytocin 5 mg

Half-life, time to peak and sources are on the main Oxytocin guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much bacteriostatic water do I add to a 2 mg oxytocin vial?+
There is no single right amount. More water makes each draw bigger and easier to measure; less water keeps the volume small. With 2 mL, a 2 mg vial is 1 mg/mL, so every 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe holds 100 mcg. With 1 mL it is 2 mg/mL (200 mcg per 10 units). With 3 mL it is 666.7 mcg/mL (66.667 mcg per 10 units). With 5 mL it is 400 mcg/mL (40 mcg per 10 units).
How many units is 100 mcg of oxytocin from a 2 mg vial?+
With 2 mL of water the vial is 1 mg/mL, so 100 mcg is 0.1 mL, or 10 units on a U-100 syringe. With a different water volume the units change but the amount does not. The amount is an example for the math, not a recommendation.
How many 100 mcg draws are in a 2 mg oxytocin vial?+
20 (2 mg ÷ 100 mcg), whatever volume of water you add. In practice a little is lost to the syringe dead space and the last drops in the vial.