How to reconstitute a peptide vial without wasting it

Before you start

You need the peptide vial, bacteriostatic water, an alcohol swab and an appropriately sized syringe. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which is what lets a reconstituted vial keep for weeks rather than days.

Mixing

Swab both stoppers. Draw your water, then let it run down the inside wall of the vial rather than firing it directly onto the powder. The peptide is a delicate solid and a hard stream can shear it.

Do not shake. Swirl gently, or simply set it down and let it dissolve on its own. If the solution stays cloudy after it has fully settled, something is wrong with the batch.

Working out your dose

Concentration is total peptide divided by the water you added. A 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2 ml gives 5 mg per ml. On a standard insulin syringe marked to 100 units per ml, 10 units is 0.1 ml, which would be 500 mcg.

Storage

Keep lyophilised vials cold and dark. Once reconstituted, refrigerate and use within the window on your certificate of analysis. Avoid repeated freeze and thaw cycles, which is the fastest way to lose potency.