Tirzepatide dosing protocol
Start tirzepatide at 2.5 mg once a week. Inject subQ in your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Stick to that for 4 weeks. Then bump to 5 mg at week 5. If it sits well, hit 7.5 mg at week 9 and 10 mg by week 13. From week 17, you can push to 12.5 mg or even 15 mg.
Take a 10 mg vial and add 2 ml bacteriostatic water. You get 5 mg/ml. First dose of 2.5 mg means drawing 0.5 ml, or 50 units on a 1 ml insulin syringe. That vial handles your first 4 weeks perfectly.
Here's the week-by-week:
- Weeks 1-4: 2.5 mg (0.5 ml)
- Weeks 5-8: 5 mg (1 ml)
- Weeks 9-12: 7.5 mg (1.5 ml)
- Weeks 13+: 10 mg (2 ml), then higher if pushing to 15 mg
Pick any day of the week and stick to it. Miss one? If it's within 5 days, take it. Otherwise skip and get back on track. Use our Tirzepatide calculator to nail your syringe marks.
Semaglutide dosing protocol
Semaglutide ramps up slow, which I like if you're easing in. Begin with 0.25 mg weekly subQ for 4 weeks. Then 0.5 mg weeks 5-8. Up to 1 mg weeks 9-12. Then 1.7 mg weeks 13-16, and max at 2.4 mg from week 17.
For a 10 mg vial, add 2.5 ml bacteriostatic water. That's 4 mg/ml. Your first 0.25 mg dose is 0.06 ml, about 6 units. Tricky to measure, so hit the Semaglutide calculator.
Full rundown:
- Weeks 1-4: 0.25 mg (0.06 ml)
- Weeks 5-8: 0.5 mg (0.13 ml)
- Weeks 9-12: 1 mg (0.25 ml)
- Weeks 13-16: 1.7 mg (0.43 ml)
- Week 17+: 2.4 mg (0.6 ml)
One 10 mg vial lasts 40 weeks on starters or just 4 weeks at max dose. Inject weekly on the same day. If you're under 5 days late, just do it.
Retatrutide dosing protocol
Retatrutide hits GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Trial protocols start at 1 mg weekly subQ. Add 1 mg every 4 weeks if you're good: 2 mg weeks 5-8, 4 mg weeks 9-12, 8 mg weeks 13-16, up to 12 mg.
Add 2 ml bacteriostatic water to your 10 mg vial for 5 mg/ml. 1 mg is 0.2 ml, or 20 units. Easy scaling from there.
What most people run:
- Weeks 1-4: 1 mg (0.2 ml)
- Weeks 5-8: 2 mg (0.4 ml)
- Weeks 9-12: 4 mg (0.8 ml)
- Weeks 13+: 6 mg (1.2 ml) or 8 mg (1.6 ml)
A 10 mg vial gives 10 shots at 1 mg or about 1.25 at 8 mg. Check the Retatrutide calculator for your needs. Weekly, same day.
Reconstitution guide for 10 mg vials
You get these in 10 mg lyophilized vials. Stick to bacteriostatic water. Sterile water alone won't cut it without the preservative.
Tirzepatide 10 mg vial:
Add 2 ml bac water down the side. Swirl gently. 10 mg / 2 ml = 5 mg/ml.
- 2.5 mg = 0.5 ml (50 units)
- 5 mg = 1 ml (100 units)
- 10 mg = 2 ml (200 units)
Semaglutide 10 mg vial:
2.5 ml bac water = 4 mg/ml.
- 0.25 mg = 0.06 ml (~6 units)
- 1 mg = 0.25 ml (25 units)
- 2.4 mg = 0.6 ml (60 units)
Retatrutide 10 mg vial:
2 ml bac water = 5 mg/ml.
- 1 mg = 0.2 ml (20 units)
- 4 mg = 0.8 ml (80 units)
- 8 mg = 1.6 ml (160 units)
Grab a 3 ml syringe for the water. Let it sit 5 minutes, then swirl. No shaking. Draw into U-100 insulin syringes. Store extras in pens if you can. Calculators above handle body-weight tweaks.
Weekly injection protocols compared
Once a week, subQ. Abdomen two inches from navel, thigh, or back of upper arm. Rotate spots. 29-31 gauge, half-inch needles.
Sunday mornings suit most. Phone alarm helps.
Tirzepatide kills hunger fast thanks to dual action. But that 2.5 mg start? More week-one nausea than semaglutide's tiny 0.25 mg.
Semaglutide titrates slowest, so fewer sides. Empty stomach if it bugs you.
Retatrutide's glucagon keeps energy up, less slump. 1 mg can feel like 5 mg tirzepatide sometimes. Start low.
Stack 250 mcg AOD-9604 daily or 300 mcg Ipamorelin at night for extra fat burn without rebound hunger.
Missed? Under 3 days, inject now and resume. 3-5 days, skip to next. Over 5, drop back down.
Stability and storage differences
Fridge them at 2-8 C, away from the freezer door. They break down at different rates once mixed.
Tirzepatide: 30 days in bac water, fridged. Aliquot after first draw into syringes or pens. Each poke risks junk. Dry vial freezes 2 years at -20 C, fridges 6 months.
Semaglutide: Holds 60+ days fridged. Toughest of the bunch. Freeze powder forever, thaw once. Wrap in foil, hates light.
Retatrutide: Less known, call it 28 days max fridged. Might go quicker. Freeze 1 ml aliquots at -20 C. No room temp over 24 hours.
Rules for all:
- Room temp under 25 C: 21 days max.
- Freeze dry vials flat.
- Toss if cloudy or off-color.
- Travel with ice pack, use in 48 hours.
For gut woes, 500 mcg BPC-157 plus 2.5 mg TB-500 weekly. Halves nausea for lots of folks.
Side-by-side dosing chart
| Week | Tirzepatide | Semaglutide | Retatrutide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 2.5 mg | 0.25 mg | 1 mg |
| 5-8 | 5 mg | 0.5 mg | 2 mg |
| 9-12 | 7.5 mg | 1 mg | 4 mg |
| 13-16 | 10 mg | 1.7 mg | 6-8 mg |
| 17+ | 12.5-15 mg | 2.4 mg | 8-12 mg |
Volumes from 10 mg vial (standard reconns above):
| Dose | Tirz (5 mg/ml) | Semag (4 mg/ml) | Retatr (5 mg/ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | N/A | 0.06 ml | N/A |
| 1 mg | 0.2 ml | 0.25 ml | 0.2 ml |
| 2.5 mg | 0.5 ml | N/A | N/A |
| 5 mg | 1 ml | N/A | 1 ml |
| 10 mg | 2 ml | N/A | 2 ml |
Managing common sides and protocols
Nausea strikes 20-40% in weeks 1-2. Small bland meals 30 minutes after. Ginger tea or 10 mg DSIP at night gets you through.
Tirzepatide: GIP stirs GI most. Vomiting? Hold at 2.5 mg.
Semaglutide: Heartburn at 1 mg and up. Antacids in between.
Retatrutide: Less nausea, better muscle hold. Watch liver enzymes past 12 mg.
Drink 3-4 liters water daily. 5 g creatine plus 10 g MOTS-c weekly saves muscle.
Energy low? 100 mcg Semax nasal mornings or 300 mcg Sermorelin nightly.
Cost and vial math for 3 months
12 weeks at maintenance:
- Tirzepatide: Weeks 1-4: 1x10 mg vial. Weeks 5-12: ~45 mg = 5x10 mg vials. Total 6.
- Semaglutide: Weeks 1-12: ~8.75 mg = 1x10 mg vial.
- Retatrutide: Weeks 1-12: ~30 mg = 3x10 mg vials.
Bulk 10 mg vials. Semaglutide wins cheap long-term.
Which one for you?
New to these? Semaglutide at 0.25 mg.
Aggressive cut? Tirzepatide to 15 mg.
Keep muscle on recomp? Retatrutide at 8 mg.
Weigh weekly. Up every 4 weeks if stuck. Add 1 mg CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin blend 5 nights a week for GH pulse.
This info is for educational purposes only. Consult a healthcare professional before using any peptides, as they can have significant effects and interactions. Individual results vary, and these are not FDA-approved for weight loss outside prescriptions.