1 mg to units on an insulin syringe
It depends on the concentration, and this page gives the number for every common one. 1 mg is 20 units at 5 mg/mL, 10 units at 10 mg/mL, 40 units at 2.5 mg/mL.
The short answer
There is no fixed number of units in 1 mg. A unit on an insulin syringe is a volume (0.01 mL on a U-100 syringe), and a milligram is a mass. How many units 1 mg takes depends on how concentrated the solution is, which you set when you add water. The table gives the answer for every common concentration.
1 mg in units, by concentration
| Concentration | 1 mg = | U-100 units | 0.5 mg | 0.25 mg | 0.1 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg/mL | 1 mL | 100 units | 50 units | 25 units | 10 units |
| 2 mg/mL | 0.5 mL | 50 units | 25 units | 12.5 units | 5 units |
| 2.5 mg/mL | 0.4 mL | 40 units | 20 units | 10 units | 4 units |
| 3.33 mg/mL | 0.3 mL | 30 units | 15 units | 7.5 units | 3 units |
| 4 mg/mL | 0.25 mL | 25 units | 12.5 units | 6.2 units | 2.5 units |
| 5 mg/mL | 0.2 mL | 20 units | 10 units | 5 units | 2 units |
| 6.67 mg/mL | 0.15 mL | 15 units | 7.5 units | 3.7 units | 1.5 units |
| 10 mg/mL | 0.1 mL | 10 units | 5 units | 2.5 units | 1 units |
| 15 mg/mL | 0.067 mL | 6.7 units | 3.3 units | 1.7 units | 0.7 units |
| 20 mg/mL | 0.05 mL | 5 units | 2.5 units | 1.2 units | 0.5 units |
| 25 mg/mL | 0.04 mL | 4 units | 2 units | 1 units | 0.4 units |
| 40 mg/mL | 0.025 mL | 2.5 units | 1.2 units | 0.6 units | 0.2 units |
| 50 mg/mL | 0.02 mL | 2 units | 1 units | 0.5 units | 0.2 units |
1 mg in units, by vial and water
The same table, but starting from what you actually have in your hand: the mg on the vial and the mL of bacteriostatic water you added.
| Vial | Water | Concentration | 1 mg = |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mg vial | 1 mL | 2 mg/mL | 50 units |
| 2 mg vial | 2 mL | 1 mg/mL | 100 units |
| 5 mg vial | 1 mL | 5 mg/mL | 20 units |
| 5 mg vial | 2 mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 40 units |
| 5 mg vial | 3 mL | 1.67 mg/mL | 60 units |
| 10 mg vial | 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 10 units |
| 10 mg vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 20 units |
| 10 mg vial | 3 mL | 3.33 mg/mL | 30 units |
| 15 mg vial | 2 mL | 7.5 mg/mL | 13.3 units |
| 15 mg vial | 3 mL | 5 mg/mL | 20 units |
| 20 mg vial | 2 mL | 10 mg/mL | 10 units |
| 20 mg vial | 3 mL | 6.67 mg/mL | 15 units |
| 30 mg vial | 2 mL | 15 mg/mL | 6.7 units |
| 30 mg vial | 3 mL | 10 mg/mL | 10 units |
| 50 mg vial | 5 mL | 10 mg/mL | 10 units |
| 60 mg vial | 3 mL | 20 mg/mL | 5 units |
Micrograms to units
For peptides dosed in mcg (BPC-157, ipamorelin, sermorelin and most repair and growth-hormone peptides) the same logic applies with a thousand-fold shift. 1 mg is 1,000 mcg.
| Setup | Concentration | 100 mcg | 200 mcg | 250 mcg | 500 mcg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg in 1 mL | 5000 mcg/mL | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 mg in 2 mL | 2500 mcg/mL | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 |
| 5 mg in 3 mL | 1667 mcg/mL | 6 | 12 | 15 | 30 |
| 10 mg in 2 mL | 5000 mcg/mL | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 10 mg in 3 mL | 3333 mcg/mL | 3 | 6 | 7.5 | 15 |
| 10 mg in 5 mL | 2000 mcg/mL | 5 | 10 | 12.5 | 25 |
Why the number changes
Units mark volume. A U-100 insulin syringe holds 100 units in 1 mL, so one unit is 0.01 mL, whatever is in the liquid. When you dissolve 10 mg of peptide in 2 mL of water you get 5 mg per mL; 1 mg of that is 0.2 mL, or 20 units. Dissolve the same 10 mg in 1 mL and it is 10 mg per mL; 1 mg is now 0.1 mL, or 10 units. The dose has not changed. Only the mark on the barrel has.
The three-step version: concentration = vial mg / water mL. Volume = dose / concentration. Units = volume x 100. If your syringe is U-40 (usually veterinary) multiply by 40 instead, and read the syringe page first, because mixing those two up is a 2.5x error.
25 printable pages: dosing cards for the twelve most-used compounds at three water volumes, titration planners, a vial log, and five pages on what to do when it has already gone wrong.
Common questions
- How many units is 1 mg on an insulin syringe?
- It depends on the concentration. At 5 mg/mL (for example a 10 mg vial in 2 mL) 1 mg is 0.2 mL, which is 20 units on a U-100 syringe. At 10 mg/mL it is 10 units. At 2.5 mg/mL it is 40 units.
- How many units is 0.5 mg?
- Half of whatever 1 mg is at your concentration. At 5 mg/mL, 10 units. At 2.5 mg/mL, 20 units.
- How many units is 1 mL?
- On a U-100 insulin syringe, 100 units. On a U-40 syringe, 40 units. Units measure volume; check which scale is printed on your barrel.
- How many mcg is 10 units?
- Multiply the concentration in mcg/mL by 0.1. At 2,500 mcg/mL (5 mg in 2 mL), 10 units is 250 mcg.
All calculators and charts
Weight management (GLP-1 family)
- Retatrutide calculator Vial, water and weekly dose to syringe units
- Tirzepatide calculator The 2.5 to 15 mg ladder, converted
- Semaglutide calculator The 0.25 to 2.4 mg ladder, converted
- Cagrilintide calculator Amylin analogue, 0.3 to 4.5 mg weekly
Growth hormone axis
- HGH (somatropin) calculator IU vials to syringe units
- Ipamorelin calculator mcg doses, in mL and units
- CJC-1295 (no DAC) calculator No-DAC and DAC, mcg to units
- CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin blend calculator The 5 mg + 5 mg blend, per component
- Sermorelin calculator Nightly mcg doses to units
- Tesamorelin calculator 1 to 2 mg daily, in units
- Hexarelin calculator mcg doses to units
- IGF-1 LR3 calculator Tens of mcg from very small vials
- AOD-9604 calculator 300 mcg daily, in units
- MOTS-c calculator 5 to 10 mg, two or three times a week
Repair, skin and blends
- BPC-157 calculator mcg doses from a 5 or 10 mg vial
- TB-500 calculator Loading and maintenance, in units
- BPC-157 / TB-500 blend calculator The Wolverine stack, per component
- GHK-Cu calculator 50 to 200 mg vials, mg doses
- GLOW blend calculator The 70 mg blend, split per component
- KLOW blend calculator The 80 mg blend, split per component
Other compounds
- PT-141 calculator 0.5 to 2 mg, as needed
- Melanotan II calculator mcg loading doses to units
- NAD+ calculator 100 to 1,000 mg vials, 25 to 200 mg doses
- Thymosin alpha-1 calculator 1.6 mg twice weekly, in units
- Epitalon calculator Short courses of 5 to 10 mg
- Kisspeptin-10 calculator mcg doses to units
- Glutathione calculator Hundreds of mg, or a 200 mg/mL solution
Dosage charts and schedules
- Peptide reconstitution chart Concentration for every vial and water combination
- Peptide dosing chart Printable unit tables for every compound
- Retatrutide titration schedule 2 to 12 mg in units, stage by stage
- Tirzepatide titration schedule 2.5 to 15 mg in units, stage by stage
- Semaglutide titration schedule 0.25 to 2.4 mg in units, stage by stage
- KLOW dosage and frequency chart The 80 mg blend at 2, 3 and 4 mL, both phases
- GLOW dosage chart The 70 mg blend, units to each peptide
- Wolverine stack dosing chart BPC-157 + TB-500, blend and separate vials
- MOTS-c dosage chart 5 and 10 mg vials at three water volumes
- Tirzepatide reconstitution chart Every vial size, every water volume, the whole ladder
- Retatrutide dosing chart 1 to 12 mg across 10, 20 and 30 mg vials
- Printable dosing charts Four one-page charts to save, pin or print
Tools
- Peptide calculator The general tool, any compound
- Reconstitution calculator How much water to add, and why it matters
- mg to units calculator Both directions, any concentration
- Bacteriostatic water calculator Pick a volume that lands where you can read it
- How to read an insulin syringe U-100 vs U-40, and the 2.5x error
- The Protocol Pack Free 25-page printable reference
- Where to buy Vendor notes and what to check first
- 1 mg to units on an insulin syringe (this page)