Reconstituting CJC-1295 and ipamorelin comes down to one number: how many units do you draw on the syringe? This calculator gives you that in one step — for either peptide on its own, or for the pre-blended vial where the two come together. Enter your vial strength, the bacteriostatic water you're adding, and your dose in micrograms, and it returns the exact insulin-syringe mark, the concentration, and how many doses the vial holds.
These two growth-hormone secretagogues, among the most-tracked peptides for muscle growth, have two quirks that cause most dosing errors. First, both are dosed in micrograms (100-300 mcg) while the vial is labeled in milligrams — mix those up and you're off by a factor of a thousand. Second, they're usually sold blended in one vial, where a single draw delivers a dose of both peptides at once — and the label number (like "10 mg blend") confuses people about how much of each they're getting. This page is built around getting both right. Below the tool we walk through the conversion, the blend, and what real users actually mix.
Key Takeaways
- The conversion chain: 1 mg = 1,000 mcg; concentration (mcg/mL) = vial mcg ÷ bac water mL; units = (dose mcg ÷ concentration) × 100 on a U-100 syringe.
- Anchor example: a 5/5 mg blend (5 mg of each) + 2 mL of bacteriostatic water = 2,500 mcg/mL of each; a 200 mcg dose of each is 0.08 mL = the 8-unit mark, and one draw delivers 200 mcg of both. The vial gives 25 doses.
- Draws are tiny. Our usage data shows a median draw of about 8 units for CJC-1295 and 6 for ipamorelin. Below ~5 units, use a U-50 syringe or less water.
- The blend is one draw, two peptides. In a 5/5 blend, both are at the same per-peptide concentration, so a single draw gives your target dose of each — no separate math.
- mg vs mcg is the dangerous slip. 250 mcg is 0.25 mg, not 250 mg — a 1,000× error.
- Research compounds. Not FDA-approved, WADA-prohibited, limited human data — treat figures as calculation context.
| You enter | Value | The calculator returns | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blend (CJC + ipamorelin) | 5/5 mg | Concentration (each) | 2,500 mcg/mL |
| Bacteriostatic water | 2 mL | Volume to draw | 0.08 mL |
| Target dose (of each) | 200 mcg | Draw to this mark | 8 units (U-100) |
| Syringe type | U-100 | Doses per vial | 25 |
How do you calculate a CJC-1295 or ipamorelin dose? (mcg → units)
Both peptides add one step to the usual math: convert your microgram dose into the same unit as the vial before anything else. Work in micrograms throughout and the rest is identical to the general peptide dosage calculator flow used for any compound.
Here is the full chain in plain arithmetic, using a 5 mg vial (or one peptide of a 5/5 blend):
- Know your conversion: 1 mg = 1,000 mcg. So a 5 mg vial holds 5,000 mcg, and a 200 mcg dose is 0.2 mg.
- Concentration (mcg/mL) = vial mcg ÷ bac water mL. A 5 mg (5,000 mcg) vial in 2 mL is 5,000 ÷ 2 = 2,500 mcg/mL.
- Volume (mL) = dose mcg ÷ concentration. A 200 mcg dose at 2,500 mcg/mL is 200 ÷ 2,500 = 0.08 mL.
- Units = volume × 100 on a U-100 syringe (100 units = 1 mL). So 0.08 mL = 8 units.
Collapsed into the single formula the calculator runs (in micrograms):
units = (dose mcg ÷ (vial mcg ÷ bac water mL)) × 100 = dose mcg × bac water mL ÷ vial mcg × 100
Sanity-check our example: 200 × 2 ÷ 5,000 × 100 = 8 units. For doses per vial, divide the vial's micrograms by your dose: 5,000 mcg ÷ 200 mcg = 25 doses.
Our take: The most dangerous error with these peptides is reading the vial's "5 mg" and a "200 mcg" dose as the same unit — they're 25× apart here, and a true mg-vs-mcg slip is 1,000× off. Work the tool in micrograms and convert everything to micrograms first; that single habit prevents the worst mistake.
How the blended vial works: one draw, two peptides
In a pre-blended CJC-1295 + ipamorelin vial, both peptides sit in the same liquid at the same per-peptide concentration, so a single draw delivers your target dose of each at the same time — you don't calculate or inject them separately. Understanding the label is the only tricky part.
A "5/5 blend" or "10 mg blend" almost always means 5 mg of CJC-1295 plus 5 mg of ipamorelin (10 mg of peptide total) in one vial. Reconstitute it with 2 mL and each peptide is at 5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2,500 mcg/mL — the same concentration for both, because there's an equal mass of each. So when you draw 8 units (0.08 mL), you get 200 mcg of CJC-1295 and 200 mcg of ipamorelin in that one draw. You calculate it exactly like a single 5 mg peptide; the "of each" is automatic.
The confusion to avoid: a "10 mg blend" is not 10 mg of each. If you treated it as 5,000 mcg of each in 2 mL you'd still get 2,500 mcg/mL — but if a vendor means 10 mg of each (a 10/10 blend), the concentration doubles and your units halve. Always confirm whether the number is total or per-peptide, then enter the per-peptide milligrams. This calculator's blend mode asks for exactly that.
How much bacteriostatic water should you add?
With CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, lean toward enough water that your microgram dose lands on a readable unit mark — the small doses mean too little water makes the draw unmeasurably tiny. It's the same small-draw concern as other microgram peptides.
Because doses are 100-300 mcg, a more concentrated vial makes a tiny draw: a 200 mcg dose is 8 units on a 5 mg/2 mL (2,500 mcg/mL) vial but only 4 units on a 5 mg/1 mL (5,000 mcg/mL) vial. More water spreads the dose across more units; a U-50 syringe does the same. For the small 2 mg CJC vials, you have less room, so 1-2 mL is typical.
Because ProtocolPlus tracks reconstitutions, we can show the vial-strength × water-volume combinations real CJC-1295 users log.
The pattern: the 5 mg vial at 2 mL (2,500 mcg/mL) is the single most-logged setup, where a 200-250 mcg dose is a readable 8-10 units. The smaller 2 mg vials get less water (1 mL) to keep their doses measurable. Either way, the draws are small, which is what the next section is about.
A worked walkthrough: choosing water for a readable dose
Say you have a 5 mg vial (or one peptide of a 5/5 blend) and you're dosing 250 mcg. Run the candidate water volumes and watch the unit mark:
- 1 mL → 5,000 mcg/mL. 250 mcg = 5 units. Readable but cramped — a single unit of error is 20%.
- 2 mL → 2,500 mcg/mL. 250 mcg = 10 units. A clean, comfortable draw with room to measure.
- 3 mL → 1,667 mcg/mL. 250 mcg = 15 units. The easiest to read, at the cost of more total volume.
For these microgram doses, more water is usually the friend, and the 5 mg vial has room for 2-3 mL. The 2-3 mL range is the sweet spot our usage data reflects. If you prefer the vial concentrated, pair it with a U-50 syringe so the small dose still reads on enough marks.
Switching vials: always recalculate
Moving to a different vial strength changes the concentration, so the same dose draws to a different mark. Go from a 2 mg CJC-1295 vial to a 5 mg one, or change the water, and a 250 mcg dose that was one unit count becomes another. This matters especially with separate (non-blended) vials, where CJC and ipamorelin may be at different strengths — never carry a unit number across vials; re-run the calculator each time.
How precise does your draw need to be?
Because these draws are small, precision is the main challenge — a one-unit error on a 5-unit draw is a 20% miss. On a 2,500 mcg/mL vial, one U-100 unit is 25 mcg, so rounding a 10-unit draw by a unit shifts a 250 mcg dose by 10%; on a concentrated 5,000 mcg/mL vial, one unit is 50 mcg and a 5-unit draw can be off by 20%. The fix is the running theme: dilute enough, or use a U-50 or 0.3 mL barrel, that your usual dose lands on forgiving marks. The calculator flags draws too small to trust.
How do you read the units on an insulin syringe?
On a U-100 insulin syringe, 100 units = 1 mL, so a unit is a hundredth of a millilitre — the calculator converts your microgram dose into that unit mark. The "units" you read are a measure of volume, not of how much peptide you're taking.
Because the doses are small, the choice of syringe matters. Three calibrations exist:
| Syringe | Full barrel | 200 mcg at 2,500 mcg/mL reads as | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-100 (standard) | 100 units = 1.0 mL | 8 units | Most use |
| U-50 | 50 units = 0.5 mL | 16 units | Tiny draws — spreads them across more marks |
| U-40 (older/vet) | 40 units = 1.0 mL | 3 units | Rare — double-check your barrel |
A U-50 syringe doubles the unit reading for the same dose, because its 50 units span only 0.5 mL. An 8-unit draw on U-100 becomes a more comfortable 16 units on a U-50 — same peptides, same volume, twice the marks.
The small-draw problem: CJC-1295 and ipamorelin's signature pitfall
Because both peptides are dosed in a few hundred micrograms, draws routinely land below 10 units — small enough that one unit of error is a big fraction of the dose. Spreading the dose out is the key practical skill.
Across our tracked reconstitutions, the median draw is about 8 units for CJC-1295 and 6 for ipamorelin, with a quarter of draws at or below 5 units. At a 5-unit draw, being off by one unit is a 20% dosing error. The fixes are the usual ones — more bacteriostatic water, or a U-50 syringe — both of which the calculator supports.
The distribution is bunched at the low end — most draws under 20 units, many at 5 or below. That's the visual case for treating syringe and water choice as part of the dose: the smaller your draw, the more a U-50 (or extra water) protects your accuracy.
CJC-1295 / ipamorelin conversion reference
This chart converts the common microgram doses into U-100 units for the usual setups, so you can see the mcg-to-units mapping at a glance. For a 5/5 blend, the same units deliver the dose of each peptide. For any other setup, use the calculator.
| Setup | Concentration (per peptide) | 100 mcg | 200 mcg | 250 mcg | 300 mcg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg + 1 mL | 5,000 mcg/mL | 2 u | 4 u | 5 u | 6 u |
| 5 mg + 2 mL | 2,500 mcg/mL | 4 u | 8 u | 10 u | 12 u |
| 5 mg + 3 mL | 1,667 mcg/mL | 6 u | 12 u | 15 u | 18 u |
| 2 mg + 1 mL | 2,000 mcg/mL | 5 u | 10 u | 12.5 u | 15 u |
Reading across, more water lifts the small doses onto more readable marks. The 5 mg + 2 mL or + 3 mL mixes keep a 200-250 mcg dose comfortably in the 8-15 unit range — which is why those are the popular choices.
How many doses are in a vial, and what does each cost?
Doses per vial is vial micrograms ÷ your dose — and because these doses are tiny, a vial stretches a long way. Dividing the vial price by that number gives a true cost per dose.
A 5 mg (5,000 mcg) vial at 200 mcg yields 25 doses; at 250 mcg it's 20. A 5/5 blend gives the same number of combined doses, since one draw serves both. Across our tracked CJC-1295 vials the median works out to roughly 20 doses per completed vial at about $2.12 per dose, with ipamorelin similar at about $1.60 per dose — among the cheapest peptides per dose. Cost per dose is the figure to compare across products.
| Economics output | How it's computed | Example (5/5 blend, 200 mcg dose, $50 vial) |
|---|---|---|
| Doses per vial | vial mcg ÷ dose mcg | 25 doses |
| Cost per dose | vial price ÷ doses per vial | $2.00 |
| Approx. monthly cost | cost per dose × doses per month | ~$60 (once daily) |
For a full timing-and-cycling plan rather than a single calculation, see our CJC-1295 and ipamorelin dosing guide.
Dosing CJC-1295 and ipamorelin from separate vials
If your CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are in separate vials rather than a blend, calculate and draw each one independently — they can have different vial strengths and concentrations, so a single unit count won't serve both. This is the one case where the blend's convenience disappears.
Say CJC-1295 is a 2 mg vial and ipamorelin a 5 mg vial. Reconstitute each, run each through the calculator with its own strength and water volume, and you'll get two different unit marks for the same microgram dose — because the concentrations differ. Many people draw both into one syringe back-to-back (CJC first, then ipamorelin) to inject together, but the amount of each is computed separately. The calculator's CJC-only and ipamorelin-only modes handle this; just don't assume the blend's "one draw, two peptides" shortcut applies when the vials are separate.
Why concentration is the number that actually matters
Concentration (mcg/mL) is the hinge of every calculation here — it connects the micrograms in the vial to the units on the syringe, and it's what decides whether your small dose is measurable. Understanding it makes every figure intuitive.
Concentration is an exchange rate between micrograms of peptide and millilitres of liquid. A 2,500 mcg/mL vial trades every 1 mL for 2,500 mcg; your small dose occupies a volume set by that rate, and the syringe scale turns it into a unit mark. Make the vial more concentrated (less water) and the same dose occupies less volume — fewer, harder-to-read units. For these microgram doses, that's the whole game.
It's also why you can never compare unit numbers across reconstitutions. "Draw 8 units" means 200 mcg on a 2,500 mcg/mL vial but 400 mcg on a 5,000 mcg/mL vial — double. Every unit instruction online is valid only for that exact vial and water volume.
How to reconstitute CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, step by step
Add the bacteriostatic water slowly down the vial wall, swirl gently until clear, and never shake. The peptides are delicate, and rough mixing degrades them before your first dose.
- Calculate first. Use the tool above (working in micrograms) to set your water volume, syringe type, and target unit mark — choosing blend, CJC-only, or ipamorelin-only mode.
- Room temperature, then swab both stoppers with a fresh alcohol swab.
- Draw your measured water into a reconstitution syringe.
- Add slowly down the wall of the vial, onto the glass rather than the powder.
- Swirl, don't shake until the solution is completely clear.
- Inspect. Clear and particle-free, or don't use it.
- Label and refrigerate at 2-8 °C, then dose at the unit mark the calculator gave you.
Common reconstitution mistakes
- Confusing mg with mcg. A 1,000× error; both peptides are dosed in micrograms.
- Misreading the blend label. "10 mg blend" usually means 5 mg of each, not 10 mg of each — enter the per-peptide mass.
- Drawing an unmeasurable tiny dose on U-100. If the draw is under ~5 units, switch to U-50 or add more water.
- Reading "units" as a dose, copying someone else's unit count (valid only for their concentration), shaking instead of swirling, and not labeling the date.
A note on CJC-1295 with vs without DAC
Whether your CJC-1295 has DAC (a drug-affinity complex that extends its half-life) changes the dosing frequency, not the reconstitution math — the units you draw are calculated the same way. It's worth a one-line clarification because the two forms are sold side by side.
CJC-1295 with DAC lasts much longer in the body and is dosed less frequently; CJC-1295 without DAC (often labeled Mod-GRF 1-29) is short-acting and dosed more often, which is why it's commonly paired with ipamorelin in a blend. The reconstitution and unit math are identical for both; only how often you inject differs. For the pharmacology, see our CJC-1295 with vs without DAC guide.
How long does reconstituted CJC-1295 / ipamorelin last?
Once mixed, these peptides are far less stable than the dry powder, and there's no validated shelf life — the common ~28-day refrigerated convention is a usage habit, not data. Judge by appearance.
Keep a mixed vial in the refrigerator at 2-8 °C, dark, and never frozen; discard it if it turns cloudy, discolors, or shows particles. Because the vials hold many small doses, a vial may outlast a strict convention window. For the deeper science, see our peptide storage and stability guide.
What the evidence says about CJC-1295 and ipamorelin
Human evidence for these peptides is thin and old: CJC-1295's main human data is a single pharmacology trial, and ipamorelin's selectivity evidence is largely preclinical — so the microgram figures people use are conventions, not validated doses. We give them only so you know what to enter.
CJC-1295 is a long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH); its main human study showed it prolonged growth hormone and IGF-I secretion in healthy adults (Teichman et al., 2006, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, retrieved 2026-06-16). Ipamorelin is a selective growth-hormone secretagogue whose cortisol- and prolactin-sparing selectivity was established largely in animal and in-vitro work (Raun et al., 1998, European Journal of Endocrinology, retrieved 2026-06-16). Neither is FDA-approved, both are research chemicals prohibited in sport, and there is no standard human dose or validated shelf life — so treat the common 100-300 mcg figures as a community convention to calculate from if you choose to, not as evidence-based guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Factual claims (pharmacology, evidence, status) are sourced below. Dose values in examples are illustrative, not recommendations; dosing is a community convention, not validated. ProtocolPlus usage figures are first-party app data.
- Teichman SL et al. (2006) — Prolonged Stimulation of Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Secretion by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting Analog of GHRH, in Healthy Adults, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/91/3/799/2843281 — retrieved 2026-06-16.
- Raun K et al. (1998) — Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue, European Journal of Endocrinology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9849822/ — retrieved 2026-06-16.
- Alba M et al. (2006) — Once-daily administration of CJC-1295 normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse, American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00201.2006 — retrieved 2026-06-16.
About this guide. Written by Jordan Vance, peptide and biohacking researcher (placeholder, replace before publish), and medically reviewed by Dr. Maya Ellison, MD, biochemistry (placeholder, replace before publish), for the ProtocolPlus Research Team. This calculator and article are educational and not medical advice.