mg to units calculator (insulin syringe)
At 5 mg/mL (a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water) 1 mg is 20 units, 2 mg is 40, 2.5 mg is 50 and 5 mg is 100 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Milligrams are mass and units are volume, so another vial or water volume moves the mark: enter yours, or read it off the tables below.
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.
How many units is X mg? The reference tables
Units mark volume, not drug. On a U-100 insulin syringe 100 units is 1 mL, so what a milligram looks like on the barrel depends only on the concentration: the milligrams in the vial divided by the millilitres of bacteriostatic water you added. Find your vial size below, then the column for the water you used.
Example: a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water is 5 mg/mL, so 2 mg is 0.4 mL, which is 40 units. The same 2 mg from a 10 mg vial in 1 mL is 20 units, and in 3 mL it is 60 units. Doses larger than one 1 mL syringe are marked; use less water or split the draw.
5 mg vial
| Dose | 1 mL water (5 mg/mL) | 2 mL water (2.5 mg/mL) | 3 mL water (1.67 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How many units is 0.5 mg | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units |
| How many units is 1 mg | 20 units | 40 units | 60 units |
| How many units is 1.5 mg | 30 units | 60 units | 90 units |
| How many units is 2 mg | 40 units | 80 units | 120 units (over one syringe) |
| How many units is 2.5 mg | 50 units | 100 units | 150 units (over one syringe) |
| How many units is 3 mg | 60 units | 120 units (over one syringe) | 180 units (over one syringe) |
| How many units is 4 mg | 80 units | 160 units (over one syringe) | 240 units (over one syringe) |
| How many units is 5 mg | 100 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 300 units (over one syringe) |
| How many units is 7.5 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 10 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 12 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 12.5 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 15 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 20 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| How many units is 30 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
10 mg vial
| Dose | 1 mL water (10 mg/mL) | 2 mL water (5 mg/mL) | 3 mL water (3.33 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg | 5 units | 10 units | 15 units |
| 1 mg | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units |
| 1.5 mg | 15 units | 30 units | 45 units |
| 2 mg | 20 units | 40 units | 60 units |
| 2.5 mg | 25 units | 50 units | 75 units |
| 3 mg | 30 units | 60 units | 90 units |
| 4 mg | 40 units | 80 units | 120 units (over one syringe) |
| 5 mg | 50 units | 100 units | 150 units (over one syringe) |
| 7.5 mg | 75 units | 150 units (over one syringe) | 225 units (over one syringe) |
| 10 mg | 100 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 300 units (over one syringe) |
| 12 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| 12.5 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| 15 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| 20 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| 30 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
15 mg vial
| Dose | 1 mL water (15 mg/mL) | 2 mL water (7.5 mg/mL) | 3 mL water (5 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg | 3.3 units | 6.7 units | 10 units |
| 1 mg | 6.7 units | 13.3 units | 20 units |
| 1.5 mg | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units |
| 2 mg | 13.3 units | 26.7 units | 40 units |
| 2.5 mg | 16.7 units | 33.3 units | 50 units |
| 3 mg | 20 units | 40 units | 60 units |
| 4 mg | 26.7 units | 53.3 units | 80 units |
| 5 mg | 33.3 units | 66.7 units | 100 units |
| 7.5 mg | 50 units | 100 units | 150 units (over one syringe) |
| 10 mg | 66.7 units | 133.3 units (over one syringe) | 200 units (over one syringe) |
| 12 mg | 80 units | 160 units (over one syringe) | 240 units (over one syringe) |
| 12.5 mg | 83.3 units | 166.7 units (over one syringe) | 250 units (over one syringe) |
| 15 mg | 100 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 300 units (over one syringe) |
| 20 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
| 30 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
20 mg vial
| Dose | 1 mL water (20 mg/mL) | 2 mL water (10 mg/mL) | 3 mL water (6.67 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg | 2.5 units | 5 units | 7.5 units |
| 1 mg | 5 units | 10 units | 15 units |
| 1.5 mg | 7.5 units | 15 units | 22.5 units |
| 2 mg | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units |
| 2.5 mg | 12.5 units | 25 units | 37.5 units |
| 3 mg | 15 units | 30 units | 45 units |
| 4 mg | 20 units | 40 units | 60 units |
| 5 mg | 25 units | 50 units | 75 units |
| 7.5 mg | 37.5 units | 75 units | 112.5 units (over one syringe) |
| 10 mg | 50 units | 100 units | 150 units (over one syringe) |
| 12 mg | 60 units | 120 units (over one syringe) | 180 units (over one syringe) |
| 12.5 mg | 62.5 units | 125 units (over one syringe) | 187.5 units (over one syringe) |
| 15 mg | 75 units | 150 units (over one syringe) | 225 units (over one syringe) |
| 20 mg | 100 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 300 units (over one syringe) |
| 30 mg | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds | more than the vial holds |
30 mg vial
| Dose | 1 mL water (30 mg/mL) | 2 mL water (15 mg/mL) | 3 mL water (10 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg | 1.7 units | 3.3 units | 5 units |
| 1 mg | 3.3 units | 6.7 units | 10 units |
| 1.5 mg | 5 units | 10 units | 15 units |
| 2 mg | 6.7 units | 13.3 units | 20 units |
| 2.5 mg | 8.3 units | 16.7 units | 25 units |
| 3 mg | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units |
| 4 mg | 13.3 units | 26.7 units | 40 units |
| 5 mg | 16.7 units | 33.3 units | 50 units |
| 7.5 mg | 25 units | 50 units | 75 units |
| 10 mg | 33.3 units | 66.7 units | 100 units |
| 12 mg | 40 units | 80 units | 120 units (over one syringe) |
| 12.5 mg | 41.7 units | 83.3 units | 125 units (over one syringe) |
| 15 mg | 50 units | 100 units | 150 units (over one syringe) |
| 20 mg | 66.7 units | 133.3 units (over one syringe) | 200 units (over one syringe) |
| 30 mg | 100 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 300 units (over one syringe) |
Large vials: 20 to 250 mg doses
NAD+, glutathione, GHK-Cu and bulk BPC-157 or TB-500 come in 50 mg to 1,000 mg vials, and the doses are tens or hundreds of milligrams. Same maths, bigger numbers.
| Dose | 50 mg in 5 mL (10 mg/mL) | 100 mg in 5 mL (20 mg/mL) | 500 mg in 2 mL (250 mg/mL) | 500 mg in 5 mL (100 mg/mL) | 600 mg in 3 mL (200 mg/mL) | 1000 mg in 5 mL (200 mg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mg | 200 units (over one syringe) | 100 units | 8 units | 20 units | 10 units | 10 units |
| 30 mg | 300 units (over one syringe) | 150 units (over one syringe) | 12 units | 30 units | 15 units | 15 units |
| 50 mg | 500 units (over one syringe) | 250 units (over one syringe) | 20 units | 50 units | 25 units | 25 units |
| 100 mg | more than the vial | 500 units (over one syringe) | 40 units | 100 units | 50 units | 50 units |
| 150 mg | more than the vial | more than the vial | 60 units | 150 units (over one syringe) | 75 units | 75 units |
| 200 mg | more than the vial | more than the vial | 80 units | 200 units (over one syringe) | 100 units | 100 units |
| 250 mg | more than the vial | more than the vial | 100 units | 250 units (over one syringe) | 125 units (over one syringe) | 125 units (over one syringe) |
Common doses in units
The doses people ask about most, each at the concentrations you are most likely to have mixed. The tables above cover every other vial and water volume.
0.5 mg to units
0.5 mg is 5 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 3.3 units at 15 mg/mL and 2.5 units at 20 mg/mL, and 10 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 0.5 mg is the second rung of the licensed semaglutide ladder (0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7, 2.4 mg weekly) and half of the 1 mg that is the most-searched conversion on this site. Small doses are where the unit mark matters most: a 5 mg vial in 2 mL puts 0.5 mg at 20 units, while the same dose from a 10 mg vial in 1 mL is 5 units, which is hard to read on the barrel. Set the calculator to 0.5 mg.
1.5 mg to units
1.5 mg is 15 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 10 units at 15 mg/mL and 7.5 units at 20 mg/mL, and 30 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 1.5 mg is not a rung on the licensed semaglutide or tirzepatide ladders. It shows up as a half step between 1 mg and 2 mg, or as a rounded version of the 1.7 mg semaglutide rung, and those two differ by more than 10 percent, so check which one you mean before you draw it. Set the calculator to 1.5 mg.
2 mg to units
2 mg is 20 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 13.3 units at 15 mg/mL and 10 units at 20 mg/mL, and 40 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). Retatrutide protocols commonly start at 2 mg once weekly, and 2 mg is also a common TB-500 and tesamorelin dose. Set the calculator to 2 mg.
2.4 mg to units
2.4 mg is 24 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 16 units at 15 mg/mL and 12 units at 20 mg/mL, and 48 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 2.4 mg is the top rung of the licensed semaglutide ladder and the fourth rung of the reported retatrutide trial ladder (0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, 4.5 mg weekly). Most of the searches for it come from the semaglutide side. Set the calculator to 2.4 mg.
2.5 mg to units
2.5 mg is 25 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 16.7 units at 15 mg/mL and 12.5 units at 20 mg/mL, and 50 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 2.5 mg is the first rung of the licensed tirzepatide ladder (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 mg weekly), treated as a starting dose rather than a maintenance one. Set the calculator to 2.5 mg.
3 mg to units
3 mg is 30 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 20 units at 15 mg/mL and 15 units at 20 mg/mL, and 60 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 3 mg is not a rung on the licensed ladders. It falls between the 2.5 mg and 5 mg tirzepatide steps, so it is usually a rounded or in-between dose. From a 30 mg vial in 3 mL (10 mg/mL) it is simply 30 units. Set the calculator to 3 mg.
4 mg to units
4 mg is 40 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 26.7 units at 15 mg/mL and 20 units at 20 mg/mL, and 80 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 4 mg falls between the 2.5 mg and 5 mg tirzepatide steps and just under the 4.5 mg top of the reported retatrutide trial ladder. From a 30 mg vial in 3 mL (10 mg/mL) it is 40 units. Set the calculator to 4 mg.
5 mg to units
5 mg is 50 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 33.3 units at 15 mg/mL and 25 units at 20 mg/mL, and 100 units at 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL). 5 mg is the second rung of the tirzepatide ladder and a common MOTS-c and epitalon dose. It is also a whole 5 mg vial, so with that vial size it is simply everything you mixed. Set the calculator to 5 mg.
10 mg to units
10 mg is 100 units at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 66.7 units at 15 mg/mL and 50 units at 20 mg/mL. 10 mg is the fourth rung of the tirzepatide ladder and a step some retatrutide protocols reach in month five. From a 10 mg vial it is the entire vial. Set the calculator to 10 mg.
12 mg to units
12 mg is 120 units (more than one 1 mL syringe) at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 80 units at 15 mg/mL and 60 units at 20 mg/mL. 12 mg is the top of the retatrutide range in most reported protocols, and sits next to the 12.5 mg tirzepatide rung, which is in the tables too. Set the calculator to 12 mg.
15 mg to units
15 mg is 150 units (more than one 1 mL syringe) at 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL), 100 units at 15 mg/mL and 75 units at 20 mg/mL. 15 mg is the top rung of the licensed tirzepatide ladder. A 15 mg vial is one dose; most people drawing 15 mg use a 30 or 60 mg vial. Set the calculator to 15 mg.
Units to mg
Going the other way: the mark you drew to, converted back into milligrams at the five most common concentrations. The units to mg calculator does this live for any concentration.
| Units drawn | Volume | 2.5 mg/mL | 5 mg/mL | 10 mg/mL | 15 mg/mL | 20 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 units to mg | 0.05 mL | 0.125 mg | 0.25 mg | 0.5 mg | 0.75 mg | 1 mg |
| 10 units to mg | 0.1 mL | 0.25 mg | 0.5 mg | 1 mg | 1.5 mg | 2 mg |
| 12 units to mg | 0.12 mL | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 1.8 mg | 2.4 mg |
| 15 units to mg | 0.15 mL | 0.375 mg | 0.75 mg | 1.5 mg | 2.25 mg | 3 mg |
| 20 units to mg | 0.2 mL | 0.5 mg | 1 mg | 2 mg | 3 mg | 4 mg |
| 25 units to mg | 0.25 mL | 0.625 mg | 1.25 mg | 2.5 mg | 3.75 mg | 5 mg |
| 30 units to mg | 0.3 mL | 0.75 mg | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 4.5 mg | 6 mg |
| 35 units to mg | 0.35 mL | 0.875 mg | 1.75 mg | 3.5 mg | 5.25 mg | 7 mg |
| 40 units to mg | 0.4 mL | 1 mg | 2 mg | 4 mg | 6 mg | 8 mg |
| 50 units to mg | 0.5 mL | 1.25 mg | 2.5 mg | 5 mg | 7.5 mg | 10 mg |
| 60 units to mg | 0.6 mL | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 6 mg | 9 mg | 12 mg |
| 70 units to mg | 0.7 mL | 1.75 mg | 3.5 mg | 7 mg | 10.5 mg | 14 mg |
| 80 units to mg | 0.8 mL | 2 mg | 4 mg | 8 mg | 12 mg | 16 mg |
| 100 units to mg | 1 mL | 2.5 mg | 5 mg | 10 mg | 15 mg | 20 mg |
Concentrations: 2.5 mg/mL is a 5 mg vial in 2 mL; 5 mg/mL is 10 mg in 2 mL; 10 mg/mL is 10 mg in 1 mL, 20 mg in 2 mL or 30 mg in 3 mL; 15 mg/mL is 30 mg in 2 mL; 20 mg/mL is 20 mg in 1 mL or 60 mg in 3 mL.
The formula
concentration (mg/mL) = mg in the vial ÷ mL of bacteriostatic water
units on a U-100 syringe = (dose in mg ÷ concentration) × 100
Going the other way, which the second tab of the calculator does for you: dose in mg = (units ÷ 100) × concentration. If your syringe is U-40 (usually veterinary) the multiplier is 40, not 100; read the syringe page first, because mixing those two up is a 2.5x error.
Micrograms to units
BPC-157, ipamorelin, sermorelin and most repair and growth-hormone peptides are dosed in micrograms from a vial labelled in milligrams. Divide by 1,000 first (250 mcg is 0.25 mg), then the formula is the same. Reading a 5 mg vial as 5 mcg is a thousand-fold error, and it happens.
| Setup | Concentration | 100 mcg | 250 mcg | 500 mcg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg in 1 mL | 5000 mcg/mL | 2 units | 5 units | 10 units |
| 5 mg in 2 mL | 2500 mcg/mL | 4 units | 10 units | 20 units |
| 10 mg in 2 mL | 5000 mcg/mL | 2 units | 5 units | 10 units |
| 10 mg in 3 mL | 3333 mcg/mL | 3 units | 7.5 units | 15 units |
Your peptide, with its own vial and doses
The tables above work for any compound. These pages start from the vial and doses that compound is usually sold and discussed at, so the mark is one tap away.
- Semaglutide units to mg chart 10 units is 0.25 mg, 2.4 mg is 96 units (5 mg vial, 2 mL)
- PT-141 dosage chart the 10 mg vial, reconstitution and 0.5 to 2 mg in units
- Melanotan 2 dosage calculator mcg doses from a 10 mg vial, with a chart
- KLOW peptide dosage calculator the 80 mg vial, split per peptide
- BPC-157 / TB-500 blend calculator 10 and 20 mg vials, microdoses included
- CJC-1295 / ipamorelin blend calculator the 10 mg blend and doses per vial
- Printable dosing and reconstitution charts peptide charts to save, print or pin
Common questions
- How many units is 1 mg?
- It depends on the concentration. In a 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water (5 mg/mL), 1 mg is 0.2 mL, which is 20 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 10 mg/mL it is 10 units, at 2.5 mg/mL it is 40 units. Units measure volume, so there is no answer without the vial strength and the water volume.
- How many units is 2 mg?
- At 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL) 2 mg is 40 units. At 10 mg/mL (20 mg in 2 mL, or 10 mg in 1 mL) it is 20 units. At 2.5 mg/mL (5 mg in 2 mL) it is 80 units. The dose is identical in all three; only the mark on the barrel changes.
- How many units is 5 mg?
- At 10 mg/mL (30 mg in 3 mL, the usual tirzepatide setup) 5 mg is 50 units. At 5 mg/mL it is 100 units, a full 1 mL syringe. From a 5 mg vial, 5 mg is everything you mixed, however much water you used.
- How many units is 12 mg?
- At 20 mg/mL (60 mg in 3 mL) 12 mg is 60 units. At 15 mg/mL (30 mg in 2 mL) it is 80 units. At 10 mg/mL it is 120 units, more than a 1 mL syringe holds, so use less water or split it into two injections. 12.5 mg, the tirzepatide rung, is 62.5 units at 20 mg/mL.
- How many mg is 12 units?
- Multiply the concentration by 0.12. At 5 mg/mL (10 mg in 2 mL) 12 units is 0.6 mg. At 10 mg/mL it is 1.2 mg, and at 2.5 mg/mL it is 0.3 mg. In general, mg = (units divided by 100) times the concentration in mg/mL.
- What is the formula for mg to units?
- units = (dose in mg divided by concentration in mg/mL) times 100, on a U-100 insulin syringe. Concentration is the mg in your vial divided by the mL of bacteriostatic water you added. For a U-40 syringe multiply by 40 instead of 100.
Common conversions
The same three-step maths, pre-filled for the doses people ask about most. Units on a U-100 insulin syringe, where 100 units is 1 mL.
- mg to units calculator (this page)
- Units to mg calculator What the units you drew are in milligrams
- 1 mg to units The most-asked conversion, at every common setup
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- The Protocol Pack Free 25-page printable reference
- mg to units calculator (this page)
- 1 mg to units on an insulin syringe The conversion table for every common concentration
- Units to mg calculator The mark you drew, back into milligrams
- Methodology Every formula, assumption and rounding rule
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