Tirzepatide Dosage Chart in Units: 2.5mg to 15mg Converted
You have your vial. Your provider gave you a dose in milligrams. Now you are looking at your syringe and trying to figure out how many units to draw. The confusion is real, and you are not alone. Your vial concentration matters more than anything else, and getting this right is essential before you inject.
Quick answer: tirzepatide mg to units
| Dose | 5mg/mL vial | 10mg/mL vial |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5mg | 50 units (0.5mL) | 25 units (0.25mL) |
| 5mg | 100 units (1mL) | 50 units (0.5mL) |
| 7.5mg | 150 units (1.5mL) | 75 units (0.75mL) |
| 10mg | 200 units (2mL) | 100 units (1mL) |
| 12.5mg | 250 units (2.5mL) | 125 units (1.25mL) |
| 15mg | 300 units (3mL) | 150 units (1.5mL) |
Units are for a U-100 insulin syringe, where 100 units equals 1mL. Match the column to the concentration printed on your vial. If the unit number your provider gave you differs from this table, follow your provider.
Why concentration matters: the core issue
Every compounded tirzepatide vial is prepared at a specific concentration. This concentration tells you how many milligrams of tirzepatide are dissolved in each milliliter of liquid. The most common concentrations are 5mg/mL and 10mg/mL.
The problem: the same dose in milligrams requires different unit volumes depending on which vial you have.
Here is why. A U-100 insulin syringe has 100 unit markings. Each unit on the syringe represents 0.01mL of liquid. So if your vial contains 5mg in every 1mL, then drawing 1mL means drawing 100 units, and that 1mL contains 5mg of tirzepatide. But if your vial contains 10mg in every 1mL, then drawing 1mL means drawing 100 units, and that 1mL contains 10mg.
This is why online charts can be misleading. A chart made for 5mg/mL vials does not work for 10mg/mL vials. Your provider gave you specific unit instructions for your specific vial. Those are the numbers you follow.
How to read your vial label
Look at the label on your compounded tirzepatide vial. The concentration should be written clearly. It will say something like:
- “Tirzepatide 5mg/mL”
- “Tirzepatide 10mg/mL”
The first number is the milligrams. The second number (after the slash) is the milliliters. So 5mg/mL means 5 milligrams per 1 milliliter of solution.
If the concentration is not clearly labeled or you cannot find it, do not guess. Contact your pharmacy or care team. This is not something to eyeball.
Unit conversion tables
Use the table that matches your vial concentration. Find your prescribed dose in milligrams on the left, then follow the row across to see how many milliliters to draw and how many units that equals on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Tirzepatide at 5mg/mL concentration
This is the most common compounded concentration.
| Dose (mg) | Milliliters | U-100 Units |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 0.5 | 50 |
| 5.0 | 1.0 | 100 |
| 7.5 | 1.5 | 150 |
| 10.0 | 2.0 | 200 |
| 12.5 | 2.5 | 250 |
| 15.0 | 3.0 | 300 |
Tirzepatide at 10mg/mL concentration
This concentration is less common but appears in some compounding pharmacies.
| Dose (mg) | Milliliters | U-100 Units |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 0.25 | 25 |
| 5.0 | 0.5 | 50 |
| 7.5 | 0.75 | 75 |
| 10.0 | 1.0 | 100 |
| 12.5 | 1.25 | 125 |
| 15.0 | 1.5 | 150 |
The standard tirzepatide dose escalation schedule
Tirzepatide is titrated upward every 4 weeks in 2.5mg increments[1]. This escalation pattern is the same whether you are using a compounded vial or a brand-name auto-injector. The only difference is that with a vial, you are calculating your own unit volume from the concentration.
Here is the typical progression:
- Weeks 1-4: 2.5mg once weekly
- Weeks 5-8: 5mg once weekly
- Weeks 9-12: 7.5mg once weekly
- Weeks 13-16: 10mg once weekly
- Weeks 17-20: 12.5mg once weekly
- Weeks 21+: 15mg once weekly (maintenance dose)
Your provider may adjust this schedule based on your tolerance and response. Some people stay at a lower dose if their results and side effects are acceptable, an approach explained in our guide to lower-dose tirzepatide maintenance. Some move through the schedule faster or slower. Always follow your provider’s specific timeline, not this general template.
How to read a U-100 insulin syringe
A U-100 insulin syringe is marked with unit lines. Understanding how to read it is straightforward once you know what to look for.
The syringe barrel (the long tube holding the liquid) has markings that run from 0 at the tip to 100 at the top. The top number is always 100 units. Major lines appear every 10 units. Minor lines appear every 1 unit.
To draw a dose, insert the needle into your tirzepatide vial and pull back on the plunger until the top of the plunger aligns with the unit marking that matches your prescribed dose. So if your dose is 50 units, you pull back until the plunger sits at the 50-unit line.
The volume of liquid you are drawing is proportional to the units. If you draw 50 units, you are drawing 0.5mL. If you draw 100 units, you are drawing 1mL. This relationship is why the unit calculation depends entirely on your vial concentration.
Three critical safety rules before you inject
Follow these rules every single time you prepare a dose.
1. Verify your vial concentration
Look at the label on your vial. Confirm it says the concentration your provider told you to expect. If the label is missing, illegible, or shows a different concentration than expected, do not use the vial. Contact your pharmacy or care team immediately.
2. Verify your prescribed dose
Check the specific milligram dose your provider instructed you to inject at this stage of your escalation. Write it down if it helps. Do not guess or estimate. If you are unsure which dose you are supposed to take, contact your provider before injecting.
3. Verify the unit volume you are drawing
Before you push the needle into the vial, double-check the unit line on your syringe. Make sure the plunger aligns with the unit marking your provider gave you for this dose at this concentration. Take 3 seconds. Look twice. Then draw.
What if the numbers do not match your provider’s instructions?
If you are looking at an online chart and the unit volume does not match what your provider told you to draw, ignore the chart. Your provider gave you the correct number for your specific vial.
Online dosing charts are created for educational purposes and often show only one concentration. The chart might be correct for a 5mg/mL vial but completely wrong for a 10mg/mL vial. There is no such thing as a universal tirzepatide chart.
Your provider knows your vial concentration because it is part of your prescription. That provider has verified the calculation. Trust that over an unknown source.
If you are concerned that your provider’s number seems wrong, call and ask for clarification. It takes 5 minutes. Do not inject a dose that does not feel right to you. Questions are always the right choice here.
How the Transformation Health program works
If you are in our tirzepatide program, here is what to expect.
You complete an online intake form covering your health history, current medications, and weight loss goals. An independent, licensed provider reviews your information. If you want the full picture before you start, we walk through how to get a GLP-1 prescription online step by step. If tirzepatide is medically appropriate for you, your provider writes a prescription specifying your starting dose (usually 2.5mg) and your escalation schedule (usually increasing every 4 weeks).
Your prescription goes to a licensed US compounding pharmacy. The pharmacy prepares your tirzepatide vial at the concentration your provider specified and ships it to your door. Our guide to getting compounded tirzepatide online covers what happens between the intake form and the vial arriving. The concentration and all dosing instructions are on the vial label and in your welcome materials.
When your vial arrives, you have access to:
- Video guides showing how to draw and inject
- A 24/7 support team if you have questions about your dose
- Lab work (Quest or Labcorp) covered at no additional cost
- Medical weight loss coaching to address nutrition, fitness, and habit-building
- Your provider for follow-up visits and dose adjustments
All of this is included in your monthly fee of $339, and our compounded tirzepatide cost breakdown spells out exactly what that fee covers. No hidden charges. No surprise billing. You can cancel anytime.
Not all patients qualify. Your provider makes the final determination based on your health history, BMI, and other medical factors. But if you are eligible, you will have clear, personalized dosing instructions that match your vial concentration.
Citations
[1] Jastreboff AM, et al. “Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2022;387(3):205-216. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35658024/
Important: Compounded medications are not FDA-approved products. They are prepared by US-based, state-licensed compounding pharmacies and have not been independently evaluated by the FDA for safety, efficacy, or quality. Dosing charts on this page are for reference only. Always follow the specific dosing instructions provided by your prescribing provider. All prescriptions require evaluation by an independent, licensed healthcare provider. Not all patients will qualify. Results vary by individual.