Reconstituting TA1 for the first time, bac water amount question

Posted by fasted_scientist in Beginner Questions - 5 points, 6 comments.

Right, I have finally got my hands on TA1 and I want to do this properly. The vial is 5mg and I have 2ml bacteriostatic water. Most things I have read say 2ml into a 5mg vial gives you 2.5mg per ml, then you draw 0.3ml for a 0.75mg dose twice a week. That maths seems fine to me.

But I keep seeing people reconstituting with 3ml or even 5ml of bac water instead, saying it makes the concentration easier to measure on insulin syringes. I get the logic, smaller numbers on the syringe, less chance of messing up.

For anyone running TA1 at the standard 1.6mg twice a week, what reconstitution volume are you actually using? I am using a 1ml insulin syringe so I can measure down to 0.01ml. Just want to know what people find works in practice before I commit and ruin a whole vial.

Comments

• sleep_practical: Oof first vial anxiety, i remember that feeling 😅 Honestly fwiw, i went the other way. I reconstituted with 1ml bac so 5mg/ml and just draw 0.32 on a 1cc syringe. Sure it's a bigger number but it's been the same number every pin so muscle memory kicks in fast. Way less room for me to fat finger it than chasing tenths on a diluted vial. 3ml or 5ml recon is fine math-wise but every extra drop of bac is another chance to screw something up and waste the whole vial. The concentration argument is
• fasted_scientist: Fair point actually, and I had not really thought about it that way. More bac water does mean more steps and more chances to mess up, and you are right that the syringe already does the tenths for me. I think I was overthinking it honestly. Going to go with 2ml like I planned, keeps the 0.3ml draw easy on my syringe and I am comfortable with that number. Cheers for the reality check mate, first vial nerves are real apparently.
• katie_sauna: Yeah, going more concentrated was the move for me too. Same 5mg vial, 1ml bac, and I just draw the same tiny amount every time. Less to screw up and way less wasted if something goes sideways mid-vial. The muscle memory thing is real, after a few weeks you don't even think about it. How are you liking TA1 so far?
• fasted_scientist: To be honest mate, I haven't even started yet, that's literally why I was asking. Reconstituting this weekend once I make up my mind on the volume. Probably going to go with 2ml like the standard math, since my insulin syringe can handle the smaller draws fine. Did you notice anything from TA1 or is it still early days for you too?
• erin_rows: First vial nerves are grand, everyone has them. Once you've stuck yourself the first time you'll wonder what the fuss was about. 2ml is sound, that 0.3 draw is easy enough to read. Just go slow with the bac water down the side of the vial, don't blast it straight onto the powder.
• fasted_scientist: Cheers, that is actually really helpful. I was planning on squirting it straight in like a muppet, so the side of the vial trick is noted. Going with 2ml then, 0.3 is easy enough on a 1ml syringe like you say. Did you keep yours in the fridge the whole time between pins or just leave it out?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.