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Wellness Institute for Sleep & Health

●  Dosing & Vial Sizes

Understanding Your Vial: Level, Concentration, and Injection Rate

“Level” is a packaging convention, not a fixed weekly-dose mandate — here’s what it actually means, and the flexibility it gives you.

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The Concentration-vs-Volume Explanation

What “Level” Actually Means

For both medications WISH prescribes, “Level” mostly reflects the volume of your vial, not a different medication strength — the concentration stays the same across most levels, and only the amount you draw up changes.

Tirzepatide

Levels 1 through 4 are all the same 10mg/mL concentration — only the vial volume increases. Level 5 is a genuinely different, higher concentration.

Level Concentration Vial Volume Nominal Weekly Dose Fill Syringe To
Level 1 (Starter) 10mg/mL 1mL 2.5mg/week 25 units
Level 2 10mg/mL 2mL 5mg/week 50 units
Level 3 10mg/mL 3mL 7.5mg/week 75 units
Level 4 10mg/mL 4mL 10mg/week 100 units
Level 5 (Forte) 15mg/mL 4mL 15mg/week 100 units

Semaglutide

Same pattern as tirzepatide: Levels 1 through 4 are all the same 2.5mg/mL concentration, only the vial volume increases. Level 5 DS is the outlier, with a genuinely higher concentration.

Level Concentration Vial Volume Nominal Weekly Dose Fill Syringe To
Level 1 (Starter) 2.5mg/mL 1mL 0.625mg/week 25 units
Level 2 2.5mg/mL 2mL 1.25mg/week 50 units
Level 3 2.5mg/mL 3mL 1.875mg/week 75 units
Level 4 2.5mg/mL 4mL 2.5mg/week 100 units
Level 5 DS 5mg/mL 3mL 3.75mg/week 75 units

Not sure of your concentration?

These are the concentrations most commonly used across U.S. compounding pharmacies as of 2026, including common multi-ingredient (“blended”) products. Check your pharmacy label or intake paperwork first — it should state the concentration directly. If you can’t find it, contact your prior pharmacy before dosing.

Medication Concentration WISH Level Notes
Semaglutide 1 mg/mL — Less common, typically a B12/B6 blend
Semaglutide 2.5 mg/mL Levels 1–4 Most common single-ingredient starting concentration; also common in B6/pyridoxine blends
Semaglutide 5 mg/mL Level 5 DS Common overall, single-ingredient and blended
Semaglutide 10 mg/mL — Common at higher maintenance doses
Semaglutide 7.5 mg/mL — Less common
Tirzepatide 5 mg/mL — Common at some pharmacies
Tirzepatide 10 mg/mL Levels 1–4 Most common overall; also common in B6/glycine/B12 blends
Tirzepatide 15 mg/mL Level 5 Forte Common at higher-strength vials
Tirzepatide 20 mg/mL — Used by some pharmacies/programs
About blended/combo products (B12, B6/pyridoxine, glycine, L-carnitine, niacinamide, etc.): an additive doesn’t change the injection math — only the semaglutide or tirzepatide concentration determines your units and volume. The additive amount “rides along” in whatever the compounding pharmacy put in the vial; it doesn’t add to or subtract from the active dose. WISH’s product is single-ingredient (no additive blend) by default. If you’re transitioning from a blended product, use only its stated semaglutide/tirzepatide concentration above — not the additive’s dose — and check with your prior pharmacy if your label doesn’t separate the two.

Reading “Fill Syringe To”: your syringes are standard insulin syringes, marked in “units” (100 units = 1mL, regardless of the syringe’s total capacity). Whether you have a 0.3mL, 0.5mL, or 1mL syringe from your kit, the unit markings mean the same thing — fill to the unit number shown above for your Level, not to a fraction of the barrel. Syringes and needles are included with every order, not just your first. For step-by-step preparation and injection technique, see our Storage & Injection guide.

Because a higher “Level” is mostly just more volume at the same concentration, it’s possible to buy a higher-Level vial and choose to inject at a lower, longer-lasting rate than the label’s nominal weekly dose implies — see below.

Try It: Find Your Units, or Convert From Another Provider

Find exactly what to draw up on a syringe, or convert a dose from another program or a previous prescription into its WISH equivalent.

Quick reference: a U-100 insulin syringe (like our standard kit) holds 100 units = 1 mL total. So 1 unit = 0.01 mL, and 50 units = 0.5 mL. A 3 mL Luer Lock syringe (like our max-dose kit) isn’t marked in “units” at all — it’s read directly in mL.
WISH Standard Kit — GLP-1 Injection Kit
31G × 5/16″ × 1 mL insulin syringes, U-100 marked (0–100 units). Covers up to 100 units (1 mL) — at WISH’s Level 1–4 concentration, that’s up to 10mg tirzepatide or 2.5mg semaglutide.
WISH Max-Dose Kit — GLP-1 Max Dose Kit
3 mL Luer Lock syringes + 30G × 0.5″ needle — not unit-marked, read in mL. Covers 100–300 units equivalent (1–3 mL) — roughly 15–45mg tirzepatide or 5–15mg semaglutide at WISH’s Level 5 concentration (exact mg depends on the concentration used).

—
Enter values above

— mL
Volume to draw
(Dose mg ÷ Concentration mg/mL) × 100 = units
From a safety standpoint, if you can’t find this exact mark on your syringe, round down to the nearest mark you can see rather than up.

WISH patients: your vial’s concentration is printed on the Level table on this page. Levels 1–4 for both medications share one concentration — only Level 5 (tirzepatide Forte / semaglutide DS) is a higher-strength vial.

What do you know about your current dose?

From a safety standpoint, if you can’t find this exact mark on your syringe, round down to the nearest mark you can see rather than up.

Your exact target dose won’t always land precisely on a Level’s nominal weekly dose — that’s normal. This shows the closest WISH Level and exactly how many units to draw on that vial to match your prior dose exactly. If your number sits between two Levels, your physician confirms the right vial and draw rate for you during intake or your refill review.

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Ready to start with WISH? This takes you to the intake form — a physician reviews it within 1–3 business days.
This tool is for general reference only and does not replace the instructions on your prescription label or from your physician and pharmacy. Always confirm your exact vial concentration and prescribed dose before drawing or injecting — if anything here doesn’t match what’s on your label, stop and contact WISH before injecting. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

Usage Flexibility

Can I Stretch a Vial?

Yes — if it’s approved by your physician. Because concentration stays constant across Levels 1–4, you have real flexibility in how you use a given vial.

Worked example — tirzepatide: say you’re prescribed a Level 2 vial (10mg/mL, 2mL total, nominally 5mg/week). Instead of drawing 50 units each week, your physician might have you draw 25 units (the Level 1 rate) instead. The same 2mL vial that was meant to last 4 weeks at Level 2 now lasts roughly 8 weeks at Level 1 — same vial, same cost, effectively half the weekly dose and double the duration.

Worked example — semaglutide: a Level 3 vial (2.5mg/mL, 3mL, nominally 1.875mg/week, 75 units) could instead be drawn at 25 units/week (the Level 1 rate) if your physician determines that’s the right fit for you — stretching that vial from a 4-week supply to roughly 12 weeks.

This isn’t a DIY instruction to change your own dose — it’s something to raise with your physician at your next refill, so any change is guided and documented as part of your ongoing care.

Always physician-guided. This page explains how the packaging works so you understand your options — it isn’t a substitute for discussing a dose change with your physician.

A Common Question

Should I Increase My Dose?

Not necessarily — and escalating “just because” isn’t the goal.

Every patient responds differently at every Level. Some patients see strong appetite control and steady progress at Level 1 and never need to move higher; others need Level 3 or 4 to get the same effect. Neither is better or worse — what matters is whether your current Level is working for you, not whether you’ve “kept pace” with some expected schedule.

A good general rule: if a Level is working — you’re tolerating it well and seeing progress — there’s rarely a reason to escalate just for the sake of it. Consider bringing up an increase with your physician at your next refill if progress has genuinely stalled despite good adherence, or if side effects were the main reason you were hesitant to increase and those have since resolved. Consider a decrease if side effects are hard to manage even after the usual strategies, or if you’ve reached a level of results you’re happy maintaining. Either direction is a conversation for your refill, not something to decide alone.

Quick Answers

A Couple More Dosing Questions

Do I have to increase my dose over time?
No. There’s no fixed schedule — many patients stay at one Level indefinitely if it’s working. Dose changes are always discussed at a refill, never automatic.

What if I inject more than planned and my vial runs out early?
Contact us before your next scheduled refill date — we can help you plan your next order so you’re not without medication. Don’t skip doses to stretch a vial without checking with your physician first.

Want to talk through your dosing options?

Bring it up at your next refill, or reach us anytime at [email protected].

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