Human Chorionic Gonadotropin 5,000 IU vial dosage

What Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is

Class:

Glycoprotein hormone (LH receptor agonist)

Also called:

hCG, Novarel, Pregnyl

Used for:

FDA-approved prescription injection for prepubertal cryptorchidism, selected cases of male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and induction of ovulation in anovulatory, infertile women pretreated with menotropins.

Human evidence:

Strong human evidence. FDA has approved chorionic gonadotropin injection (e.g. Novarel) for three specific indications - prepubertal cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and ovulation induction - based on the data reviewed for approval, with the dosing schedules below on the current label. Separately, FDA and FTC have taken joint enforcement action against over-the-counter "homeopathic" hCG products sold for weight loss, which are unapproved and for which FDA states there is no substantial evidence of a weight-loss effect.

Half-life:

Approximately 24-36 hours per published pharmacokinetic literature; the approved label does not itself state a half-life figure.

US status:

FDA-approved · prescription only. Approved as a prescription injection (e.g. Novarel) for the indications above; requires a prescriber and is not approved for self-directed use. "Homeopathic" oral drops, pellets and sprays marketed for weight loss are unapproved new drugs per FDA and FTC. Regulated as a licensed biologic since 23 March 2020; FDA says licensed biologics are not eligible for the 503A and 503B compounding exemptions.

The full picture, with every study: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin guide.

How to mix a 5,000 IU Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vial

For this vial: 1 mL of bacteriostatic water makes 5,000 IU/mL, so 4,000 IU is 80 units (0.8 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. Pick a different volume from the units table if you want bigger or smaller draws; the number of doses stays the same.

1. Wipe the rubber stoppers of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with an alcohol swab and let the alcohol dry. ^[2][3]
2. With a new sterile needle and syringe, draw up the amount of bacteriostatic water you have chosen for the dilution. ^[2][3][4]
3. Inject the water into the peptide vial by aiming the stream against the inside glass wall, which helps prevent foaming. ^[5]
4. Swirl or roll the vial gently until the powder has fully dissolved; do not shake it. Do not inject the solution if it is cloudy or has particles in it. ^[2][3][5]
5. Label the vial with the date and time it was mixed, the amount of water added and how long it can be used after mixing. ^[2]
6. Store the mixed vial in the refrigerator at 2-8°C (36-46°F) and do not freeze it. ^[5]

Step by step with pictures: how to reconstitute peptides. About the water itself: bacteriostatic water.

Storing Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vials

• Freeze-dried (lyophilized) peptide keeps far longer than peptide in solution; peptide suppliers advise storing the powder at -20°C away from bright light. ^[6]
• Protect peptide vials from heat and light. ^[6][7]
• Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles; a prescription peptide label also says not to freeze a vial once it has been mixed. ^[5][6]
• Once a multi-dose vial, such as bacteriostatic water, has been opened (needle-punctured), date it and discard it within 28 days unless its manufacturer states another date. ^[8][9]

More detail: peptide storage and shelf life.

Injecting safely

The FDA label gives Human Chorionic Gonadotropin as an intramuscular injection, so the subcutaneous technique used for most peptides does not apply here; see the full Human Chorionic Gonadotropin dosing page.

Hygiene and warning signs

• Use a new sterile needle and syringe for every injection and every time you enter a vial; never reuse them. ^[4][8][10]
• Never share needles, syringes or pens with anyone, even if the needle is changed; unsafe injection practices spread hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. ^[4][7][8]
• Put used needles and syringes in a sharps disposal container straight away (FDA-cleared if possible), never loose in the trash, recycling or toilet, and dispose of the container following your community's guidelines. ^[11][12]
• Contact a health care provider if the injection site shows signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, red streaks or a fever. ^[10]

How Human Chorionic Gonadotropin works

• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone made by the placenta, built from an alpha and a beta subunit. The alpha subunit is essentially the same as in LH, FSH and TSH; the beta subunit is what makes hCG distinct. The prescription product is derived from the urine of pregnant women. ^[1]
• Its action is almost identical to the pituitary's luteinising hormone (LH), with a small degree of FSH activity. In men it stimulates the Leydig cells of the testes to make androgens; in women it stimulates the corpus luteum to make progesterone. ^[1]
• In ovulation induction, hCG stands in for the mid-cycle LH surge that triggers ovulation. The label states hCG has no known effect on fat mobilisation, appetite, hunger or body fat distribution. ^[1]

What the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin research found

Human evidence: strong human evidence. Each result says what was studied.

• Human studyIn a 2005 randomised trial, 29 healthy men were given 200 mg testosterone enanthate weekly, which suppressed LH and FSH to 5% and 3% of baseline, plus placebo or 125, 250 or 500 IU hCG every other day for 3 weeks. Intratesticular testosterone ended 25% below baseline at 125 IU, 7% below at 250 IU and 26% above at 500 IU. ^[13]
• Human studyA 2013 retrospective review of 26 hypogonadal men on testosterone replacement plus 500 IU hCG every other day (mean follow-up 6.2 months) found no change in semen parameters. None became azoospermic, and 9 of the 26 men fathered a pregnancy during follow-up. ^[14]
• Human studyA 1995 meta-analysis of 33 papers covering 3,282 boys with undescended testes found hCG treatment succeeded in 19% of cases in randomised trials, against 4% with placebo. The authors noted non-randomised trials overstated the effect and the data were scanty. ^[15]
• Human studyA 1995 meta-analysis of 8 controlled and 16 uncontrolled trials of hCG with the Simeons very-low-calorie diet found no scientific evidence that hCG causes weight loss, redistributes fat, reduces hunger or improves well-being. Only one of the 12 better-quality studies reported any benefit. ^[16]
• Human studyIn a 2019 study of 220 men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, combined hCG and hMG injections produced sperm in 26 men and pulsatile GnRH infusion in 62, reported as 25% against 53%, though the paper's group sizes do not match these percentages. Sperm first appeared after an average of 10.9 months with hCG/hMG against 6.2 months with GnRH. ^[17]

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin side effects and risks

• FDA labelThe label lists headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, oedema, precocious puberty, gynaecomastia and pain at the injection site as adverse reactions. It gives no frequencies. ^[1]
• FDA labelHypersensitivity reactions, local and whole-body, have been reported, including erythema, urticaria, rash, angioedema and shortness of breath. Anaphylaxis has been reported with urinary-derived hCG products. ^[1]
• FDA labelWhen hCG is used with menotropins for ovulation induction, the label's principal serious risks are ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, enlargement or rupture of ovarian cysts with bleeding into the abdomen, multiple births and arterial thromboembolism. ^[1]
• FDA labelBecause the androgens it induces can cause fluid retention, the label advises caution in people with heart or kidney disease, epilepsy, migraine or asthma. Treatment for cryptorchidism can bring on precocious puberty. ^[1]
• FDA labelSporadic testicular tumours have been reported in otherwise healthy young men given hCG for secondary infertility; the label states a causal link has not been established. ^[1]
• FDA labelhCG is contraindicated in precocious puberty, prostate cancer or other androgen-dependent tumours, a previous allergic reaction to hCG, and pregnancy, where it may cause fetal harm. ^[1]

Other things to know

• Contraindicated in precocious puberty, prostatic carcinoma or other androgen-dependent neoplasm, prior allergic reaction to hCG, and pregnancy (may cause fetal harm).
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, ovarian cyst enlargement or rupture with hemoperitoneum, multiple births, and arterial thromboembolism are labeled serious risks in ovulation-induction use.
• Anaphylaxis has been reported with urinary-derived hCG products.
• FDA states there is no substantial evidence hCG increases weight loss beyond what the accompanying very-low-calorie diet itself causes, and that diet alone carries risks of gallstones, electrolyte imbalance and heart arrhythmia.

Reported side effects and what the studies measured: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin side effects.

Where this vial size comes from

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is sold as a 5,000 IU vial by the pages below, each checked on the date shown. I list them as evidence that this size exists, not as a recommendation to buy from them.

• DailyMed (NIH/FDA) — Novarel labellabelLists it as: "Each 5,000 USP units vial contains: chorionic gonadotropin 5,000 USP Units" · checked 2026-09-28
• SwissChemsvendorLists it as: "HCG 5000 IU" — 5,000 IU (1 vial) · checked 2026-09-28

The doses come from the FDA label on the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin dosing page, and every number on this page is arithmetic on those doses and this vial size.

Other Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vial sizes

• 2,000 IU vial
• 5,000 IU
• 10,000 IU vial

Questions

How much water do I add to a 5,000 IU Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vial?

There is no single correct amount: water changes how many units a dose is, not how many doses the vial holds. With 1 mL the vial is 5,000 IU/mL and 4,000 IU is 80 units (0.8 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. The units table gives 1 mL.

How many doses are in a 5,000 IU Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vial?

10 doses at 500 IU, 5 doses at 1,000 IU, 2 doses at 2,000 IU, 1 dose at 4,000 IU, 1 dose at 5,000 IU.

What does 1 unit equal in a 5,000 IU Human Chorionic Gonadotropin vial?

50 IU with 1 mL of bacteriostatic water, on a U-100 syringe.