Tracking Guide
Peptide Vial Tracker
Degraded peptide looks identical to fresh peptide. Same color, same clarity. Nothing on the surface to catch. The protocol stops working. That's when you find out.
Three numbers prevent this: reconstitution date, starting dose count, and concentration. This guide covers all three.
Stability window in BAC water, refrigerated
The clock starts the moment you add diluent.
Reconstitution date. Dose count. Concentration.
Everything else is derived from these.
When potency degrades past the window
Tracking is the only way to know.
The reconstitution date starts a clock you cannot see
Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth between draws. That is what makes multi-dose use safe across weeks. The preservation is not permanent. Roughly 28 to 30 days at refrigerator temperature (2 to 8°C) is the ceiling. Past that, the peptide begins breaking down through hydrolysis and oxidation. The degradation accelerates. The solution retains its clarity and color throughout.
This is the core problem with mental tracking. You cannot look at a vial and know whether it is day 14 or day 31. The reconstitution date is the only reference point, and it exists only if you logged it. Protocol sets a 28-day alert automatically from that date, with a warning before the window closes so you can finish the remaining doses or discard appropriately.
Acetic acid is the alternative diluent for compounds like CJC-1295 without DAC and some growth hormone releasing peptides. Acetic acid solutions can remain stable for 60 to 90 days refrigerated. That extended window still closes. It only matters if you logged when it opened.
A 5mg BPC-157 vial plus 2mL BAC water. 2,500mcg/mL. Twenty doses at 250mcg. Log that number once. That is vial management.
Your dose count is fixed at reconstitution, not at the syringe
The number is determined the moment you add diluent. For a 5mg (5,000mcg) vial reconstituted with 2mL bacteriostatic water, the resulting concentration is 2,500mcg per mL. At 250mcg per injection, that is 20 doses. At 500mcg, it is 10. Neither changes no matter how many times you draw from the vial. The math is immutable.
What changes with concentration is the draw volume on the syringe. At 2,500mcg/mL with a standard insulin syringe (100 units = 1mL), a 250mcg dose is 10 units. At 5,000mcg/mL, achieved by reconstituting with 1mL instead of 2mL, the same 250mcg dose is 5 units. Smaller draws require more precision on the syringe. Larger draws are easier to measure accurately. Most practitioners prefer 1 to 2mL BAC water per 5mg vial as a balance.
Protocol stores your concentration alongside the dose count and subtracts automatically after each logged injection. When the counter reaches your low-stock threshold, the alert fires before you run out, not after.
Common reconstitution setups
Dose counts calculated at the most common dose sizes. Your count varies by injection amount.
Storage note
Never freeze reconstituted peptides. Freezing disrupts the peptide structure. Lyophilized powder can be frozen; post-reconstitution, refrigerate only.
28 – 30
days in BAC water, refrigerated
60 – 90
days in acetic acid solution
Multi-compound protocols mean multiple expiry clocks running at once
Running BPC-157 twice daily, TB-500 weekly, and GHK-Cu every other day means three open vials. Each reconstituted on a different date. Each depleting at a different rate. The BPC-157 vial empties in ten days. The TB-500 vial lasts thirty. The GHK-Cu vial, mixed at higher concentration with 100 doses at 100mcg, outlasts both. It approaches its stability window before it runs out.
This is the inventory problem mental tracking cannot solve. The variables interact: dose frequency, vial size, concentration choice, and the 28-day ceiling all determine whether each vial empties before or after it expires. A vial that expires with doses remaining is wasted product. A vial that runs out before the cycle ends breaks the protocol.
Protocol's inventory view sorts active vials by expiry date, not by compound name. The most urgent vial is always first. Small decision. Correct one.
What a complete vial record contains
Protocol logs five fields when you enter a vial: compound, vial size, diluent volume, reconstitution date, and the injection dose target you're working with. The concentration and starting dose count follow from those inputs. Every subsequent injection decrements the count and adds a timestamp. The full history lives on the compound detail screen: which vial, what concentration, which days.
That record has value beyond day-to-day tracking. If you are working with a prescribing physician, the export includes the complete vial history alongside your dose log and daily check-in data. The provider can see not just the dose amount but when each vial was prepared and whether the reconstitution practices were consistent over time.
Protocol supports custom compounds beyond the 81 built-in research profiles. The vial tracker does not require the compound to be in the library. It requires the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a reconstituted peptide vial last?+
Most peptides reconstituted in bacteriostatic water are stable for 28 to 30 days refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Acetic acid solutions may extend this to 60 to 90 days depending on the compound, but 28 days is the conservative standard for BAC water. Log the reconstitution date the moment you mix. Potency degrades silently after the window closes, with no visible signal.
How do I calculate how many doses are in a peptide vial?+
Divide the vial's total content in mcg by your per-injection dose in mcg. A 5mg (5,000mcg) BPC-157 vial reconstituted with 2mL BAC water produces a 2,500mcg/mL concentration. At 250mcg per injection, that's 20 doses. At 500mcg per injection, that's 10. Protocol calculates this automatically when you log your reconstitution setup.
What concentration should I use when reconstituting peptides?+
The most common approach is 1mL BAC water per 5mg of peptide, giving a 5mg/mL (5,000mcg/mL) concentration. This makes dose math straightforward: 0.5mg equals 0.1mL, 1mg equals 0.2mL. Some users prefer 2mL per 5mg vial for a 2.5mg/mL concentration, which allows more precise draws at smaller doses. The right choice depends on your dose size and syringe markings.
Can I track multiple peptide vials at the same time?+
Yes. Protocol's inventory view shows every active vial simultaneously, each with its own reconstitution date, concentration, doses remaining, and days until expiry. Running BPC-157, TB-500, and GHK-Cu simultaneously means three different reconstitution dates and three different expiry windows. The inventory screen handles all of them in one place.
What happens if I use a peptide vial past its expiry date?+
Potency degrades progressively after the stability window closes. The peptide breaks down through hydrolysis and oxidation, processes that accelerate outside the optimal temperature and timeframe. The degraded solution looks identical to fresh peptide: same color, same clarity. You won't detect the problem until the protocol stops working. Tracking the reconstitution date and setting an expiry alert is the only reliable prevention.
What is bacteriostatic water and why does it matter for vial tracking?+
Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth between draws. That's what makes multi-dose use safe across weeks. Sterile water has no preservative and is single-use only. If you reconstitute with sterile water and draw from the vial multiple times over two weeks, you're introducing contamination risk. Log which diluent you used as part of the reconstitution record.
How do I avoid running out of a peptide mid-cycle?+
Calculate your total dose count at reconstitution and compare it against your remaining cycle days. If you have 12 doses left and need 14 to complete the cycle, reorder now, not when the last dose is drawn. Protocol's low-stock alert fires when your dose count drops below a threshold you set, giving you lead time before the gap occurs.
How do I store reconstituted peptides properly?+
Refrigerate at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius in a consistent-temperature environment. Avoid the refrigerator door, which fluctuates. Protect from light. Never freeze reconstituted peptides; freezing disrupts the molecular structure. Lyophilized peptides that have not been reconstituted can be stored frozen for significantly longer. Once you have added BAC water, the 28-day clock runs regardless of storage conditions.
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