A quick search for popular peptide and other compound protocols. See dosing, duration, side effects and other important guidelines before you start.
Retatrutide
Reconstitution
Reta works with anywhere from 1 mL to 3 mL of bacteriostatic water. Less water makes a stronger solution with smaller draws, more water dilutes it for larger, easier to measure draws. It must always be bacteriostatic water, never saline.
Use bacteriostatic water as your diluent.
Add the water slowly, letting it run down the inside wall of the vial rather than firing it onto the powder.
Swirl gently to mix, then leave it to dissolve. Do not shake.
Give it a few minutes. The finished solution should be clear and colourless.
New to mixing peptides? Our general beginner’s guide to reconstitution walks through the basics that apply to any vial.
Suggested Protocol
Weeks 1 to 4: 0.5 mg once weekly
Weeks 5 to 8: 2 mg
Weeks 9 to 12: 4 mg
Week 13 onward: 8 to 12 mg as the target maintenance dose
Hold each dose for the full 4 weeks before going up
Many people get strong results and stop climbing at 6 mg or 8 mg
There is no rule that you have to reach 12 mg
Stay at the lowest dose that is still working for you
This is the quick protocol
For the complete Retatrutide guide (dose charts for every vial size, beginner, intermediate and advanced schedules, injection technique, side effects and storage), read our full Retatrutide protocol guide
Dosing Detail
Start at 0.5 mg. In the trials, people who jumped straight to higher doses had far more nausea (around 60%) than those who started low (around 17%), so the slow ramp is the whole point, not a formality.
The newer Phase 3 schedule (shown above) ramps 0.5, 2, 4, 8, 12 mg, each held 4 weeks, for the smoothest climb. The older Phase 2 trial jumped 2, 4, 8, 12 and skipped the 6 and 9 mg steps, which works but trades tolerability for speed.
Working range across users is roughly 4 mg to 12 mg weekly. 12 mg was the highest dose studied and gave the most weight loss.
Pick one day a week and keep it consistent, since the half-life is about 6 days.
Based on 2 mL of bac water.
Want a different syringe type or more detail? Open the full dose calculator.
Duration
Run it in 4-week blocks while titrating. Full programs run 16 to 24 weeks or longer. Many taper the dose down at the end rather than stopping cold, since stopping abruptly tends to bring weight back.
Notes
Inject subcutaneously into the stomach, love handles or thigh, rotating the site each week.
GI effects (nausea, early fullness, occasional constipation) hit most in the first week of a new dose and usually settle.
Keep protein intake high and stay hydrated as appetite drops, to hold onto muscle.
Splitting the weekly dose into two smaller shots smooths out side effects for some people.
Storage & Handling
Keep the powdered (lyophilized) vial in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate it for longer-term storage before mixing.
Once reconstituted and properly stored (refrigerated at 2 to 8°C and kept out of direct light), use the vial within 90 days.
Do not freeze a reconstituted vial, and keep it away from heat and sunlight.
If the solution turns cloudy, develops floating particles, or shows any other sign of degradation, stop using that vial.
