Directions for hCG injections may vary slightly among different suppliers. Regardless of preparation technique, the ideal amount of hCG for injection is 125-150 IU per day. The original protocol by Dr. Simeons called for 125 IU regardless of starting body weight. Since hCG is a hormone, it acts in very small amounts.

Dr. Simeons discovered that the same dose works for everyone, regardless of age, body size, or gender. Any protocol that recommends boosting the daily dose to accommodate greater weight or to speed up weight loss represents an unnecessary modification of the original protocol.

HCG Injections Kits

The most convenient choice for injectable hCG would be in a kit that already provides all the necessary components. If you are getting your hCG from your doctor, you should receive everything that you need for mixing and administering the hormone.

You can also find many reliable, reputable, and cost-effective non-U.S. suppliers that provide injectable hCG and complete mixing kits online. They ship to U.S. and international addresses. The directions below are based on the hCG and mixing kits that are available from a typical online pharmacy. Keep things simple whenever you can!

Kits should be specifically designed for mixing Pregnyl, which is the most common brand name of hCG. Most such kits include the following components, or slight variations of them:

(Note that ‘cc’ and ‘mL’ are equivalent metric units among different brands of mixing kits)

For mixing 5,000 IU of hCG (“23-day kit”)

25 x Insulin syringes (1 cc) with needles for injection (1/2″ long, 29 gauge)
1 x 10 cc Mixing Syringe with needle
1 x 10 cc Clear Sterile Capped Vial (empty)
1 x 30 cc Vial of Bacteriostatic Water
30 x Sterile Alcohol Wipes

Mixing Instructions

1. Wash hands and swab down sterile work area on counter with rubbing alcohol; use only this area for all of the following steps
2. Expose rubber seal on vial of hCG, wipe top and neck with alcohol wipe
3. Expose seal on vial of bacteriostatic water, wipe top and neck with alcohol wipe
4. Attach accompanying needle to 10 cc mixing syringe. Be sure to keep it covered by its cap until just before using it. Never touch the needle with your hands, in order to keep it sterile.
5. Draw 1 cc of bacteriostatic water and add it to the hCG vial. Swirl it carefully until all of the hCG is dissolved. NEVER SHAKE IT!
6. Wipe the top and neck of the empty sterile capped vial. Then, again using the mixing syringe, slowly draw out all of the freshly mixed hCG solution from the hCG vial and slowly inject it into the sterile capped vial. This is now your hCG for the duration of your protocol.
7. Using the mixing syringe again, draw out an additional 19 cc* of bacteriostatic water and inject it into your hCG vial. At this point the hCG is ready to use. It contains 5,000 IU of hCG in 20 cc of bacteriostatic water. This is a concentration of 250 IU per cc, which means that 1/2 cc (or 0.5 cc) will give you a daily dose of 125 IU for up to 40 days.
8. Keep this hCG refrigerated at all times when not in use.

*Before drawing out any water, you must inject an equal amount of air into the vial beforehand. Otherwise, the vacuum pressure inside the vial will make it difficult for you to withdraw enough water. Conversely, before injecting a liquid into a sealed vial, you must first withdraw an equal amount of air from the vial.

By using the 23-day mixing kit, the most common commercial quantities of hCG will provide a 0.5 cc daily dose as follows:

1,500 IU (12 doses)
2,000 IU (20 doses)
5,000 IU (40 doses)
10,000 IU (80 doses) … applicable for more than one person at a time

You will, of course, have to order more injections syringes if you plan to take more than the number that comes with this kit. You can order more syringes separately, as needed.

Regardless of which kit you have, keep in mind that the quantity of hCG, the amount of bacteriostatic water, the number of vials that you mix hCG into, and the volume of each injection will determine how much you mix together in each vial. The target is a dose of 125 IU.

Maintain a sterile environment at all times for handling hCG.

Injecting the hCG

The protocol for hCG injections requires that you inject 125 IU of hCG at least six days per week over a period of up to 40 days, starting two days before you begin your Very Low Calorie Diet. Dr. Simeons offered some flexibility on how many of injections days per week. The main concern is the development of resistance to the hormone. If you take hCG every day, a longer series (e.g., 40 days) is more likely to induce resistance unless you skip it once per week. Choose the same six days every week of the protocol, meaning the same non-hCG day every week as well. In a shorter series (e.g., 23 days), taking hCG all seven days per week throughout the protocol should not lead to resistance.

The only other breaks from taking hCG during the protocol are for women during their menstrual period. During this time, do not take hCG for the 3-4 heaviest days of your period.

Follow the steps below on injection days:

1. Draw out 0.5 cc of air from an injection syringe, insert the needle into your hCG mixture, and inject air into it.
2. Draw 0.5 cc from the hCG mixture.
3. With the needle pointed up, tap the side of the syringe to make sure all bubble go to the top, then push the plunger just enough to expel any air that has accumulated in the syringe.
4. Choose an injection site in the stomach area, wipe it thoroughly with an alcohol wipe, pinch off a 2-inch fold of skin between your thumb and index finger, hold the syringe like you would hold a dart, and quickly insert the needle all the way into the skin fold.
5. Aspirate (pull outward) slightly on the plunger to see whether you have struck a vein. (This is rare.) If so, blood enters the syringe and you have to find another injection site. If not, then slowly push the plunger all the way in to inject the hCG.
6. When you finish injecting, pull the needle out and wipe the area once again with an alcohol wipe. If you bleed a little, simply cover the site with a Bandaid or add pressure to it using a sterile cotton ball or clean tissue until the bleeding stops.
7. Put the cap back onto the needle and dispose of it in an appropriate container.
8. Put the hCG back into the refrigerator.

Additional recommendations:

Rotate the injection site daily, a couple of inches or so away from the previous site. Call a doctor if the injection site bleeds and won’t stop or if you have a lot of pain. Never reuse needles or syringes.

With hCG injections updates,

Dr. D