How Long Does Bacteriostatic Water Last? Its Shelf Life Explained

How Long Does Bacteriostatic Water Last Its Shelf Life Explained

Have you ever prepared a medication mixture only to second-guess whether the solution is still potent or even safe to use? For those relying on injectable medications like HCG or peptides, this concern is all too familiar. The key to maintaining both efficacy and safety lies in the component we often overlook: bacteriostatic water.

How long does bacteriostatic water last? Typically, it’s safe for about a year unopened (check the expiration date on the label). But once you puncture the seal, the clock starts ticking, and you have 28 days to use it effectively.

Let’s dive into what impacts this timeline and how you can make the most of every drop to ensure your treatments are as effective on day 28 as they were on day one.

What Is Bacteriostatic Water?

Bacteriostatic water is a type of water that is used for mixing medications for injection. Unlike regular sterile water, bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which acts as a preservative to prevent bacterial growth.

This makes it ideal for use in situations where the same solution might be used multiple times, such as in hormone replacement therapy, peptide therapy, or during HCG treatments for weight loss.

How Long Does Bacteriostatic Water Last?

The shelf life of unopened bacteriostatic water typically ranges from one year to 18 months from the date of manufacture. It’s essential to check the expiration date on the bottle before use. This ensures the preservative is still capable of inhibiting bacterial growth which keeps the water safe for multi-dose usage in medical preparations.

Shelf Life After Opening

Once opened, the rules change for bacteriostatic water longevity. The preservative in the water keeps it safe for use up to 28 days after opening. It’s crucial to mark the date of opening on the vial to keep track of this time frame!

Bacteriostatic water expiration becomes a concern after these 28 days, as the effectiveness of the benzyl alcohol to stave off bacteria diminishes.

Factors Affecting Shelf Life

Storing bacteriostatic water safely is vital to maintain its efficacy. The storage conditions can significantly impact bacteriostatic water longevity.

It should be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. These conditions help preserve the benzyl alcohol’s effectiveness as a preservative. Temperature fluctuations and exposure to light can accelerate the degradation of the preservative which reduces the water’s effectiveness as a bacteriostatic agent.

Additionally, proper handling practices are essential when using bacteriostatic water. Always use aseptic techniques to draw the water into a syringe. This involves cleaning the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab before piercing it with a needle.

Maximize Your Health with Trusted Supplies

Understanding how long bacteriostatic water will last ensures that your medical and therapeutic practices are both safe and effective. From exploring the stability of an unopened vial to the critical 28-day period post-opening, managing the shelf life of bacteriostatic water is crucial.

At HCGSupplies, we specialize in providing top-tier HCG mixing and injection supplies to ensure that you always have access to the highest quality bacteriostatic water available. With our commitment to excellence since 2007, let us be your trusted partner. Browse our HCG mixing and injection supplies today and discover how we can support your wellness journey.

How to Mix Bacteriostatic Water With HCG

how to mix bacteriostatic water with hcg

The HCG Diet has been around for more than 70 years and is a tried-and-true strategy for losing weight faster. But if you are new to this diet, you may wonder how to mix bacteriostatic water with HCG.

In this guide, we give you a simple five-step process to start mixing HCG injections yourself. Read on for our top tips.

Step 1. Prepare Your Tools

Before you start mixing, gather the ingredients you will need. Lay out the following tools and ingredients on a clean, dry paper towel:

  • HCG
  • Bacteriostatic water
  • Mixing syringes and needles
  • Sterile vials with caps
  • Alcohol pads

You can find all of the tools you need to mix your HCG injections at HCG Supplies. We have bacteriostatic water, but you will have to purchase your HCG separately from another company.

Step 2. Determine the HCG Dose

Always talk to a medical professional to determine the right HCG dose for you. Dosing recommendations range from 125 IU to 200 IU per day. The right dose for you depends on many different factors.

HCG is sold in ampoules. Ampoules range in dosages from 1,500 IUs to 10,000 IUs. The size you purchase and the daily dose you need will determine how much bacteriostatic water you need to add when mixing.

Step 3. Sterilize Your Supplies

Wash your hands before sterilizing your HCG mixing supplies. Once you have dried your hands with a clean paper towel, use the alcohol wipes to clean the top of the HCG container, the bacteriostatic water cap, and the empty vial cap.

Step 4. Determine the Strength

Before you start mixing, you need to determine how much bacteriostatic water you need based on your desired daily dose. Let’s say you have 2,000 IU ampoules of HCG and want a 125 IU daily dose. In that case, you will need to use 8 cc of bacteriostatic water to create your injections of 0.5 cc per day.

For a full breakdown of injection strengths based on ampoule size and desired daily dose, check out our complete HCG mixing instructions guide.

Step 5. Mix the Ingredients

Now, it’s time to start mixing! First, open the ampoule. Inject one cc of bacteriostatic water into the ampoule, swirling gently to dissolve the HCG tablet at the bottom of the vial.

Next, you will add plain bacteriostatic water to the empty vial. The amount you should inject into the empty vial depends on the strength you determined in step 4. Using our previous example, if you need 8 cc total of bacteriostatic water, you will inject 7 cc into the empty vial.

Use the syringe to draw out the bacteriostatic water and HCG mixture. Add the mixture to the vial containing the plain bacteriostatic water and swirl gently to mix.

This Is How to Mix Bacteriostatic Water With HCG

Keep this guide handy next time you have trouble remembering how to mix bacteriostatic water with HCG. Always always remember to talk to your medical provider before starting a new diet.

Are you looking for HCG Diet supplies? HCG Supplies makes it convenient to shop online for all the tools, ingredients, and essentials you need to start with this life-changing diet.

Browse our HCG mixing and injection supplies today!

What Is Bacteriostatic Water and Why Is It Used?

What Is Bacteriostatic Water and Why Is It Used

Tap water can become contaminated with a wide variety of germs. Common bacteria types include Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Naegleria fowleri. These cause lung infections, skin infections, and brain infections respectively.

Because these types of germs exist, a medical aqueous injection usually contains some form of “clean” water. One of the options for this purpose is bacteriostatic water.

What is bacteriostatic water? Read on to find out.

What Is Bacteriostatic Water?

Bacteriostatic water (BSW) is a solution that is free from viruses, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms. It contains sterile water (water free of foreign substances) and one type of several different bactericidal solutions (BCSs). These are substances that inhibit bacteria growth.

The most commonly used BCS in BSW is benzyl alcohol. With this, you can use BSW for around a month before there’s a risk of bacterial infection.

How Is Bacteriostatic Water Used?

BSW is often used in aqueous injections. These are intravenous injections that use water as a diluent or solvent. That is, the water in the solution dilutes or dissolves medications before they’re injected into the body.

Healthcare workers prefer to use BSW for these because it’s better at inhibiting bacterial growth than sterile water. In addition, workers can dose patients multiple times using a single vial. This makes the resulting aqueous injection solution far more practical.

Examples of medicines dissolved in these solutions include vaccines and insulin. It’s also great for mixing with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). This is the hormone that you use with the mixing kits that we supply.

Using Bacteriostatic Water with the HCG Diet

Our mixing kits contain BSW. Once you purchase HCG powder, you can use BSW to dissolve it before injecting the solution. Here are the steps that you should take:

Put Out the Materials

You need to put out your mixing materials in a sterile environment. Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly.

Open the HCG Ampoule

Clean the top of the HCG glass ampoule with alcohol. Snap the top of the ampoule at the narrowest part. Break it as you would a wooden match or toothpick.

Sterilize the Vials

Get an alcohol pad. Use it to sterilize the rubber tops of the 30cc BSW vial and the empty glass vial.

Inject BSW

Draw less than 1 cc of BSW into a 10cc mixing syringe. Inject this into the empty sterile glass vial.

Then, draw another 1cc and inject it into the HCG ampoule. Let the powder dissolve and swirl the ampoule gently. Draw the mixture back and inject it into the vial with BSW.

A Note on the HCG Diet

Please remember that this article does not offer professional medical advice. Before you start any type of diet, you must consult your physician first.

Try Our HCG Mixing Kits

Now that you know the answer to “What is Bacteriostatic Water?”, you can understand what you might inject into your body. Hopefully, this has calmed any fears you have about using our HCG kits.

Here at HCG Supplies, we have several HCG mixing kits. Check them out on this page.

WE ARE NOT DOCTORS. HCGSupplies.com and it’s blog (site.hcgsupplies.com/blog) does not offer or provide medical advice. All statements are for informational/entertainment purposes only and are the opinions of the blog author. If you have questions about your health and/or your medications, please contact a medical professional.