How much water do I add to Liraglutide?

You can reconstitute Liraglutide with 0.5, 1, or 2 mL of bacteriostatic water. Each option produces a different concentration and syringe draw for the same dose. Use the calculator to see which is easiest to measure.

What does Liraglutide cost per dose?

Cost per dose depends on vial size, price paid, and your dose. Enter your vendor's price in the Liraglutide calculator to see cost per dose and monthly cost.

What is the reference dose for Liraglutide?

The commonly referenced range is 0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly), taken daily. This is reference information, not a recommendation. Talk to a licensed clinician.

What are the side effects of Liraglutide?

Reported side effects of Liraglutide include: Nausea and stomach upset are common, worst early and when the dose goes up.; It carries a warning about a rare thyroid tumor risk.. Severity and frequency vary by person and dose.

Who should not take Liraglutide?

Liraglutide is generally not appropriate for: A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or the genetic condition MEN 2; Pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant; A history of pancreatitis. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting.

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Decoding

Liraglutide_

Q: What is Liraglutide?

Liraglutide is a glp-1 agonist used for weight loss / diabetes. Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, the same hormone-copying approach as semaglutide but shorter-acting, so it is taken daily. In plain terms: it turns up your fullness signal to curb appetite and steady blood sugar. It is the drug in Saxenda and Victoza.

Q: Do you cycle Liraglutide?

Not cycled A daily drug taken continuously. Weight returned after withdrawal in the trials.

Also known as Victoza, Saxenda

A daily version of the Ozempic-style shot for weight loss and blood sugar.

Weight loss / diabetesGLP-1 agonistFDA-approved

InGLP-1 agonists

Common vial size18 mg

Dose0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)

FrequencyDaily

RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)

StatusFDA-approved

MixYour choice, calculate it

CycledNot cycled

Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.

What is Liraglutide?

Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.

Overview

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, the same hormone-copying approach as semaglutide but shorter-acting, so it is taken daily. In plain terms: it turns up your fullness signal to curb appetite and steady blood sugar. It is the drug in Saxenda and Victoza.

What it's used for

A daily version of the same appetite-lowering approach as Ozempic-style drugs, used for weight loss and blood sugar. It is older and a bit milder than the weekly options.

How does Liraglutide work?

What it does in the body, and where.

Liraglutide works on the same receptor as semaglutide. The difference is how long it lasts, which is why it is a daily injection rather than a weekly one.

01
It docks at the GLP-1 receptor
Same fullness signal, same slowed stomach emptying, same effect on blood sugar after eating.
02
It clears from your body within a day
The fatty-acid anchor that keeps it circulating is shorter than semaglutide's, so the effect fades and has to be renewed daily.
03
Daily dosing changes the experience, not the mechanism
Some people tolerate a smaller daily dose better than one large weekly one; others find the injection schedule harder to keep.

Receptors

Acts on one receptor.

What else is it used for?

Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.

Controlling blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetesFDA-approved
Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death in adults with type 2 diabetes who already have heart diseaseFDA-approved

How much, and do you cycle it?

The range, and whether you take breaks.

0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly), daily. Not cycledFDA label

A daily drug taken continuously. Weight returned after withdrawal in the trials.

Compare cycling across compounds →

How do I dose and price it?

Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.

The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.

Your vial size (mg)

Printed on the vial.

What you paid per vial

Used for cost per dose only.

Your dose (mg)

Commonly referenced range: 0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)FDA label

Choose your mix

0.5 mL water1.7units · 36 mg/mL

Half a 100-unit syringe

1 mL water3.3units · 18 mg/mL

One full 100-unit syringe

Easiest

2 mL water6.7units · 9 mg/mL

Two full 100-unit syringes

your own mL

units · —

Enter your own volume

Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.

Your draw

6.7 / 100 units

Full calculator with reorder date →Read a syringe →

How do you store it?

Before mixing, and after.

Fridge before first use. Room temperature is fine once in use.

Sealed pens live in the fridge. Once you start a pen it can stay at room temperature for the in-use window on the label (often about 4 to 6 weeks depending on the product). Keep it out of light, do not freeze it, and toss it if it has been frozen or left hot.

What are the side effects and cautions?

Known cautions and warnings for this compound.

22 July 2026In January 2026 the FDA asked that the warning about suicidal thoughts and behaviour be removed from the obesity versions of this drug family after a review found no increased risk. Labels were updated in February 2026.

Who should avoid it

Check these before anything else.

A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or the genetic condition MEN 2
Pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant
A history of pancreatitis

Stop and get help

These are emergencies. Seek care.

Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back
A lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing
Signs of an allergic reaction

Common effects

Expected, and usually mild.

Nausea and vomiting, especially early on
Diarrhea and constipation
Headache
Injection-site reactions

Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.

Is Liraglutide approved?

And where the numbers on this page come from.

FDA-approved

Yes. FDA-approved.

In January 2026 the FDA asked that the warning about suicidal thoughts and behaviour be removed from the obesity versions of this drug family after a review found no increased risk. Labels were updated in February 2026.

DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
Sources
FDA prescribing information, Victoza Pharmacy Times, cardiovascular indication approval
Reviewed22 July 2026

What else is like Liraglutide?

Others in Weight loss and metabolic, side by side.

If you're weighing Liraglutide, it's worth reading Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Retatrutide in the same class.

YOU ARE HERE

Liraglutide

A daily version of the Ozempic-style shot for weight loss and blood sugar.

FDA-approved

Dose: 0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Daily

Semaglutide

The drug in Ozempic and Wegovy: a weekly shot that curbs hunger for steady weight loss.

FDA-approved

Dose: 0.25 up to 2.4 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Weekly

Tirzepatide

The drug in Mounjaro and Zepbound: a weekly shot for major weight loss and blood sugar.

FDA-approved

Dose: 2.5 up to 15 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Weekly

Retatrutide

An experimental weekly shot with some of the biggest weight-loss numbers yet in trials.

Investigational

Dose: 1 up to 12 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Weekly

Browse the full GLP-1 lineup

Compare all 15 GLP-1 peptides

What these words mean

Show glossary +

Titrate: Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
Subcutaneous: An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
Intramuscular (IM): An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
Reconstitution: Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
Bacteriostatic water: Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
Concentration: How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
Units (on the syringe): The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
mcg and mg: Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
GLP-1: A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
Growth hormone secretagogue: A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
Half-life: How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
Peptide vs small molecule: A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
Research only: No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
Investigational: Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
Banned in drug-tested sport: Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.

Sources

FDA prescribing information, Victoza(2023)
Current FDA label.
Pharmacy Times, cardiovascular indication approval(2017)
LEADER trial supported approval for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Last reviewed 22 July 2026