Oxytocin dose range
The amounts people commonly use, from the low end to the high end, with syringe units, schedule and half-life. The 8 published studies are one click away.
Human trials Brain Also called Pitocin, Syntocinon
Common use ranges
From published clinic and pharmacy protocols. No drug label exists. Telehealth, compounding and community sources agree well on 20 to 40 IU per nasal dose. Injected amounts come from fewer community sources and are stated in different units, so they agree less.
- Half-life
- about 15 minutes
- How it is taken
- Nasal spray, or subcutaneous injection
- How long people use it
- Nasal use is mostly as needed. Daily nasal runs last 2 to 4 weeks, or 4 to 6 weeks with 1 to 2 weeks off. Injected plans run 4 to 12 weeks.
- Mixing used for the units
- 5 mg vial + 2 mL water. 1 unit on a U-100 insulin syringe = 25 mcg.
Pick your vial size and how much water you add. The units below change to match.
5 mg vial + 2 mL water: 1 unit = 25 mcg
| Tier | Each dose | Syringe units5 mg vial + 2 mL water | How often | Schedule | Vial lastsat this tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal Starting [1] | See schedule | Not a syringe dose | once a day | 10 to 20 IU as a nasal spray once a day | |
| Nasal Typical [2] | See schedule | Not a syringe dose | once a day | 20 to 40 IU as a nasal spray, often 24 IU, taken 15 to 60 minutes before the social or intimate situation, as needed | |
| Nasal Higher [3] | See schedule | Not a syringe dose | 2x a day | 24 to 48 IU a day in total as a nasal spray, split into two doses (the range used in adult autism trials) | |
| Starting [4] | 100 mcg | 4 units 0.04 mL | once a day | 100 mcg injected under the skin once a day | 6+ weeks |
| Typical [5] | 200 mcg | 8 units 0.08 mL | once a day | 200 to 300 mcg injected under the skin once a day | about 4 weeks |
| Higher [6] | 400 mcg | 16 units 0.16 mL | once a day | 400 to 500 mcg injected under the skin once a day | 12 days |
Good to know
- Nasal and injected oxytocin are not interchangeable. Injected oxytocin barely reaches the brain, so it is not expected to match nasal effects.
- Compounded nasal spray is commonly sold at 100 IU per mL. Commercial metered sprays give about 4 IU per spray.
- Electrolyte checks are advised with long-term nasal use above about 24 IU a day.
- Injected oxytocin has an approved label only for labor and delivery, and that dosing does not apply here.
- One community calculator lists injected doses of 24 to 40 IU twice a day instead of mcg amounts.
- Not used during pregnancy outside a doctor's care.
Sources for these amounts
- Nasal Starting: Form Blends, Oxytocin (daily protocol 10 to 20 IU) · Peptide Protocol Wiki, Oxytocin calculator (low-dose daily 10 to 20 IU)
- Nasal Typical: Telehealth Ally, Oxytocin (20 to 40 IU nasal, as needed) · Form Blends, Oxytocin (20 to 40 IU per dose) · Peptide Protocol Wiki, Oxytocin calculator (20 to 40 IU, 24 IU baseline) · Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin (24 IU single-dose studies)
- Nasal Higher: Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin (24 to 48 IU a day split twice daily)
- Starting: Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin (subcutaneous low 100 mcg)
- Typical: Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin (subcutaneous moderate 200 to 300 mcg)
- Higher: Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin (subcutaneous upper 400 to 500 mcg)
How long people use it: Peptide Dosing Protocols, Oxytocin · Peptide Protocol Wiki, Oxytocin calculator · Telehealth Ally, Oxytocin
Take the Oxytocin chart with you
Get a one-page printable chart for Oxytocin, with the syringe units for each vial and water mix. We can also email you when a new Oxytocin study is published.
This page shows what labels, clinics and users report, and what studies gave. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation for anyone. Many of these compounds are not approved for human use. Check your own medicines and lab work with a licensed clinician before using anything.
See the science: 8 published studies
Amounts given to people in studies
How it was given: Into the nose
Also given by vein as a continuous infusion in obstetrics, dosed by infusion rate not by IU per day
Amounts given to animals in studies
Read this first. These are the amounts that were tested, not amounts that worked. The large autism, alcohol use and obesity trials all missed their main endpoint, and in Prader-Willi the higher dose made temper outbursts worse.
Every study used for this page
Proof grade: Human trials. Tested in randomized human trials. Amounts are quoted as each study reported them. Where the abstract does not state an amount, the row says so.
| Study | Who was studied | Amount given, as reported | Route | How often | How long | What the authors reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMID 24980612Einfeld et al, Am J Med Genet A 2014 | Human, 30 people aged 12 to 30 with Prader-Willi syndrome | first 11: 18 IU (ages 13 to 15) or 24 IU (16 and over) twice a day. Remaining 18: 32 IU or 40 IU twice a day | Into the nose | twice a day | 8 weeks on drug, 8 on placebo, 18 week crossover | Almost no effect on any measure. Temper outbursts rose on the higher dose |
| PMID 27486141Kuppens et al, Clin Endocrinol 2016 | Human, 25 children aged 6 to 14 with Prader-Willi syndrome | 24 to 48 IU a day (LOWEST human) | Into the nose | twice a day | 4 weeks on drug, 4 on placebo, crossover | No effect overall. Under age 11, parents reported less anger, sadness and food seeking. Over age 11, some measures got worse |
| PMID 34644471Sikich et al, N Engl J Med 2021 | Human, 290 children and teens aged 3 to 17 with autism (146 treated, 144 placebo) | total target 48 IU a day | Into the nose | daily, split doses | 24 weeks | No difference against placebo on social withdrawal or on any secondary measure. Side effects the same in both groups |
| PMID 42458234Tiouririne et al, Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2026 | Human, 100 adults with alcohol use disorder, multisite | up to 70 IU a day | Into the nose | daily | 12 weeks | No reduction in heavy drinking days. Lower anger and physical aggression scores at the end. Well tolerated, the usual complaint was loss of smell |
| PMID 38815173Plessow et al, NEJM Evid 2024 | Human, 61 adults with obesity (54% women, mean BMI 36.9) | 24 IU, four times a day (HIGHEST human, 96 IU a day) | Into the nose | four times a day | 8 weeks | No weight loss and no change in body fat or resting energy use. Ate 152 kcal less at a test meal. No serious side effects |
| PMID 21980491Deblon et al, PLoS One 2011 | Rat, high fat diet obese, plus wild type and PPAR-alpha knockout mice | 1.6 nmol a day and 16 nmol a day | Into the brain by pump | continuous | 14 days | Dose-dependent drop in weight gain, more fat burning, better glucose tolerance. No effect in PPAR-alpha knockout mice |
| PMID 28747407Roberts et al, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2017 | Rat and mouse, diet-induced obese (group sizes not in abstract) | Not stated in the abstract | Into the brain by pump (third and fourth ventricle) | continuous | chronic, length not in abstract | Lasting weight and fat loss, from both less eating and more brown fat heat production |
| PMID 7611820Gonser, Arch Gynecol Obstet 1995 | Human, pregnant women, review of infusion pharmacology | Not stated in the abstract | Into the vein | continuous infusion, stepped up | labour | Half-life in pregnant women is about 15 minutes, so infusion steps should be 30 to 60 minutes apart, not 15 to 20 |
How to read the study numbers
- One study, one group. Each figure is what one team chose for its own participants or animals.
- Route matters. An amount given into a vein (IV) is not the same as the same amount under the skin, in the nose or by mouth.
- Animals are not small people. An animal amount is shown as the study gave it. It is not a human amount.
- Short studies. Many studies ran days or weeks. They do not show what happens over longer use.
Common questions
What amounts of Oxytocin were used in human studies?
In the studies listed here, people were given from 24 IU a day up to 96 IU a day (24 IU four times a day for 8 weeks). The amount used most often was 48 IU a day. These are what study teams chose for their participants under supervision.
Where do these Oxytocin numbers come from?
From 8 published studies, each linked to its PubMed or ClinicalTrials.gov record. Every figure was checked against the study abstract or its open full text. Proof grade: Human trials.
How long does Oxytocin stay in the body?
Its half-life is about 15 minutes in people. Half-life is how long it takes for half of a dose to leave the blood. The effect can last longer than that.
Is this a recommendation for how much Oxytocin to use?
No. This page shows the amounts reported by drug labels, clinics and users, next to what researchers gave in studies. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation for anyone. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any of it.