Why escalate instead of starting high
Retatrutide's Phase-2 study used a step-up protocol: 2 mg/week for four weeks, then 4 mg/week for four weeks, then 8 mg/week ongoing. It isn't a choice — it's the dose ceiling your body can tolerate without the GI side effects becoming a protocol-killer.
The rationale:
- GLP receptor agonism slows gastric emptying. Starting at 8 mg/week tips 50%+ of users into nausea / vomiting / discontinuation.
- The glucagon receptor contribution ramps up with sustained exposure. The 2 mg and 4 mg weeks are there so hepatic metabolism adapts before max signal.
- Receptor desensitization is not the issue at this dose level. The ladder isn't about outpacing tolerance — it's about survivability.
In the Clavicular stack protocol, the ladder is run with BPC-157 from day one (see below).
The ladder
| Phase | Weeks | Dose | Weekly mg | 4-week total |
|-------|-------|------|-----------|--------------|
| 1 | 1–4 | 2 mg/week | 2 mg | 8 mg |
| 2 | 5–8 | 4 mg/week | 4 mg | 16 mg |
| 3 | 9+ | 8 mg/week | 8 mg | 32 mg / 4 wks |
Total through week 12 = 56 mg. That's why the [30 mg Retatrutide vial](/products/retatrutide) is the practical unit — two of them cover a full 12-week escalation with a buffer.
Which vial to buy
Retatrutide ships in 10 / 15 / 20 / 30 mg sizes. $/mg improves sharply with size:
- 10 mg at $134.99 = $13.50/mg
- 15 mg at $179.99 = $12.00/mg
- 20 mg at $224.99 = $11.25/mg
- 30 mg at $296.99 = $9.90/mg (27% cheaper per mg than the 10 mg)
For a full 12-week escalation: two 30 mg vials ($593.98) or one 30 mg + one 20 mg + one 10 mg ($656.97). The pair of 30 mg is the cleanest buy.
If you're doing a 4-week pilot to see how your body responds before committing: one 15 mg vial ($179.99) covers the first 8 weeks of the ladder (8 + 16 mg = 24 mg consumed, 15 mg on hand is enough for phase 1 + part of phase 2).
Reconstitution at each dose
All vial sizes reconstitute the same way. At 5 mg/mL target concentration:
- 15 mg vial + 3 mL BAC water = 5 mg/mL
- 30 mg vial + 6 mL BAC water = 5 mg/mL
Dose-to-volume math at 5 mg/mL:
- 2 mg dose = 0.4 mL (40 units on a U-100 insulin syringe)
- 4 mg dose = 0.8 mL (80 units)
- 8 mg dose = 1.6 mL (done as 2 × 0.8 mL injections, or use a 1 mL syringe)
Pair with BPC-157 from week one
Do not wait for GI symptoms to add BPC-157. It's prophylactic in this stack, not reactive.
- [BPC-157](/products/bpc-157) 10 mg vial at $53.99
- Reconstitute with 2 mL BAC water → 5 mg/mL
- Dose: 250 mcg SC daily in the morning (0.05 mL at 5 mg/mL) through the whole escalation
- One 10 mg vial = 40 doses at 250 mcg = 40 days ≈ 6 weeks of coverage
You'll use ~1.5–2 BPC-157 vials across a full 12-week escalation. Budget for that on the foundation order.
Dosing day — full checklist
- Retatrutide (weekly, same day) — SC injection into abdomen or outer thigh. Rotate sites.
- BPC-157 (daily, any time) — SC injection. Same rotation.
- Food — The first three Retatrutide doses after a step-up tend to hit appetite hard. Plan protein-forward, lower-volume meals for those days.
- Hydration — Appetite suppression cuts both food AND water intake. Track fluid separately.
Stepping down or stopping
If you want to step down from 8 mg/week, mirror the ladder in reverse: 8 → 4 → 2 over three weeks. Abrupt stop at 8 mg/week is tolerable — no withdrawal — but appetite rebounds fast, and weight regain in the 4–8 weeks post-protocol is well-documented.
If the stack stays on, plan the next order. Two 30 mg vials covers weeks 13–24 at 8 mg/week steady-state, keeping the $/mg efficient.
