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Strong human trialsFDA approved as Victoza +1

Liraglutide dosage

Also known as: Victoza · Saxenda · Generic liraglutide · Compounded liraglutide

Updated 19 sources

Every Liraglutide protocol on file, 5 in all, labelled by where each number came from. 3 have titration steps, each step is worked out in U-100 units for a 5 mg vial + 2 mL water.

Calculate with LiraglutideLiraglutide overview

Liraglutide dosage by goal

Grouped by goal. Each protocol shows the amount, how often, cycle and rest as the source states them, with every titration step.

Weight loss3

Weight loss, FDA label titration (Saxenda)

Amount
0.6 to 3 mg
How often
Once daily; up 0.6 mg each week from 0.6 mg, then hold at 3 mg
Route
SubQ, prefilled pen
Cycle
Long term; check weight at 16 weeks and stop if less than 4% was lost

Who: Adults with obesity, or with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition, per the Saxenda label. Doses below 3 mg are for titration only.

Timing: Any time of day, with or without meals, in the belly, thigh or upper arm. If a step is not tolerated, the label allows waiting about one more week before moving up.

Titration steps for Weight loss, FDA label titration (Saxenda)
WhenDose
Week 10.6 mg
Week 21.2 mg
Week 31.8 mg
Week 42.4 mg
Week 53 mg

Note: Stop if 3 mg is not tolerated. Generic Saxenda follows the same label.

Weight loss, FDA label (Saxenda, ages 12 to 17)

Amount
0.6 to 3 mg
How often
Once daily; same 0.6 mg weekly steps, which may stretch to 8 weeks; hold at 3 mg, or 2.4 mg if 3 mg is not tolerated
Route
SubQ, prefilled pen
Cycle
Long term; check BMI after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose and stop below a 1% drop

Who: Adolescents 12 and older who weigh more than 60 kg and have obesity, per the Saxenda label.

Timing: A step that is not tolerated may go back to the previous dose.

Weight loss, research vial, label-style ladder (guide protocol)

Amount
0.6 to 3 mg
How often
Once daily; 0.6, 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg for a week each, then 3 mg from week 5
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)

Who: People using research-labeled or compounded vials, following a guide that copies the Saxenda steps. These vials have no trial data or verified identity.

Timing: Any consistent time each day. The guide describes holding a step an extra week when needed. Check your vial's mg per mL before reading any units chart.

Titration steps for Weight loss, research vial, label-style ladder (guide protocol)
WhenDoseU-100 units (5 mg vial + 2 mL water)
Week 10.6 mg24 units · 0.24 mL
Week 21.2 mg48 units · 0.48 mL
Week 31.8 mg72 units · 0.72 mL
Week 42.4 mg96 units · 0.96 mL
Week 53 mg120 units · 1.2 mL(2 draws)

Note: The same guide gives 1.2 to 1.8 mg a day as the diabetes target.

Other protocols: injected (prefilled pen)1

Type 2 diabetes, FDA label titration (Victoza)

Amount
0.6 to 1.8 mg
How often
Once daily; 0.6 mg for a week, then 1.2 mg, then 1.8 mg if more control is needed
Route
SubQ, prefilled pen
Cycle
Long term; the label has no off cycle

Who: Adults with type 2 diabetes, per the Victoza label. 0.6 mg is a starter step that does not control blood sugar. Children 10 and older start at 0.6 mg and step up 0.6 mg after at least a week, to the same 1.8 mg maximum.

Titration steps for Type 2 diabetes, FDA label titration (Victoza)
WhenDose
Week 10.6 mg
Week 21.2 mg
Week 31.8 mg

Note: 1.8 mg is the Victoza maximum. Generic Victoza follows the same label.

Other protocols: injected1

Low-dose maintenance (community)

Amount
1.2 to 1.8 mg
How often
Once daily, ongoing, at a dose below the 3 mg top step
Route
Subcutaneous injection

Who: Self-reported in community posts gathered from r/Saxenda, r/Peptides and r/Ozempic. Some people stay below 3 mg because appetite control feels enough. No trial tested this for weight.

Note: The Saxenda label says efficacy below 3 mg daily has not been established for weight loss.

Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Liraglutide dosage chart by vial size

Units to draw for the doses sources cite most, at every vial size and water volume.
Liraglutide: concentration and U-100 syringe units for each vial size and water volume
WaterStrength0.6 mgdose, units1.2 mgdose, units3 mgdose, units
5 mg vial
2 mLCompetitor guide2.5 mg/mL240.24 mL480.48 mL1201.2 mL2 draws
10 mg vial
2 mLCompetitor guide5 mg/mL120.12 mL240.24 mL600.6 mL
30 mg vial
3 mLCompetitor guide10 mg/mL60.06 mL120.12 mL300.3 mL
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.Water volumes from

Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: Liraglutide in syringe units, with the math shown.

Mixing Liraglutide

Diluent: Bacteriostatic water

Water volumes sources use: 2 mL, 3 mL

Only research powder needs mixing; pens and compounded vials come as a liquid. Liraglutide doses are big by peptide standards (up to 3 mg a day), so a weak mix means large draws: one guide's 5 mg in 2 mL needs two syringe draws for 3 mg. Branded pens are 6 mg per mL and the compounded vial listed here is 10 mg per mL, so units never carry over between products. Work from your own vial in the calculator.

If you miss a dose

Skip it and take the next daily dose as scheduled; never double up. If more than 3 days have passed since the last dose, restart at 0.6 mg and climb the steps again, because restarting at full dose brings back the nausea. Some guides quote a 12-hour rule, which comes from the European label, not the US one.

Liraglutide dosage questions

What is the Saxenda dosing schedule?

0.6 mg a day in week 1, then 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg for a week each, and 3 mg a day from week 5 on. Doses below 3 mg are only steps on the way up. If you cannot tolerate 3 mg, the label says stop.

What is the maximum Victoza dose?

1.8 mg once daily. Adults start at 0.6 mg for a week, move to 1.2 mg, and go to 1.8 mg only if blood sugar needs more control.

How much weight do people lose on liraglutide?

In SCALE (3,731 adults, 56 weeks), 3 mg daily averaged 8.4 kg lost vs 2.8 kg on placebo, and 63.2% lost at least 5% of their weight vs 27.1%. The label tells prescribers to stop at 16 weeks if less than 4% was lost.

What if I miss a dose of Saxenda?

Take the next dose on schedule and do not double up. After more than 3 days off, restart at 0.6 mg and climb again.

How much bacteriostatic water for a liraglutide research vial?

One guide uses 2 mL for a 5 mg vial, 2 mL for 10 mg and 3 mL for 30 mg. At 5 mg in 2 mL, a 3 mg dose is more than 1 mL and needs two draws. Enter your own vial and water in a calculator before converting to units.

Do people stay on a lower dose than 3 mg?

Yes, community posts describe holding at 1.2 to 1.8 mg a day for appetite control with fewer side effects and lower cost. The Saxenda label notes that weight-loss efficacy below 3 mg has not been established.

Sources for these doses

4 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.

Competitor guide1

  1. Liraglutide Dosage: 0.6 to 3.0mg Weight Loss Schedulethepeptidecatalog.com · checked Oct 24, 2026

Community-reported1

  1. Liraglutide: Community Protocols & ReportsPeptide Protocol Wiki, via a competitor guide · checked Oct 24, 2026

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