Syringe Gauges Explained: Why Your Insulin Syringe Won't Work for Everything 💉
For research use only. Not for human consumption. If you've ever tried to draw up L-carnitine or B12 with an insulin syringe and felt like you were trying to suck a milkshake through a coffee grinder—this post is for you. I see people get confused all the time. First, Understand This One Thing The gauge number tells you how thick the needle is. But here's what trips everyone up: Higher gauge = thinner needle So a 31 gauge needle is super thin (like an insulin syringe), while an 18 gauge needle is thick (like what they use to draw blood). Think of it like this: the higher the number, the smaller the hole. Why Insulin Syringes Work Great for Peptides Insulin syringes come with tiny 29-31 gauge needles built in. They're perfect for reconstituted peptides because when you mix a peptide with bacteriostatic water, you get a thin, water-like solution. Thin solution + thin needle = no problem. Why Insulin Syringes Fail with L-Carnitine and B12 These solutions are thicker. They're not mixed with just water—they often have different carriers that make them more viscous. Now you're trying to pull a thick solution through a tiny opening. What happens: You pull back on the plunger and barely anything moves. You're fighting the syringe the whole time. Air bubbles form because of all that resistance. What should take 5 seconds takes over a minute. You might even bend the needle from all that pressure. It's frustrating and unnecessary. The Fix: Draw with a Bigger Needle, Swap for Administration Here's the move that makes life easier: Step 1: Get syringes with removable needles (called luer lock syringes) Step 2: Attach a 22 or 23 gauge needle to draw up your solution. This is a wider opening, so thick solutions pull through easily. Step 3: Once you've drawn what you need, twist off that needle and swap it for a 27-30 gauge needle for administration. Smaller needle = more comfortable. That's it. Draw big, administer small. What Gauge for What? Reconstituted peptides (mixed with bac water): Insulin syringes work perfectly. No need to swap anything. The 29-31 gauge handles it fine.