Oxytocin half-life
Oxytocin has an elimination half-life of about 3 min (range 1–6 min). Use the free calculator to plot how Oxytocin levels rise and decay across your own doses.
Open Oxytocin in the calculator
Reference data
- Half-life
- 3 min (range 1–6 min)
- Route
- IV / IM / intranasal
- Category
- Reproductive & hormonal
- Evidence
- Clinical
- Also known as
- Pitocin, Syntocinon
Label: 1–6 minutes.
How much Oxytocin remains over time
For a single dose with first-order elimination, half of what remains is cleared every 3 min.
| Half-lives | Time after dose | Remaining | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 min | 50% | 50% |
| 2 | 6 min | 25% | 75% |
| 3 | 9 min | 12.5% | 87.5% |
| 4 | 12 min | 6.25% | 93.75% |
| 5 | 15 min | 3.13% | 96.88% |
Oxytocin FAQ
What is the half-life of Oxytocin?
Oxytocin has an elimination half-life of about 3 min (range 1–6 min) (IV / IM / intranasal). Label: 1–6 minutes.
How long does Oxytocin stay in your system?
With first-order elimination, about 97% of a single dose is cleared after five half-lives, roughly 15 min for Oxytocin. Individual clearance varies with dose, injection site, kidney function and other factors.
How long until Oxytocin reaches steady state?
With consistent repeated dosing, levels approach steady state after about 4 to 5 half-lives, or roughly 12 min to 15 min for Oxytocin.
How reliable is this Oxytocin half-life?
Evidence level: Clinical. Based on a regulatory label or well-replicated human pharmacokinetic data.