When given the choice of bacteriostatic water vs sterile water, it can be difficult to understand which one to use. There are a few differences between the different treatments that make each one better to individual people. But getting educated on the two different types of waters is important for safety and health reasons.

Bacteriostatic Water vs Sterile Water

We are going to explore these two kinds of water. Both their differences, their similarities, and which one is best. Read on below for all the information!

Sterile Water

Sterile water treatment is purified water without preservatives or any micro-organisms added and it stays at a ph balance of about 5.0-7.0. It's diluted along with another drug or solvent and put in a syringe and injected into the patients.

Sterile water is good for one-time use because of the lack of preservatives. Sterile water can also easily become contaminated because it can't prevent bacterial growth. Sterile water is NOT good to use with HCG Diet Injections because multiple injections are mixed at once to be given over a period of several days. Sterile water cannot maintain the sterility of the mixture during this time frame. Sterile Water is good only for a single injection given immediately.

Bacteriostatic Water

So what is bacteriostatic water treatment? Instead of being made with just purified water, it is infused with a bacteriostat (hence the name ‘bacteriostatic water’) which is a compound that stops the growth of harmful bacteria.

The ph balance is around 4.5-7.0. The bacteriostat is created with 0.9% benzyl alcohol added to the water and then infused with a drug or solvent.

The Differences Between These Treatments

Sterile water is made with only purified water and no added agent to prevent bacteria. Therefore, it’s a one-time treatment and cannot be made beforehand and taken while traveling or storing. Sterile water is not a good choice as a mixing solvent for the HCG Diet.

On the other hand, bacteriostatic water can be mixed beforehand for patients to take home and use themselves. Bacteriostatic Water can be used for up to 28 days after mixing/preparation. This is an important factor for many because of budgeting, traveling, and multi-injection usage.

Another difference is that sterile water is, according to the FDA, made for injections and irrigation. On the other hand, bacteriostatic water should only be used for the purpose of injection. It is easily manufactured and readily available for patient use.

The Similarities Between the Treatments

Both bacteriostatic water and sterile water aren't straight injections but are instead mixed with another drug.

Another similarity is that both treatments are nonpyrogenic, which means they do not cause fever.

Choosing Between Bacteriostatic Water vs Sterile Water

If presented with the choice of bacteriostatic water vs sterile water, bacteriostatic water would be a safer and less expensive option. It can be transported easily, making it accessible to almost everyone in need of the treatment, and made with preservatives to help prevent your injections from being contaminated.

For more information on this subject, you can visit our blog.