A good GLP-1 log answers four questions fast: what did I take, when, where did I inject it, and how did I feel afterward. That sounds basic, but the labels for these drugs are full of rules that depend on exactly those details. Missed-dose windows are counted in days and hours. Dose steps happen every 4 weeks. Pens and vials have use-by limits that start on the day you first open them. And the side effects that matter most to your prescriber are the ones that last or get worse.
This guide lists what to write down and why, using the FDA labels for Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound as the reference. It works the same on paper, in a notes app or in a tracker.
| Log this | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date and time of each shot | Missed-dose and day-change rules are counted in days and hours |
| Dose in mg | Dose steps happen every 4 weeks; mg is the unit on every label |
| Injection site | All three labels say to rotate sites |
| Pen or vial, open date, lot number | In-use limits start at first use; the lot helps if you report a problem |
| Side effects, with a 1-to-5 rating | Severe or lasting stomach symptoms are something the labels say to report |
| Skipped or late doses, with the reason | Several missed doses in a row can change how you restart |
| Weight, once a week | Shows the trend your prescriber looks at when choosing a maintenance dose |
These are weekly shots, so it is easy to lose track of whether the last one was Sunday or Monday. The exact day matters, because each label gives a window for a late dose, and the windows are not the same:
Without a time stamp you are guessing at those hours. With one, the answer is simple subtraction. Our missed-dose pages for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound walk through each rule.
Every GLP-1 label starts low and steps up. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then goes to 5 mg, and can rise in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose, up to a maximum of 15 mg. The label notes that 2.5 mg is a starting dose only, not a maintenance dose (Zepbound label, 2.1 and 2.2). Wegovy steps up every 4 weeks from 0.25 mg through 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg to a maintenance dose from week 17 (Wegovy label, 2.2).
Both labels say the slow climb is there to lower the risk of stomach side effects. The Wegovy label adds that if a dose isn't tolerated, the prescriber can consider holding the next step for 4 weeks (Wegovy label, 2.2). Writing down the date of each step makes it clear when the next one is due, and lets you match side effects to a specific dose change.
Always log in mg, even if you draw from a vial with a syringe. Units on a syringe depend on the vial's strength, so "20 units" means nothing on its own. If you use a compounded vial, our semaglutide and tirzepatide units charts convert mg to syringe units for common strengths.
All three labels say to rotate injection sites with each dose. The Ozempic label says to use a different site each week when you inject in the same body area (Ozempic label, 2.1; Wegovy label, 2.1; Zepbound label, 2.4). The approved areas are the belly, thigh and upper arm (for Zepbound, the back of the upper arm when someone else gives the shot).
A site log is the only reliable way to rotate. It also helps if you notice a lump, redness or itching, because you can see which shot caused it. Our guide to injection site rotation covers why repeated use of one spot can cause problems.
Pens and vials do not last forever once opened, and the clock starts on first use:
Write down the date you open each one, so you know when it must go. The lot number, printed on the carton and the pen or vial, is worth recording too. If something seems wrong with a product, it is the detail the FDA's reporting form and the maker will ask for.
Stomach and gut symptoms are the most common side effects of these drugs. In the Wegovy weight trials at 2.4 mg, nausea was reported by 44% of people versus 16% on placebo (Wegovy label, 6.1). Most people will have something to log, especially around dose steps.
A useful side-effect entry has four parts: what it was, how bad (a 1-to-5 scale works), when it started relative to your shot, and how long it lasted. "Nausea, 3 out of 5, started day 2 after the 5 mg step, gone by day 4" tells your prescriber far more than "felt sick this week."
The labels name the symptoms worth reporting quickly. The Zepbound label tells patients to contact their healthcare provider for severe or lasting stomach symptoms, to take steps to avoid losing too much fluid, and to report nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that goes on and on, because dehydration can harm the kidneys. It also lists severe belly pain that may spread to the back as a possible sign of pancreatitis, and a lump in the neck, lasting hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath as possible thyroid tumor symptoms (Zepbound label, 17). If you have any of these, don't wait for your next visit. Call your prescriber.
If you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea for diabetes, the Ozempic label warns that the combination can raise the risk of low blood sugar (Ozempic label, 5.5). Logging low readings and how you felt gives your care team what they need to adjust things.
For more on what to expect, see our guides to GLP-1 side effects over time and nausea on GLP-1s.
A skipped dose is data too. Write down that you skipped it and why: travel, side effects, forgot, or ran out. Two reasons this helps:
Day-to-day weight jumps around. Weighing once a week, on the same day and at the same time, makes the trend easier to read. The labels ask prescribers to consider your response and how well you tolerate the drug when choosing a maintenance dose (Zepbound label, 2.1; Wegovy label, 2.2), and a weekly weight log next to your dose history shows both.
Anyone can report a side effect or a product problem to the FDA through MedWatch, the FDA's safety reporting program for health professionals, patients and consumers. The labels also print the FDA's reporting phone number, 1-800-FDA-1088 (Ozempic label, highlights). Reporting is separate from calling your prescriber: do both if something serious happens. Your log makes the report much easier, since you'll have the dates, doses, lot number and symptoms in one place.
Prescribers have limited time, so give them a summary rather than every entry:
Dose Track was built for this kind of log, including when you take more than one compound. A few specifics, all described in our help center:
Whatever tool you use, the habit matters more than the app. Log the shot when you take it, and log a side effect the day you notice it, not a week later from memory. If you want to compare notes with other people on GLP-1s, the Dose Track community is open to everyone.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber before you start, change or stop any medicine.