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[GLP-1 · Trulicity · FDA label guide]

Trulicity (dulaglutide) dose schedule, titration chart and side effects

Eli Lilly and Company · Once weekly injection · Label reviewed as of

Short answer: Per the FDA label, Trulicity starts at 0.75 mg once weekly. After 4 weeks the dose may be raised to 1.5 mg, and if more glycemic control is needed it can rise in 1.5 mg steps (3 mg, then 4.5 mg) after at least 4 weeks on each dose. The label's maximum is 4.5 mg once weekly (2.1).

Per label section 1, Trulicity is used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults and children 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes, and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who have established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This page summarizes the current FDA prescribing information (revised 3/2026). It is not personalized medical advice; your prescriber sets your dose.

What is the Trulicity dose schedule?

The label's dosing schedule (label section 2.1):

Dosing schedule as written in the FDA label (label section 2.1).
PeriodDoseLabel note
Weeks 1–40.75 mg once weeklyRecommended starting dosage
Weeks 5–81.5 mg once weeklyOptional step: the label says the dosage may be increased after 4 weeks for additional glycemic control
Weeks 9–123 mg once weeklyOnly if additional glycemic control is needed, after at least 4 weeks on 1.5 mg
Week 13 onward4.5 mg once weeklyMaximum recommended dosage; after at least 4 weeks on 3 mg

Maintenance: The label does not fix a single maintenance dose for adults: the dosage stays at the level that provides the needed glycemic control, from 0.75 mg up to the maximum of 4.5 mg once weekly (2.1). The rows above show the earliest possible timing; each increase is optional.

  • Escalation rule: increases are in 1.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dosage, following the label schedule to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (2.1).
  • Pediatric patients 10 years and older: the label schedule starts at 0.75 mg once weekly and may increase to a maximum of 1.5 mg once weekly after at least 4 weeks (2.2).
  • In the 3 mg/4.5 mg dose-ranging trial, all patients started at 0.75 mg and the dose was increased every 4 weeks until the assigned dose was reached (14.3). Other adult trials started and kept patients on 0.75 mg or 1.5 mg without escalation (14.1).

What does the Trulicity titration calendar look like?

Below is the label schedule laid out week by week, using the earliest timing the label allows. The label lets prescribers stay at a step longer, so a real calendar is often slower. The blank columns are for your own record.

Trulicity titration calendar from the label schedule (label section 2.1). Not a personalized plan.
WeekLabel doseDateSite / timeWeightNotes
Week 10.75 mg once weekly
Week 20.75 mg once weekly
Week 30.75 mg once weekly
Week 40.75 mg once weekly
Week 51.5 mg once weekly
Week 61.5 mg once weekly
Week 71.5 mg once weekly
Week 81.5 mg once weekly
Week 93 mg once weekly
Week 103 mg once weekly
Week 113 mg once weekly
Week 123 mg once weekly
Week 134.5 mg once weekly
Week 144.5 mg once weekly
Week 154.5 mg once weekly
Week 164.5 mg once weekly
Week 174.5 mg once weekly
Week 184.5 mg once weekly
Week 194.5 mg once weekly
Week 204.5 mg once weekly

Printing this page prints the schedule and calendar without the site navigation.

What strengths does Trulicity come in, and how many doses are in each pen?

Trulicity pen presentations (label section 3; 11; 16.1).
ProductWhat it deliversDoses per pen / packContents
Single-dose pen, 0.75 mg0.75 mg per injection1 dose per pen; 4 pens per carton0.75 mg/0.5 mL
Single-dose pen, 1.5 mg1.5 mg per injection1 dose per pen; 4 pens per carton1.5 mg/0.5 mL
Single-dose pen, 3 mg3 mg per injection1 dose per pen; 4 pens per carton3 mg/0.5 mL
Single-dose pen, 4.5 mg4.5 mg per injection1 dose per pen; 4 pens per carton4.5 mg/0.5 mL
  • Each pen is single-dose: one pen per weekly injection, with a separate pen strength for each dose level (3, 16.1).
  • Storage per the label: refrigerate at 36–46°F (2–8°C); if needed, each pen can be kept at room temperature not above 86°F (30°C) for a total of 14 days (16.2).

What are the most common Trulicity side effects?

The label reports these rates from placebo-controlled trials (label section 6.1, Table 1). Percentages are the share of trial participants who reported each reaction.

Adverse reactions (excluding hypoglycemia) in ≥5% of Trulicity-treated adults with type 2 diabetes and more often than placebo, pool of placebo-controlled trials (label Table 1).
Adverse reactionPlacebo (N=568)Trulicity 0.75 mg (N=836)Trulicity 1.5 mg (N=834)
Nausea5.3%12.4%21.1%
Diarrhea6.7%8.9%12.6%
Vomiting2.3%6.0%12.7%
Abdominal pain4.9%6.5%9.4%
Decreased appetite1.6%4.9%8.6%
Dyspepsia2.3%4.1%5.8%
Fatigue2.6%4.2%5.6%

The label also carries warnings that are not in this table (for example, a boxed warning or pancreatitis and gallbladder warnings where applicable). Read the full label linked under Sources, and report side effects to your prescriber.

What if you miss a dose of Trulicity?

Per the label, a missed dose is given as soon as possible if at least 3 days (72 hours) remain until the next scheduled dose; if fewer than 3 days remain, the missed dose is skipped and the next dose is taken on the regular day. The weekly day can be changed if the last dose was 3 or more days earlier. (label section 2.3) The full walk-through is on the Trulicity missed-dose page.

How is Trulicity taken?

The label describes a subcutaneous injection once weekly, any time of day, with or without food, in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, rotating sites with each dose. When used with insulin, the two are given as separate injections and never mixed; the same body region is acceptable but not adjacent sites. (label section 2.4)

What should you track on Trulicity?

A simple log makes each titration step easier to talk through with your prescriber. These are the things worth writing down, and how Dose Track handles them:

  • Dose and date. Each injection with its amount, so the titration steps above line up with what you actually took. Dose Track keeps the full history of every dose change.
  • Injection site. The label lists the abdomen, thigh and upper arm. Dose Track records the site with each shot so rotation is easy to follow.
  • Weight. Logged by hand or synced from Apple Health or Android Health Connect, and charted alongside your dose changes.
  • Side effects. A note of what you felt and when, so you can see whether it settles after a dose step and bring the record to your prescriber.
  • Reminders. A notification on your injection day.

Your log stays on your phone. See GLP-1 tracking in Dose Track for the full feature list.

Missed a dose of Trulicity?What the label says, by how late you are Storage and pens left out of the fridgeFridge, room-temperature limits, travel How long Saxenda, Victoza and Trulicity stay in your systemHalf-life and washout from the label Dulaglutide compound guideHalf-life, pen strength and tracking Half-life calculatorEstimate levels after your last dose Injection site rotationWhy it matters and how to map it GLP-1 tracking in Dose TrackDoses, titration, weight and sites

Trulicity questions people ask

What's the highest dose of Trulicity?+
The label lists 4.5 mg injected once weekly as the maximum recommended dosage for adults (2.1). It is reached in 1.5 mg steps (1.5 mg, 3 mg, 4.5 mg) after at least 4 weeks on each dose, and only if additional glycemic control is needed. For pediatric patients 10 and older, the label maximum is 1.5 mg once weekly (2.2).
How long does it take for Trulicity to work?+
The label reports that steady-state blood levels are reached between 2 and 4 weeks of once-weekly dosing (12.3). Most adult glycemic trials measured their primary result at week 26 (14.2–14.4); in the 1.5/3/4.5 mg trial, HbA1c fell from a baseline of 8.6% by 1.5, 1.6 and 1.8 points at the 36-week primary time point (14.3, Table 6).
Can you skip the 0.75 mg starter dose of Trulicity?+
The label's recommended starting dosage is 0.75 mg once weekly, with the escalation described to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (2.1). The label notes that most adult trials started and stayed on either 0.75 mg or 1.5 mg without escalation (14.1). This is general label information, not personalized advice; the starting dose is the prescriber's decision.
What time of day should you take Trulicity?+
The label says Trulicity is given once weekly at any time of day (2.4). The day of the week can be changed if needed, as long as the last dose was given 3 or more days before the new day (2.3).
Do you take Trulicity with food?+
Per the label, Trulicity is given once weekly, any time of day, with or without food (2.4). Because it is a subcutaneous injection rather than a tablet, the label sets no meal or water requirements around the dose. Its use is described as an adjunct to diet and exercise for glycemic control (1).
How many doses are in a Trulicity pen?+
One. The label describes Trulicity as a single-dose pen in four strengths (0.75 mg, 1.5 mg, 3 mg and 4.5 mg, each in 0.5 mL), with 4 pens per carton (3, 16.1). Each weekly injection uses a new pen, and moving to a new dose means a different pen strength.
What are the most common side effects of Trulicity?+
The label lists nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and decreased appetite as the most common (≥5%) (6.1). In the placebo-controlled pool, nausea occurred in 21.1% on 1.5 mg vs 5.3% on placebo (Table 1). GI reactions overall occurred in 21% (placebo), 32% (0.75 mg) and 41% (1.5 mg) of patients. In the higher-dose trial, nausea was 13.4%, 15.6% and 16.4% on 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mg (Table 2).

Sources

Reviewed as of . Section numbers above refer to the FDA prescribing information.

  1. Trulicity (dulaglutide) injection — FDA label, DailyMed (revised 3/2026)
  2. Drugs@FDA — BLA 125469 (Trulicity) approval history

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