GLP-1 Dosing, Titration, Restarting, and Unit Conversions

GLP-1 dosing is personalized, and patients should follow the printed prescription label on their medication and any provider instructions. Patients should not change their dose, injection frequency, medication type, or restart treatment after a lapse without guidance and approval from a GobyMeds medical provider.

If a patient has missed doses, stopped treatment, wants to increase or decrease their dosage, or is switching between semaglutide and tirzepatide, they should contact the GobyMeds Medical Team through their Medical Chat.

GLP-1 medications are started at a lower dose and increased gradually. This process is called titration.

Starter doses are intentionally low to allow the body to adjust and minimize side effects. For some patients, starting doses do not provide the desired effects and this is a normal part of the process and does not indicate that the medication is ineffective.

Gradual titration helps to:

During the early stages of treatment, it can be common to continue to feel hunger and cravings as the medication's appetite-suppressing effects may not be as noticeable right away.

Patients should not move up faster than instructed.

Patients should adhere to a strict 7-day interval between injections and should not take extra doses even if they feel hungry.

GobyMeds semaglutide treatment uses a gradual dose schedule. The exact schedule depends on the patient’s prescription, assigned plan, medication supply, and provider guidance.

Patients should follow the instructions provided with their medication. If the dose shown in the portal differs from the label on the medication package, the patient should contact GobyMeds Customer Support before injecting.

GobyMeds tirzepatide treatment uses a gradual titration schedule. The exact schedule depends on the patient’s prescription, assigned plan, medication supply, and provider guidance.

Patients should follow the instructions provided with their medication. If the dose shown in the portal differs from the label on the medication package, the patient should contact GobyMeds Customer Support before injecting.

Tirzepatide and semaglutide are not directly interchangeable milligram-for-milligram.

Patients should not compare a tirzepatide dose to a semaglutide dose, and they should not convert between medications without provider guidance.

Some GLP-1 prescriptions may include dose instructions using milligrams or milliliters, but most will explicitly specify the number of syringe units required per dosage. The units taken may vary from vial to vial depending on the concentration of the medication, which is printed on the vial label. Since medication strength can also vary by pharmacy, so the number of units taken can change for different orders, patients should follow the prescribed number of units printed on that particular medication.

General conversion concepts:

A common U-100 insulin syringe uses this volume convention:

To calculate your dose, use the formula: Dose (mg) = Volume Injected (mL) × Concentration (mg/mL). For example, if you inject 0.45 mL from a 20 mg/mL vial, your weekly dose would be 0.45 mL × 20 mg/mL = 9 mg. One unit on a syringe equals 0.01 mL, so 45 units is the same as 0.45 mL.

Patients should not calculate their own dose if they are unsure. They should contact GobyMeds Customer Support if the label, syringe units, or portal instructions are confusing.

Starter and step-up plans are designed to help patients increase their dose gradually over time. Starter bundles typically follow a structured 12-week dosing plan, starting at the lowest dose and progressively increasing to allow the body to acclimate and reach a therapeutic level. For example, tirzepatide doses may progress from 1.5 mg to 9 mg, and semaglutide doses may start at 0.2 mg and increase to 1.5 mg by week 12. These examples may vary based on individual prescriptions and pharmacy practices.

A starter plan may be appropriate for:

A step-up plan may be appropriate for:

Patients should use the plan assigned to them and should not skip ahead. Starter bundles may also consolidate medication into fewer vials based on the total required for the titration plan. Clear dosing instructions are provided to ensure patients can safely increase their dose using the same vial when appropriate, streamlining the treatment process.

Patients should not restart at a high previous dose after a significant lapse. The longer the break, the more likely it is that the prescriber will recommend restarting at a lower dose and titrate back up.

If a patient has been off medication, they should contact the GobyMeds Medical Team through their Medical Chat for a provider-directed restart plan before injecting again.

GobyMeds does not currently offer a twice-weekly dosing regimen, however, in some cases, a twice-weekly schedule may be available as an adjustment to an existing prescription if the prescriber determines it is appropriate.

Patients interested in splitting a weekly dose into twice-weekly injections should contact their prescriber through Medical Chat. This option may require purchasing extra syringes locally if additional syringes are needed.

Patients should not split doses or change injection frequency without prescriber approval.

If medication does not feel effective, patients should not increase their dose on their own.

Patients should:

Many patients begin to notice reduced cravings, less frequent hunger, and longer-lasting fullness after 2–3 months and multiple titration steps.