GLP-1 Injection Site Rotation Guide for Weekly Dosing

GLP-1 site rotation, simplified

If you take a weekly GLP-1 medication, one of the easiest ways to build confidence is to log exactly where each injection happened.

Why site rotation matters

Repeated injections in the same small area can lead to irritation, tenderness, and uncertainty about whether you already used that spot.

A clear rotation pattern helps you:

• reduce accidental repeat-site injections
• keep injection notes consistent for clinician follow-ups
• lower the mental load of remembering last week's location

A practical 4-zone method

Use four zones and cycle weekly:

• lower abdomen left
• lower abdomen right
• thigh left
• thigh right

When you log a dose, save both the general area and a short note like "outer upper thigh" or "2 inches right of navel".

Step-by-step injection logging workflow

Use this sequence every dose day:

• confirm medication and dose before prep
• log planned site before injection
• inject and immediately confirm completed status
• add a short reaction note within 15 minutes
• schedule next dose while the entry is open

This prevents the common pattern of "I will log it later" that leads to uncertainty by the next week.

What to log every time

Create one record per injection with:

• date and local time
• medication name and dose
• site and side
• injection notes (pain, redness, swelling)
• next planned date

Copy/paste template

Use a simple template you can fill in quickly:

• medication:
• dose:
• date/time:
• site/side:
• reaction in first 6 hours:
• next scheduled date:

Keep notes brief and standardized so entries remain comparable over time.

Rotation patterns that fail

Most tracking breakdowns come from one of these issues:

• only tracking body area but not side
• using vague site names like "stomach"
• skipping logs on travel days
• changing routine without updating reminders

If this happens, restart with a stricter two-week protocol and require complete entries before marking a dose as done.

Weekly 3-minute review

At the end of each week, verify:

• did the planned site match the completed site
• were any reactions repeated in the same zone
• is the next scheduled date already set

Small weekly checks keep the log trustworthy when you need it most.

Red flags to discuss with your clinician

Contact your care team if site reactions are severe, getting worse, or not resolving.

Tracking is for consistency, not self-diagnosis. If your plan changes, follow your prescriber's guidance first and update your tracking routine second.