GLP-1, semaglutide and tirzepatide: terms and records

A class name is not a complete prescription

GLP-1 appears in conversations, news stories and app names, but it is not a particular dose or injection pen. The term refers to a hormone and is also used when discussing medicines that act on its receptors. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are active ingredient names. The NIH/NIDDK explains that semaglutide mimics GLP-1, while tirzepatide mimics both GIP and GLP-1. These terms do not identify a complete prescription.

For your own records, use the medicine name on your prescription and check the product presentation. A brand you remember from an advertisement or a conversation cannot fill in those details. This guide is about recording information, not comparing effectiveness or choosing a medicine.

Source: NIH/NIDDK: prescription medicines and how they work (US resource)

Record the instructions you received

Keep the injection date, the dose prescribed for that occasion and the recorded injection site together. When your clinician has changed a plan, dates help distinguish one period from another. Avoid copying an old dose into a current entry simply because the medicine name is still the same.

If you cannot verify a detail, bring that uncertainty to your care team. An incomplete field is more useful than a history that looks precise but was filled with guesses. Do not work out conversions between products or presentations yourself.

Symptoms and timing add context, not a diagnosis

You can describe what you noticed, when it began and how it affected your day. If an observation appears close to an injection on your timeline, describe that timing without assuming one event caused the other. Your clinician interprets those details alongside the rest of your care.

WHO states that GLP-1 therapies should be prescribed by a medical practitioner after considering individual health history and clinical indications. An app entry does not assess severity or replace care. If you need help before your next appointment, follow your care team’s contact instructions or seek a health service; do not wait for a response from the app.

Source: WHO: questions and answers about GLP-1 therapies

A checklist for your next conversation

Before the appointment, gather the details you can verify. You do not need to rebuild every week or decide which observations are medically significant on your own. Include the things you are uncertain about.

• The medicine name and presentation shown on your prescription.
• Recorded injection dates and the doses for that period.
• Changes instructed by your care team, with their dates.
• Symptom observations and questions you still want to discuss.
• Gaps in the history that you could not confidently fill in.

Where myMON fits

myMON brings dose, weight, measurement, water, food and symptom records together, with reminders for your routine. You can open that history on your phone during the conversation. If your clinic uses the product and has provided an active account link, ask which records its team will review in the clinic panel.

The app does not prescribe, select a medicine or adjust a dose. Names and entries support communication about care you have already planned with health professionals.