How to keep a GLP-1 side-effect diary

Treat the diary as a record, not a diagnosis

A side-effect diary can help you remember what happened and when. It cannot confirm that a medicine caused an observation, decide whether it is safe to continue or tell you to change a dose.

Use neutral descriptions in your own words. Keep the prescribed dose and injection history visible beside observations without presenting timing as proof of cause.

Use repeatable fields

Consistent fields make entries easier to compare and summarise. You do not need to record every field every day.

• Date and approximate start time
• What you noticed
• Severity using your own consistent scale
• How long it lasted
• Whether it affected sleep, work or usual activities
• Relevant medicine and injection date
• What action you took or who you contacted

Mark changes without interpreting them

If your prescriber changes a dose or medicine, record the date and the instruction you were given. Keep this separate from the symptom entry so the sequence is clear.

Gaps in a diary do not prove that no symptoms occurred. Note incomplete periods rather than filling them from memory unless you clearly label a later entry.

Know when a diary is not enough

A tracking app does not monitor emergencies. Follow the patient information leaflet and advice from your healthcare professional. Contact an appropriate service promptly if a symptom is severe, worsening or concerning.

The MHRA says severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to the back requires urgent medical help because it can be a sign of acute pancreatitis. Do not wait to complete a diary or report before seeking help.

Create a concise appointment summary

Before an appointment, check the record and choose a useful date range. Put your current prescribed medicine, the most relevant observations and your questions before the detailed event list.

Share only the information you choose. A healthcare professional decides how the observations should be interpreted.