How do you use/inject Trulicity?

• The Trulicity Pen is easy to self-administer, but allow your doctor or nurse to show you how before you attempt self-injection.
• Remove the cap of the pen and hold the pen straight up and down on the skin before pushing the green injection button. You will hear a click, followed by a second click 10 to 15 seconds later once the injection has finished.
• Trulicity is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) once a week into the thigh, stomach area, or upper arm.

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is given by subcutaneous injection, once a week. The starting dose is usually 0.75mg once a week which may be increased to a maximum of 4.5mg once weekly if needed.

Trulicity may be administered at any time of the day; however, the day of the week should be kept as consistent as possible. It may help to mark on your calendar what day you normally inject yourself with Trulicity.

Where do you inject Trulicity?

Trulicity should be injected subcutaneously (under the skin) in one of the following injection sites: the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Your doctor or nurse should show you how to use the Trulicity single-dose pen before you attempt to self-administer it yourself.

The pen is single use only and contains one dose of Trulicity.

How do I give myself a Trulicity injection?

Trulicity should be kept refrigerated at between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) until it needs to be administered.

Take your Trulicity Pen out of the refrigerator and let it warm up naturally to room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not put it in the microwave or use hot water to heat it. Do not shake the pen or remove the base cap just yet.

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Inspect the pen and make sure the liquid inside the pen looks clear and colorless. Do not use if the medicine is cloudy or discolored or contains particles. Also, check the expiry date located on the side of the pen and do not use if expired.
3. Choose an injection site and wipe it with an alcohol wipe. Let it dry. Do not use a site where the skin is discolored, bruised, broken, covered with a psoriatic lesion, or has a rash. Change (rotate) your injection site each week.
4. Make sure the indicator near the end of the pen points to locked. Pull the Trulicity base cap straight off. Do not touch the needle.
5. Place the clear base of the pen flat and firmly against your skin on your chosen injection site at a 90° angle (straight up and down). Unlock by turning the lock ring.
6. Once you are ready to inject, push down on the green injection button. You will hear a loud click. This will insert the needle and start the injection.
7. Keep holding the pen against your skin until you hear a second click in about 5 to 10 seconds. You will know when your injection is complete when the gray plunger is visible.
8. Remove the pen from your skin. Dispose of your Trulicity pen in an approved sharps bin. Do not put the cap back on the pen.

Each Trulicity pen is administered just one time only.

A Trulicity pen may be left unrefrigerated for a maximum of 14 days, as long as it is kept at room temperature (less than 86°F (30°C) and not exposed to light or a heat source.

If a Trulicity pen is not used within 14 days after being taken out of the fridge, throw it away in an approved sharps container.

The day of weekly administration can be changed if necessary as long as the last dose was administered 3 or more days before.

Related Questions

• Does Trulicity cause weight loss?
• Does Trulicity need to be refrigerated?
• Can Trulicity be injected cold?

How does Trulicity work?

Trulicity mimics the action of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone that helps to regulate blood glucose levels. It may be used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Trulicity contains 90% of the same amino acid sequence as naturally occurring GLP-1. This enables it to bind to and activate GLP-1 receptors, which stimulates insulin secretion and lowers glucagon secretion when blood glucose levels are high. It also causes a slowing down in how fast the stomach empties.

Trulicity is given by subcutaneous (under the skin) injection into your stomach, thighs, or upper arm, once a week and may be used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (such as a heart attack or stroke) occurring in adults with type 2 diabetes who already have cardiovascular disease or are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Trulicity does not work for type 1 diabetes.

Trulicity is not a form of insulin. It relies on people still having some functioning beta cells – these are cells in the pancreas that produce, store, and release insulin.

Trulicity belongs to the class of medicines known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. It may also be called an incretin mimetic.