FAQ
General
GLP-1 medications are prescription drugs that improve blood sugar control and support weight loss. They work by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, which regulates appetite and insulin response. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea — typically managed through careful dosage titration under Dr. Holland's guidance.
Dosing & Administration
1.) Take it out of the fridge about 15–30 minutes before your dose. Room-temperature medication stings less going in.
Wash your hands and check the solution — it should be clear and free of particles. If it's cloudy, discolored, or has anything floating in it, don't use it. Call us.
2.) Attach a new needle every single time. Remove both caps.
Prime the pen if this is your first dose from a new pen — dial the small priming amount your instructions specify and press until you see a droplet at the needle tip. This clears air from the line.
3.) Dial your exact prescribed dose. Turn the dial until your number lines up in the window. If the dial won't reach your number, you don't have enough left in the pen — don't split it across two injections without consulting with your medical provider
4.) Pick your site — abdomen (stay about two inches away from your navel), front of thigh, or back of the upper arm. Rotate sites each dose so you're not hitting the same spot repeatedly.
5.) Clean the site with an alcohol swab and let it air dry.
6.) Inject straight in at 90°, press the plunger all the way down, and hold for 5–10 seconds before withdrawing. Pulling out early leaves medication on the skin instead of in it.
7.) Dispose of the needle in a sharps container immediately. Never recap or reuse.
9.) Cap the pen and refrigerate it (needle off). Log the date, dose, and site.
Wash your hands and check the solution — it should be clear and free of particles. If it's cloudy, discolored, or has anything floating in it, don't use it. Call us.
2.) Attach a new needle every single time. Remove both caps.
Prime the pen if this is your first dose from a new pen — dial the small priming amount your instructions specify and press until you see a droplet at the needle tip. This clears air from the line.
3.) Dial your exact prescribed dose. Turn the dial until your number lines up in the window. If the dial won't reach your number, you don't have enough left in the pen — don't split it across two injections without consulting with your medical provider
4.) Pick your site — abdomen (stay about two inches away from your navel), front of thigh, or back of the upper arm. Rotate sites each dose so you're not hitting the same spot repeatedly.
5.) Clean the site with an alcohol swab and let it air dry.
6.) Inject straight in at 90°, press the plunger all the way down, and hold for 5–10 seconds before withdrawing. Pulling out early leaves medication on the skin instead of in it.
7.) Dispose of the needle in a sharps container immediately. Never recap or reuse.
9.) Cap the pen and refrigerate it (needle off). Log the date, dose, and site.
Billing & Shipping
Since most protocols require a designated and personalized titration schedule combined with clinically cycling on and off various products and doses, we factor those clinically significant factors into every protocol on Atlas Protocols. So short answer is no, the price stays the same as you titrate up to a higher dose over time or titrate down for maintenance periods. Often protocols will have periods where an individual utilizes various compounds for structured periods of time, depending on the compound pricing may vary in same manner that different medications from a local pharmacy differ in their associated cost. However, Atlas Protocol works hard to find the best possible product at the best price, so you can always be assured that you are getting the best value on your protocol.
Medical Safety
GLP-1 medications (semaglutide, tirzepatide)
Most side effects are digestive, show up in the first weeks, and settle as your body adjusts:
Nausea (the most common by far)
Constipation or diarrhea
Vomiting, burping, reflux
Reduced appetite and early fullness — expected, not a side effect
Fatigue, headache
Soreness or redness at the injection site
These are usually worst in the days after a dose increase and improve as you stabilize. Smaller meals, slower eating, steady hydration, and adequate protein help most people.
Peptide therapies (sermorelin, ipamorelin/CJC-1295, BPC-157 and similar)
Injection site redness, itching, or a small lump
Flushing or head-rush shortly after dosing
Headache
Water retention, tingling or numbness in the hands, joint aches — most often with growth hormone secretagogues
Vivid dreams or changes in sleep
Increases in blood sugar are possible with GH-releasing peptides
Message us if you have: vomiting or diarrhea you can't keep ahead of, dehydration, constipation lasting more than a few days, or side effects that aren't improving after a couple of weeks at a stable dose.
Seek care immediately for: severe abdominal pain, especially pain that bores through to your back and doesn't let up (possible pancreatitis); persistent vomiting with signs of dehydration; sudden vision changes; or right-upper-abdominal pain with nausea and fever (possible gallbladder).
Two things to tell other providers: if you're scheduled for surgery or any procedure with sedation, tell the anesthesiologist you're on a GLP-1 — these medications slow stomach emptying and that changes how they prepare you. And if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea, your risk of low blood sugar goes up on a GLP-1; that combination needs monitoring.
Most side effects are digestive, show up in the first weeks, and settle as your body adjusts:
Nausea (the most common by far)
Constipation or diarrhea
Vomiting, burping, reflux
Reduced appetite and early fullness — expected, not a side effect
Fatigue, headache
Soreness or redness at the injection site
These are usually worst in the days after a dose increase and improve as you stabilize. Smaller meals, slower eating, steady hydration, and adequate protein help most people.
Peptide therapies (sermorelin, ipamorelin/CJC-1295, BPC-157 and similar)
Injection site redness, itching, or a small lump
Flushing or head-rush shortly after dosing
Headache
Water retention, tingling or numbness in the hands, joint aches — most often with growth hormone secretagogues
Vivid dreams or changes in sleep
Increases in blood sugar are possible with GH-releasing peptides
Message us if you have: vomiting or diarrhea you can't keep ahead of, dehydration, constipation lasting more than a few days, or side effects that aren't improving after a couple of weeks at a stable dose.
Seek care immediately for: severe abdominal pain, especially pain that bores through to your back and doesn't let up (possible pancreatitis); persistent vomiting with signs of dehydration; sudden vision changes; or right-upper-abdominal pain with nausea and fever (possible gallbladder).
Two things to tell other providers: if you're scheduled for surgery or any procedure with sedation, tell the anesthesiologist you're on a GLP-1 — these medications slow stomach emptying and that changes how they prepare you. And if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea, your risk of low blood sugar goes up on a GLP-1; that combination needs monitoring.
Protocol Basics
Yes — every protocol begins with a physician-reviewed intake. If your provider approves your plan, your prescription is issued and filled through our licensed U.S. pharmacy network. No separate doctor visit is needed.