Wegovy doses: how much should I take?

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a brand-name weight loss medication in the class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. If you want to minimize side effects and lose weight with Wegovy, using the right dose matters. Here, we give you a complete primer on Wegovy doses for weight loss treatment so you have the information you need.

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Available forms for Wegovy

Wegovy is one available form of a  GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonist medication that uses the active ingredient semaglutide and is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for weight loss for people with a body mass index (BMI) or 30 or higher or 27 or higher and with a weight-related health problem. It’s meant to be used with diet and exercise. 

Wegovy’s counterpart is Ozempic, which also uses the active ingredient semaglutide. Ozempic is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. Both drugs are approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes with known heart disease.

When it comes to Ozempic vs Wegovy, dosages are different. Wegovy comes in more doses and most people use a higher maintenance dose, which leads to greater weight loss. In separate clinical trials:

• People on 2.4 milligrams of Wegovy each week and who didn’t have type 2 diabetes lost 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks. That’s 45 pounds for a person who initially weighs 300 pounds. 
• People on 1 milligram of Ozempic each week and who did have type 2 diabetes lost 6% of their body weight in 56 weeks. That’s 18 pounds for a 300-pound person. 

What are Wegovy doses for weight loss?

Wegovy comes in 5 different doses. Each dose is in a prefilled single-use pen. You take it just once each week. So for a month, you need 4 pens. You’ll start at the smallest dose and work up to a maintenance dose. 

Available Wegovy doses are:

• 0.25 milligrams per 0.5 milliliters 
• 0.50 milligrams per 0.5 milliliters
• 1.0 milligrams per 0.5 milliliters
• 1.7 milligrams per 0.5 milliliters
• 2.4 milligrams per 0.5 milliliters

Each strength dose comes in a pack of 4 single-use pens and in a different color to help differentiate dose strengths. 

You use a pen to inject yourself under the skin of your stomach, upper arm, or thigh each week.

Wegovy dosing chart (weekly schedule)

Wegovy, like type 2 diabetes and other weight loss injections, has you start with the smallest dose and increase over time to a maintenance dose. You then increase your dose every 4 weeks until you reach a maintenance dose. 

Starting at a smaller dose and stepping up every 4 weeks lets your body adjust to each dose and can help minimize common side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, indigestion, heartburn, gas, bloating, fatigue, or headache. 

💉Potential maintenance dose.

Wegovy injections tips

• Get instructions on how to inject yourself from your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy website.
• You can inject yourself in the same area each week but don’t inject yourself in the very same spot each week.
• Inject yourself on the same day of the week each week. 
• If you have trouble injecting Wegovy or medicine leaks onto your skin, choose a more firm injection area, such as your upper leg or arm instead of your stomach, or try standing up if injecting yourself in the stomach.
• You don’t need to take Wegovy with a meal or snack.
• Wait for the yellow bar on the pen to stop moving before removing the pen from the injection site.

Wegovy dosage tips

• Don’t increase your dose more than once every 4 weeks or as instructed by your provider. Increasing your dose too fast can increase the chance of side effects.
• If you have unpleasant side effects like nausea, eat smaller, more frequent meals; eat bland foods, like toast, crackers, or rice; avoid fat and fatty foods; stop eating when you feel full; drink plenty of water, and don’t lie down right after you eat.

What dose of Wegovy is most effective?

The 2.4-milligram dose of Wegovy is considered the most effective dose for weight loss. While both the 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg doses are classified as maintenance doses, the 2.4 mg dose resulted in the greatest average weight loss in clinical studies. This dose is administered as 0.75 milliliters (mL) of solution each week and is typically the target dose for patients who can tolerate the full escalation schedule.

Always consult a licensed healthcare provider to determine whether the 2.4 mg dose is appropriate for your health needs.

What to do if you miss a dose of Wegovy

It’s best to give yourself your Wegovy injection on the same day each week. Every Saturday for example. Taking it on the same day each week ensures you have a consistent amount of medication in your body and get the most out of it.

To make sure you take your dose on time, set a reminder with an alert on your smartphone or post a note somewhere you’ll see it regularly — perhaps your bathroom mirror.

If you do miss a dose, here’s what to do:

• If it’s been less than 2 days since you missed your dose (48 hours), take the missed dose.
• If it’s been more than 2 days (48 hours) since you missed your dose, skip it and take your next dose on the same day and time the next week. 

Missed Wegovy dose sample chart

Important! Never take 2 doses of Wegovy at the same time or within 2 days of each other. Taking too much is considered an overdose and can be harmful. If you miss 2 doses in a row, call your provider to talk about what to do. 

What to do if you take too much Wegovy 

Taking extra Wegovy won’t make you lose more weight or lose weight faster, but it can cause serious side effects. 

If for any reason you take 2 doses within 2 days (48 hours) of each other, call your healthcare provider or the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) for advice on what to do. 

How to change the day you inject Wegovy

It’s easy to change the day you give yourself your Wegovy injection.

If you have been taking it on Saturday and want to change to taking it on Tuesday, skip your Saturday dose and take it on Tuesday. Then continue taking it on Tuesday each week after that. 

When changing your injection day, just don’t take 2 doses within 2 days (48 hours) of each other. So, if you want to switch from Saturday to Sunday, don’t take it Saturday and the next day (Sunday), wait a full week and take it the following Sunday. 

If you’re adjusting your Wegovy injection day during travel, you may also want to know how to travel with Wegovy for handy storage tips.

What to do if you can’t tolerate a Wegovy dose

Your healthcare provider may typically start you on a Wegovy dose of 0.25 milligrams once per week for the first 4 weeks. If you tolerate this starting dose well, the dose can be increased every 4 weeks. The target maintenance dose for Wegovy is either 1.7 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams once per week, depending on your treatment response and tolerability. ​

Wegovy may cause gastrointestinal side effects, so your provider doesn’t start you at the maintenance dose immediately. Gradually increasing your dose over several months helps minimize side effects. If you can’t tolerate a particular dose of Wegovy, your provider may delay the dose escalation by an additional month to allow your body more time to adjust. ​

If you are unable to tolerate the maintenance dose of 2.4 milligrams due to side effects, your provider may adjust your maintenance dose to 1.7 milligrams once per week, as this is an approved maintenance dose. If the 1.7-milligram dose is still not tolerated, your provider may advise discontinuing Wegovy.

How to get a prescription for Wegovy

You can only get a prescription for Wegovy when you talk to a licensed healthcare provider, such as a medical doctor (MD), a registered nurse (RN), or physician assistant or physician associate (PA). You can find one of these providers and get a Wegovy prescription if you meet the criteria through a healthcare marketplace like Klarity Health.

Your provider can create a tailored weight loss plan for you that may include a weight loss medication, and monitor your health and help manage side effects if needed during your weight loss journey.

If your provider starts you on Wegovy for weight loss, make sure you understand all possible side effects as well as the contradictions and warnings. You can get these from your provider, pharmacist, or on Wegovy’s page on DailyMed.

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