Wegovy Dosages for Weight Loss

Wegovy is available in 5 dose strengths (Wegovy 0.25mg, Wegovy 0.5mg, Wegovy 1mg, Wegovy 1.7mg and Wegovy 2.4mg). When you take Wegovy, you start on the lowest dose of 0.25 mg before increasing the dose every 4 weeks if tolerated, until you reach the full dose of 2.4 mg.

When taking a course of Wegovy, your dosage will increase over time. Your doctor will always explain the correct dosage to you when they prescribe it, and when you will change dosage. In both cases, you will still take Wegovy in the same way, it is just the dosage in the pen that will change. It is possible to switch from other weight loss medications to Wegovy under the supervision of your doctor.

To help you keep on track with your doses, you can follow a Wegovy dosage chart.

It’s important to follow your Wegovy dosage schedule to allow your body to get used to the medicine.

The starting dose of Wegovy is 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. The dose increases over 16 weeks until you reach the recommended maximum Wegovy 2.4 mg dose. You will then inject this once per week for as long as your treatment needs to last, as instructed by your doctor.

Your Wegovy medication should come in a coloured pen. Each pen is pre-filled with 4 doses and when you need to change your dose, you will change to the correct coloured pen for that dose.

The pens are:

• green (Wegovy 0.25mg)
• pink (Wegovy 0.5mg)
• brown (Wegovy 1mg)
• blue (Wegovy 1.7mg)
• black (Wegovy 2.4mg)

The Wegovy starting dose is 0.25 mg. You’ll need to take this for 4 weeks by injecting on the same day once per week.

Can you start on 1mg of Wegovy?

No, it is important to start Wegovy on the starting dose of 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks to allow your body to get used to the active ingredient, semaglutide. This is the case even if you’ve been on high doses of other weight loss treatments before Wegovy.

Wegovy recommended dosage

The Wegovy recommended dosage is 2.4 mg once per week. This is also referred to as the maintenance dose. If this is not tolerated, then 1.7 mg may be administered once weekly.

Maximum dosage of Wegovy pens

The maximum Wegovy dose is 2.4 mg once per week.

Lowest dosage of Wegovy pens

The lowest dose of Wegovy is 0.25mg but this is only a starting dose and not a maintenance dose.

When to increase Wegovy dosage

Wegovy is available in 5 different doses. You start on 0.25 mg once per week. Your doctor will then increase your dose after 4 weeks until you reach the full Wegovy maintenance dose of 2.4 mg.

There are 4 doses of Wegovy in each pen. Each pen contains a different strength of the medication, but there will always be 4 doses of any given strength in each pen.

Wegovy is injected once per week. You should inject your Wegovy dose on the same day each week.

Watch the video below to find out more about Wegovy:

If you have forgotten to inject your Wegovy dose or have missed it, what you need to do depends on how many days have passed since your missed dose.

• If it has been 5 days or less, inject it as soon as you remember. You should then inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day.
• If it has been more than 5 days, you will need to skip the missed dose. Inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day. You must not take a double dose to compensate for a missed dose.

If you have any concerns or doubts about missing your dose of Wegovy, speak with your doctor or a pharmacist and they should be able to advise.

Like all medicines, Wegovy can cause side effects. Please note that not all patients will experience side effects.

The full list of known Wegovy side effects can be found in the patient information leaflet that should come with your medicine pack.

The most common Wegovy side effects are:

• feeling sick (nausea)
• being sick (vomiting)
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• tummy pain
• headache
• feeling tired (fatigue)
• upset stomach
• dizziness
• bloatedness
• gas
• burping
• stomach flu
• heartburn
• runny nose
• sore throat

Note that the most common Wegovy side effect is nausea. Some people also report feeling sick after injecting their first dose.

To help with managing your side effects, we recommend:

• eating plain or bland foods like toast or rice
• eating foods that contain water such as soup
• eating slowly
• getting some fresh air outdoors

It is important that you feel safe during your weight loss treatment. If side effects from Wegovy become bothersome or begin to affect your daily life, you must speak with your doctor. They may suggest that you lower your dose or stop taking the medication.

Wegovy can only be prescribed if you meet certain criteria. To buy Wegovy prescribed by a ZAVA doctor you must have:

• at least one weight-related condition, like high blood pressure, and a BMI of at least 27 kg/m2

or

• BMI of 30.0 kg/m2.

Filling in your online health questionnaire can help our doctors assess whether you fit the key criteria requirements for Wegovy. For example, ZAVA doctors will also check your personal health history to ensure that Wegovy is safe for you to take and that you have no allergies or potential interactions.

Can I get Wegovy on the NHS?

Your availability and access to Wegovy on the NHS will depend on your local guidelines and certain circumstances such as whether:

• your BMI is over 35kg or BMI is over 30 kg and you have a weight-related health condition (such as high blood pressure, or heart problems)
• you are a part of a specialist weight loss programme

It is likely your GP will refer you to a weight loss management service, meaning you may have to wait for a referral and your first appointment. If you want more information on accessing Wegovy via the NHS you should speak to your local GP and they should be able to advise according to NHS criteria across both private and NHS prescriptions depending on your needs.

Accessing Wegovy for weight loss (2023) gov.uk [accessed 05 August 2024]

Obesity treatment (2023) NHS [accessed 05 August 2024]

Wegovy patient information leaflet (2023) emc [accessed 05 August 2024]

Wegovy (2023) Novo Nordisk [accessed 05 August 2024]