Wegovy Weight Loss Injections

Wegovy for weight loss is a new injection treatment available in the UK. It:

• is for people with a BMI of over 30, or over 27 in some cases
• works by reducing your appetite and stopping you from overeating
• is effective in over 80% of users*
• can lead to weight loss of over 20%
• is safe to use if prescribed by a doctor

Wegovy is a prescription-only injection used for weight loss. You take it once a week and it is safe to use long-term.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide. Semaglutide is an artificial version of something your body already uses to manage appetite.

Our doctors will take your BMI and all of your medical history into consideration and may prescribe off-label when making a decision about treatment.

*In clinical trials more than 80% of the patients lost at least 5% of their initial body weight after 68 weeks of treatment.

Wegovy is used to treat obesity. This means it’s meant to help support a weight loss programme in people who are considered clinically overweight. It is not meant to be used as a diet aid for the general population and should only be used if approved by a doctor.

What is the main use of Wegovy?

The main use of Wegovy is to reduce appetite. This makes it easier for people to lose weight through diet and exercise because they are less tempted to break their diet or overeat. It is not meant to cause weight loss by itself.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide. This is known as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. What this means is that it behaves like the hormone glucagon does in your body, which controls appetite and blood sugar.

Semaglutide is also used to treat diabetes by supporting weight loss and controlling blood sugar. Wegovy is not meant for diabetes treatment. Ozempic is a medication with the same active ingredient intended for people with diabetes.

Before starting treatment, carefully read the instructions in the patient information leaflet that comes with your Wegovy and follow any instructions from your doctor as well. When you’re ready to try your first dose, follow the steps below:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Decide on where you want to inject your first dose. You can choose from your lower abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Once you’ve decided, wash the area you’re going to inject with an alcohol swab or soap and water.
3. Check the name and dose of your pen to make sure it contains your prescribed dose of Wegovy. Look through the pen window to ensure the liquid is clear and colourless.
4. Remove the pen cap and push a new needle onto the pen. Turn the needle until it is tight. Pull off the outer and inner needle caps when ready to inject or check the flow. Check the flow with each new pen. You do not need to check the flow every time you inject, only the first time you use a new pen. Each pen will provide you with 4 weekly doses when used correctly.
5. Turn the dose selector until the dose counter stops, and it shows your prescribed dose.
6. Insert the needle into your skin. Ensure you can see the dose counter.
7. Press and hold down the dose button until the dose counter shows 0. Keep pressing the dose button with the needle in your skin and slowly count to 6.
8. Remove the needle from your skin. Carefully place the outer needle cap onto the needle, before removing the needle from the pen and disposing of it in a sharps bin.
9. Place the pen cap back onto the pen and store out of sight and reach of children. The pen can be stored at a temperature below 30°C or refrigerator (2°C to 8°C) away from the cooling element.

Some extra advice:

• Store your injections in the fridge.
• Check your pen before using it in case it’s been broken, like if it’s been dropped.
• Avoid injecting into areas that are bruised, sore, hard, or scarred. Also, be careful not to inject into your muscles or veins.
• Don’t touch the needle cover to avoid accidentally pricking yourself.
• Don’t try and stop the injection halfway through because the needle locks once it starts.
• Make sure you switch up where you inject your Wegovy after each dose.

Is Wegovy good for long term use?

It’s fine to use Wegovy long-term to help you manage your weight. There are no extra side effects from using it over a longer period of time. It’s best to discuss your long-term weight loss plans with a doctor. If your weight drops below the level for qualifying for Wegovy treatment your doctor may want you to stop. Equally, if you don’t see any improvement, your doctor may suggest switching treatment.

What happens after your first shot of Wegovy?

After your first shot of Wegovy you may see your appetite drop right away, although it can take longer to feel the effects for some people. You may also experience some mild side effects, like nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. These side effects can clear up as your body gets used to your new treatment.

What is the best time of day to use Wegovy?

You can take Wegovy at any time of day, with or without food. As long as you remember to take it at the same time on the same day, it's up to you when is most convenient.

You can drive after taking Wegovy, but pay attention to how you feel after you first start your treatment. Wegovy can cause mild side effects so you should make sure they don’t affect your ability to drive safely.

Wegovy missed dose

If you miss a dose by less than 5 days, you can take that dose, and then your next one will be a week after this delayed dose.

If you miss a dose and it’s more than 5 days, then wait (i.e. skip that dose) and take your next dose on the usual day, at the usual time.

If you want to change the day of the week you use Wegovy to better suit your needs, you can do so as long as there are more than 3 days between doses.

If the last dose you took was more than 2 weeks ago, you need to restart at the lowest strength dose of 0.25mg weekly, and start again.

What happens when you stop taking Wegovy?

There’s no risk of addiction or withdrawal symptoms when it comes to stopping your treatment. Be aware that your appetite will increase to normal levels once you stop using Wegovy, so you need to account for this in your plan to maintain your lower weight.

For the lowest dose, our Wegovy prices currently start at £179.00. Currently, there is no cheaper generic Wegovy alternative. The patent for semaglutide does not expire until 2031 so only branded medications will be available until then.

If you have a prescription for Wegovy, you should be able to get it filled at most UK pharmacies, as long as it’s in stock. You can also order Wegovy online from online doctor services like ZAVA.

How to get Wegovy online

If you are overweight, you can request Wegovy online. You can request Wegovy treatment through our online doctor service. If the treatment is suitable for you, our doctors will offer a Wegovy prescription online and you can get your treatment delivered to your home.

Can I get it without a prescription?

No. Wegovy is a prescription-only medication because a doctor needs to make sure it’s safe and suitable for you. You can’t get it over-the-counter or buy it online legally without a doctor being involved.

You don’t need to already have a prescription before you place an order online with a service like ZAVA. Our doctors can approve prescription-only medication using our online assessment tool.

Is it available on the NHS?

Yes, Wegovy is available on the NHS. Like Saxenda, Wegovy will be only be prescribed by a weight management specialist if:

• you’ve tried weight loss without medication first
• you’ve tried treatments like orlistat first
• weight loss surgery isn’t possible for you
• you have a BMI of between 30 kg/m² and 35 kg/m² and a health problem that can affect your weight, such as diabetes
• you have a BMI of 35 kg/m² or more, even if you do not have a weight related medical condition

Is Wegovy available with a private prescription?

It should be possible to get a private prescription for Wegovy. Whether you can get it on private health insurance will depend on your insurance provider.

ZAVA’s online doctor service can provide prescription weight loss services privately.

Very common Wegovy side effects that affect more than 10% of users include:

• headache
• feeling sick
• throwing up
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• stomach pain
• feeling weak or tired

Common side effects that affect up to 10% of users include:

• dizziness
• stomach and digestion problems
• burping
• gas
• bloating
• inflamed stomach
• acid reflux
• gallstone
• hair loss
• reactions where the injection was used
• low blood sugar for people with diabetes

Uncommon side effects that affect up to 1% of users include:

• fast heartbeat
• increased pancreatic enzymes in blood tests
• delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis)

For full safety information on Wegovy, please see this medication guide.

What are serious Wegovy side effects?

Stop using Wegovy and contact a doctor if you experiences any of the following:

• severe stomach pain that doesn’t go away, even if you throw up
• signs of gallbladder problems, including pain in the upper abdomen, fever, yellow skin or eyes, or clay-coloured poo
• signs of low blood sugar, if you have type 2 diabetes, including dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, shakiness, blurred vision, slurred speech, weakness, anxiety, hunger, headache, feeling irritable or mood swings, confusion or drowsiness, fast heartbeat, or feeling jittery
• kidney problems
• changes to your eyesight, if you have type 2 diabetes
• increased heart rate
• depression or suicidal thoughts

For full safety information on Wegovy, please see this medication guide.

Alcohol doesn’t react with Wegovy, but since they both lower your blood sugar you should watch out for dizziness. Plus, alcohol has a lot of extra calories and can increase your appetite for unhealthy foods, so if you can, try to drink less during your treatment.

You can only use Wegovy if you are overweight and a doctor agrees it’s safe for you.

Wegovy is a weight loss treatment for people who are overweight. This means someone who has a BMI of over 30, or over 27 if they have a weight-related health problem. A doctor can’t prescribe it to someone who doesn’t count as medically overweight, even if they want to lose weight anyway.

Wegovy isn’t right for everyone, which is a why a doctor won’t prescribe treatment if you:

• you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant
• you’re seriously allergic to any of Wegovy’s ingredients

In order to make sure Wegovy is safe for you, a doctor will ask about:

• any pancreas or heart problems
• whether you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding

Saxenda vs Wegovy

Saxenda works in almost exactly the same way as Wegovy. The only real difference is the active ingredient in Saxenda is another artificial hormone, liraglutide, and is taken once a day. But, both medications still work in the same way, which is by reducing your appetite.

You could try either Wegovy or Saxenda first. If you don’t find the treatment is working for you after 6 weeks, you could think about switching. People react differently to different medications, so even though they’re similar, one could work when the other doesn’t. It’s impossible to tell which will work for you, so the only way to know for sure is by trying them out.

Don’t ever take these medications together. If you want to switch from one to the other, get a doctor involved who can help you plan the switch so you don’t end up with both medications in your system at the same time. When switching from semaglutide (Wegovy or Ozempic) to Saxenda, you need to wait 5 weeks from the time of your last dose before you can start Saxenda. This is to reduce your risk of side effects.

Wegovy vs Ozempic

Ozempic is another name for semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy). Wegovy is prescribed for patients with or without diabetes for weight loss but Ozempic is only meant to treat people for type 2 diabetes. The active ingredient in both medications is the same, but the dosages can be different. Ozempic is available in 0.25mg, 0.5mg, or 1mg doses.

Wegovy vs Mounjaro

Mounjaro is another diabetes treatment, like Ozempic. It contains tirzepatide and is also a prescription-only injection. It is used to control blood sugar in diabetes patients and can only be prescribed for weight loss off-label.

Other medical weight loss treatment and options

Other Wegovy alternatives include:

• Saxenda, a weight loss injection similar to Wegovy but it contains liraglutide and is taken daily
• Mysimba, weight loss tablets that help reduce appetite
• Orlistat, tablets that stop your body absorbing fat
• Xenical, a branded version of Orlistat

There are also diet and exercise and other lifestyle changes which can and should be used alongside medication to promote weight loss.

Wegovy reviews by patients show that it is rated:

• 3.8 out of 5 stars on wedmd.com
• 6.9 out of 10 on drugs.com

If you meet the criteria for Wegovy treatment and you are willing to commit to a diet and exercise plan, Wegovy could be a good treatment for you. You can’t be pregnant or have any pancreas or heart problems and you need to not be allergic to Wegovy’s ingredients.

If Wegovy is right for you, you could lose 15% or more of your current body weight over 64 weeks.