Wegovy Dose Guide: How Much Semaglutide Should I Take? - GoodRx (2024)

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a once-weekly injectable medication used for long-term weight management. It works by acting like a hormone that regulates your appetite and food intake. Wegovy contains the same active ingredient as Ozempic, a medication for Type 2 diabetes. But they aren’t interchangeable.

Wegovy is approved for adults and children ages 12 and older who meet certain body mass index (BMI) criteria. It’s meant to be taken long-term, otherwise rebound weight gain is possible.

Below, we’ll cover the typical Wegovy dosage schedule. Your healthcare provider may have you follow a different dosage schedule, depending on how you respond to treatment. It’s important to follow their instructions when taking Wegovy.

What’s the typical Wegovy dosage?

Adults with a BMI of at least 30 may be eligible for Wegovy. You can also qualify if you have a BMI of at least 27 and one or more weight-related health conditions (e.g., high blood pressure). Children ages 12 and up with a BMI in the 95th percentile or more for age and sex can also qualify for Wegovy.

Wegovy comes as a prefilled injection pen. You’ll inject your dose once weekly, at any time of day. And you can choose from one of three places to inject Wegovy each time — under the skin on your stomach, upper arm, or upper thigh. Throw the pen away after injecting your dose.

Wegovy pens are available in five different doses, ranging from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg. Each dose comes in a different colored pen to help you tell the difference between them.

Wegovy dosage schedule

The starting Wegovy dosage for adults and children ages 12 and up is 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. After that, your dosage will typically be increased every 4 weeks as long as you’re tolerating the medication. The target maintenance dosage for Wegovy is 2.4 mg once weekly.

Your Wegovy dosing schedule may look like this:

• Month 1: 0.25 mg once a week

• Month 2: 0.5 mg once a week

• Month 3: 1 mg once a week

• Month 4: 1.7 mg once a week

• Month 5 and beyond: 2.4 mg once a week (maintenance dose)

Wegovy can cause several digestion-related side effects, which is why you don’t start with the 2.4 mg dosage right away. Slowly increasing your dose over time can help lessen these effects. But if you can’t tolerate a dose increase, your healthcare provider may delay your next dose increase by 4 weeks.

Keep in mind: If you aren’t able to maintain the 2.4 mg dose, even after temporarily taking a lower dose, you may be instructed to stop Wegovy. For kids ages 12 and older, a long-term dose of 1.7 mg once weekly may be appropriate.

Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?

No. There aren’t any recommended dosage adjustments for Wegovy if you have kidney or liver problems. But there have been some reports of kidney function worsening during treatment. So if you have kidney problems, your healthcare provider may monitor your kidneys more closely.

As mentioned above, Wegovy can cause digestion-related side effects. For some people, this can include nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea that’s severe or persistent, which can lead to fluid loss. Let your healthcare provider know if this is happening. Losing too much fluid can cause dehydration, which can worsen kidney function, among other complications.

What happens if you miss a dose of Wegovy?

It’s always best to take your medication as prescribed, but it’s normal to occasionally forget a dose. If you miss a dose of Wegovy and the next usual dose is greater than 48 hours away, go ahead and take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is within 48 hours, skip your missed dose and take Wegovy on your next regularly scheduled day.

You shouldn’t take two doses of Wegovy within 48 hours of each other. This could result in too much medication and a higher risk of side effects.

If you miss your Wegovy dose for more than 2 weeks, either take the next dose on your usual day or call your healthcare provider to talk about restarting Wegovy. Your pharmacist can also provide useful tips on how to remember to take your medication.

What should you do if you take too much Wegovy?

If you accidentally take too much Wegovy, it’s possible to have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. You may also feel bloated and have a loss of appetite.

Usual Wegovy doses don’t regularly cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). However, hypoglycemia may be more likely if you’re taking Wegovy with other diabetes medications. And if you take too much Wegovy, you’ll need to watch for hypoglycemia symptoms, too. These can include shaking, nausea, and a fast heartbeat.

If you think you’ve taken too much Wegovy, contact your healthcare provider or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance. If any side effects feel severe or life-threatening, go to your nearest emergency room.

How to save on Wegovy

There are ways to save on Wegovy, which is only available as a brand-name medication.

If you have commercial insurance and your plan covers Wegovy, you could pay as little as $0 with a copay savings card from the manufacturer. If your commercial insurance plan doesn’t cover Wegovy, you could save up to $500 per month on your prescription.