How safe is Wegovy for achieving your weight loss goals?

Over the last few years, multiple weight loss medications have been approved worldwide to help address weight-related health conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as support people in their weight loss and weight management journeys.

These medications can be transformative in the lives of many who struggle to maintain a healthy body weight, and are prescribed only by medical professionals as a part of a holistic treatment plan.

Wegovy is one of the newer treatments on the market, and after extensive clinical trials, it was approved for use in the UK in 2021. Which begs the question: what is it? And how is it different from other high-profile weight loss medications like Ozempic?

Here, we'll have a look at the nature of Wegovy as a medical treatment, how it helps you to lose weight, and how safe it is to use.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is a semaglutide medication, which acts as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1). When it’s injected, it makes your body’s own glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, or GLP-1, work better.

Put a little more simply, GLP-1 is the natural hormone that tells your brain when you’re full. Wegovy works by enhancing that hormonal response, shrinking your appetite, and helping you feel fuller for longer.

GLP-1 also stimulates the body to produce more insulin, the hormone which helps to lower your blood sugar levels, making semaglutides an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, and as a result, a common ingredient in diabetes medications [2].

While Wegovy itself isn’t used for diabetes treatment, it is prescribed as a weight loss drug, alongside a reduced calorie diet and an increased exercise program.

It’s taken as a self-administered injection once a week, and has been approved for use in people aged 12 years and older who have at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as hypertension, cardiovascular risk, or cardiovascular disease, and either a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35, or a BMI of 30 to 24.9, provided they meet a criteria established by a Specialist Weight Management Service [3].  

Is Wegovy a safe way to lose weight?

When taken under the guidance of a medical professional, Wegovy can be a safe way to lose weight. Numerous clinical trials have shown that with dietary changes, a healthy exercise routine, and behavioural support, Wegovy can help people to reduce their body weight by up to 15% in a year [3].

Wegovy’s also been found to regulate appetite, support glycemic control, lower blood pressure, reduce the rate of heart attack, cardiovascular disease and death, and non-fatal stroke [2].

That said, Wegovy can have side effects.

What are the most common side effects of Wegovy?

As with all medications, Wegovy can have some side effects, which range from mild to severe as your body adjusts to the medication.

These tend to be temporary and usually subside as you get used to the medication, however, this depends on your body, genetic background and lifestyle.

Some of the common side effects include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Gas and bloating
• Heartburn
• Headaches
• Fatigue or dizziness
• Runny nose or sore throat
• Minor allergic reactions

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should speak to your healthcare provider for personalised advice on how to manage your treatment.

The more severe side effects of Wegovy are rarer, but it's worth speaking to your prescriber about before taking Wegovy. These side effects can include:

• Pancreatitis
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Gallbladder disease
• Acute kidney failure
• Increased heart rate
• Risk of thyroid cancer
• Severe allergic reaction [2]

If you experience any symptoms of these conditions, you should speak to a medical professional immediately, or call 999.

There is also a connection between Wegovy and a possible increased risk of thyroid tumours, including thyroid cancer.

If you have a personal or family history of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma, or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, Wegovy is not safe for you to use [1].

It is also not recommended for pregnant people, people still breastfeeding, or people with kidney disease.

Is Wegovy safer than Ozempic?

Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide medications, however, the key differences between the medications are:

• Wegovy is prescribed at higher doses than Ozempic
• Wegovy is licensed for weight loss treatment in the UK, while Ozempic is licensed to treat diabetes (although it has previously been prescribed off-label for weight loss treatment)

Although too few studies have been conducted comparing the weight loss medications directly and as such, their safety is generally understood to be about the same, given they feature the same active ingredient [2].

Losing weight with Wegovy

While Wegovy is a medication designed to help you lose weight, its efficacy is also dependent on making holistic lifestyle changes that include eating a balanced diet and moving your body more.

Cutting out fatty foods and generally reducing your food intake as you increase your physical activity is vital, as is getting good quality sleep and reducing your stress levels, which should all be incorporated into your treatment plan.

If, like many, you struggle to motivate yourself to make lifestyle changes, a programme like Juniper's Weight Reset Programme might be just what you need.

Kickstart your weight loss journey with Wegovy or Mounjaro, two groundbreaking weight loss injections that mimic the GLP-1 and GIP hormone respectively to help control cravings, delay stomach emptying, and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Plus, we have a team of expert dietitians and health coaches you can consult with, to help you work through any challenges you're experiencing during your weight management journey. This holistic approach sets you up for sustained weight loss, rather than a quick-fix solution.

How much weight can you lose in 3 months with Wegovy?

Like with every new medication, Wegovy takes time to work, and how much weight you lose will be dependent on a multitude of factors, including your background, your lifestyle and your day-to-day habits.

A 2022 study did find that people who were overweight or obese lost an average of 5.9% of their overall body weight using Wegovy over 3 months [4], with other studies finding Wegovy also improved cardiovascular outcomes, making it an exciting course of treatment for many.