Your ultimate guide to Wegovy dosages and strengths

Starting a new health and fitness routine can be overwhelming. Starting a new medication can also be overwhelming. It's understandable, then, that the prospect of starting a weight loss treatment plan like Wegovy could be a little intimidating.

That's why we've compiled this thorough, but easy-to-understand guide to Wegovy.

Wegovy is a breakthrough prescription medication that has revolutionised weight loss treatment plans for many people who struggle with obesity and other medical conditions that affect weight. Wegovy uses the active ingredient semaglutide to help people achieve their weight loss goals.

The results for weight loss aided by this drug can be significant, but of course, there's a lot to know about taking Wegovy [2].

For example, how do you know what the right Wegovy dosage for you is? What does the dose escalation schedule look like? How often do you take it? And what happens if you miss a scheduled dose or accidentally take too much Wegovy?

Understanding the various dosages and strengths of Wegovy is crucial for optimising its effectiveness and ensuring a smooth, safe treatment journey.

Whether you're just starting your weight loss journey or looking to understand your treatment better, we've got all the essential information you need.

What strengths does Wegovy come in?

Wegovy (semaglutide) is available in 5 different strengths, which are:

• 0.25 mg per dose
• 0.5 mg per dose
• 1 mg per dose
• 1.7 mg per dose
• 2.4 mg per dose

This allows for gradual dose escalation, starting from a lower dose and increasing to the maintenance dose, which helps to minimise any gastrointestinal adverse reactions.

It's important to follow the dose escalation schedule rather than skipping to the maintenance dose, as it allows your body to adjust to each dosage.

When you take too much Wegovy too quickly, you may experience some uncomfortable gastrointestinal reactions. These can include [1]:

• Stomach pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea and/or constipation
• Heartburn, gas
• Belching and bloating
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Stomach flu
• Low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
• Runny nose or sore throat

How many doses are in a Wegovy pen?

While some injection weight loss medications are taken daily, each Wegovy pen is designed to deliver a single dose [4]. This means that one Wegovy pen contains one dose of the medication, and a month-long supply will be 4 Wegovy pens.

Wegovy pens come pre-filled and are used once a week, with each pen intended for a single injection [3].  

You should administer Wegovy on the same day each week in order to experience the maximum benefit from the treatment and minimise adverse side effects or the possible risk that comes with taking too much Wegovy.

What is the starting dose for Wegovy?

When you first begin your Wegovy treatment, your doctor will prescribe the starting dose, which is 0.25 mg once weekly [3]. You'll pick a regularly scheduled day of the week to take your starting dose and inject Wegovy 0.25 mg on the same day each week for the first 4 weeks.

It's important to let your body adjust to the medication before moving up to a higher dose in order to minimise gastrointestinal adverse reactions. By starting at the lowest dose, you can also monitor for any severe symptoms or allergic reactions.

While some side effects like the ones listed above can be normal, severe side effects are not. In this instance, it's important to contact your local emergency number or seek treatment at your nearest emergency room.

Can I start Wegovy at 1.7 mg?

Unfortunately not. The recommended starting dose for Wegovy is 0.25mg, so it's best to start on this before slowly titrating up. Be sure to discuss this with your clinician so they can provide you with more personalised advice.

When do you increase your dosage?

After the first 4 weeks, you may be able to increase your Wegovy dosage if you're not experiencing any adverse side effects. A typical dose escalation schedule is to increase your dose of Wegovy every 4 weeks until you get to the maintenance dosage, which is 2.4 mg once weekly.

A typical Wegovy dosing schedule would mean that you'd be taking 2.4 mg, the maintenance dosage, in the third month of treatment.

1. Weeks 1-4: 0.25 mg once weekly (lowest dosage)
2. Weeks 5-8: 0.5 mg once weekly
3. Weeks 9-12: 1 mg once weekly
4. Weeks 13-16: 1.7 mg once weekly
5. Week 17 onward: 2.4 mg once weekly (maintenance dose)

The aim of the above dose escalation schedule is to minimise your risk of adverse side effects.

Taking 4 consecutive doses at the same strength gives your body enough time to adjust to that Wegovy dose. Then, you can increase your next dose to the next highest Wegovy dosage until you reach the maintenance dosage.

Of course, it's also important to speak to your doctor or healthcare professional about your Wegovy dose schedule. Everyone is different, so your dose escalation schedule might look different from others.

For example, if you're having a good treatment response to the dose of Wegovy you're already on, then you may decide to stay at that weekly dose for longer than 4 weeks, even if it's not the recommended maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly.

Or, if you're taking longer to adjust to one of the Wegovy doses than others, you may choose to stay at that strength for longer, in order to allow your body more time to adjust before the next dose increase.

What to do in the case of a missed dose

When it comes to your Wegovy treatment plan, sticking to your regularly scheduled day will maximise your treatment response and weight management, while also minimising your side effects.

In an ideal world, you'd administer Wegovy on the same day each week, but sometimes, life gets in the way of our best-laid plans.

If you miss your regular Wegovy dose, here's what to do:

If it's been less than 5 days since your scheduled dose of Wegovy, you can still take it as soon as possible. From there, continue with your regular weekly dosing schedule — you don't need to adjust your next scheduled dose.

If you miss a dose and 5 or more days have gone by before you realised, you should skip the dose, and resume dosing on the day of your next scheduled dose.

For example, if you forgot to administer Wegovy on Saturday and didn't realise until Thursday, you would miss that dose, and then resume dosing on the following Saturday.

Do not take a double dose or a higher dosage of Wegovy to make up for the missed dose. If you're unsure what to do, it's always best to contact your healthcare provider and let your doctor determine your next scheduled dose.

What happens if you take more than the recommended dose?

Taking too much Wegovy is not recommended, as you may experience an increased risk of side effects, particularly gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

In the case of a significant overdose, more serious side effects may occur. If this is the case, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Steps to take if an overdose occurs:

1. Contact a healthcare professional: Call your doctor or seek emergency medical attention immediately.
2. Monitor symptoms: Keep track of any symptoms that develop and follow your doctor's recommendation.

It's very important to pay attention to dose strengths, follow the dosing schedule as prescribed by your doctor, and not take more than the recommended dose to avoid potential adverse effects.

To maximise the results of your Wegovy dose, it's best to look at Wegovy as one part of a holistic, long-term treatment plan for sustainable weight management.

Regardless of what dosage of Wegovy you're on, you'll get your best results with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity [5]. Luckily, Wegovy is designed to regulate your appetite and reduce food cravings, which will make it easier to eat fewer calories.

Of course, food is just one part of weight management, which is why we created Juniper's Weight Reset Programme [5].

If you're sick of doing it alone with fad diets and all-or-nothing exercise routines that are ultimately unsustainable, then Juniper's Weight Reset Programme is the holistic approach to weight loss and long-term weight management that's here to help you.

We combine clinically proven medication with dietitian-led health coaching and community support from like-minded people so that you can lose weight and keep it off, once and for all.

We're not just here to prescribe Wegovy, we're here to help you stay on track, stay motivated, and feel supported by both our team and our Juniper community. To learn more about Juniper's Weight Reset Programme, start your consult today.

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