Microdosing GLP-1s: Does It Work for Weight Loss?
Can tiny doses of powerful GLP-1 drugs help people lose weight or maintain weight loss? Here’s what an obesity doctor has to say about microdosing GLP-1s.
We’re answering your top questions about Wegovy dosages—from what a typical dosage schedule looks like to what to do if you miss a dose.
Wondering what a typical Wegovy® dosage schedule looks like or what happens if you forget to take a dose? We’ve got you covered in this simple guide to Wegovy dosages.
Whether your health care provider prescribed Wegovy as part of your weight loss treatment or you’re just curious about this prescription weight-loss drug, understanding how it works and what to expect can help inform your treatment plan and set you up for success. As with any prescription drug, it’s important to follow prescribing information and medical advice from your health care professional when taking Wegovy.
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a weight loss medication manufactured by Novo Nordisk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy for chronic weight management in:
It’s also FDA-approved to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events (like heart attack and stroke) in patients with existing cardiovascular disease.
The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It mimics GLP-1, a gut hormone that your body naturally produces when you eat to slow digestion and help you feel full. It also helps to balance blood sugar, reduce appetite, and regulate insulin. This prescription medication is intended to be used with physical activity and a reduced-calorie diet.
Wegovy is a weekly, single-dose, under-the-skin (subcutaneous) injection. It’s is manufactured in five dose strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg.
Typically, health care providers begin a patient on a starting dose of 0.25 mg (the lowest dose). The dose gradually increases every four weeks, depending on how well a patient tolerates Wegovy injections, until they reach a maintenance dose. This is called a dose escalation schedule. Wegovy’s maintenance dose may be as high as 2.4 mg per week, the maximum dosage, depending on what’s clinically needed for weight loss.
Though the plan your provider prescribes for you may vary, here’s a typical Wegovy dosing schedule for adults.
Each Wegovy injector pen contains one dose.
The single-use pens come in packs of four, and each disposable pen comes prefilled with a clear, colorless solution. Each dose is injected with a small, thin needle that’s integrated in the pen.
Pens should be stored in the refrigerator and kept in their original box to limit exposure to light.
Take Wegovy as instructed by a qualified health care provider. Before using this medication for the first time, make sure your provider shows you how to inject yourself with the Wegovy injector pen.
If you miss a dose of Wegovy, note when your next scheduled dose is and how long it has been since you took your last dose. That will help you determine how to proceed:
Since Wegovy pens are pre-filled and single-dose by design, it’s unlikely that you’ll accidentally take too much Wegovy when using a single pen on a weekly schedule.
If you take too much Wegovy, you may experience harmful symptoms, like:
If you experience any of these symptoms after taking too much Wegovy, immediately seek medical attention. Go to the hospital, consult your doctor, or call the national poison helpline at 1-800-222-1222.
Although rare, in animal studies, semaglutide increased the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. Wegovy and Ozempic carry “black box” warnings about the risk of these tumors. If you have trouble swallowing, develop hoarseness, or feel swelling or a lump in your neck while taking these medications, contact your health care provider immediately.
The FDA also warns you shouldn’t take Wegovy or Ozempic if you have a personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 or medullary thyroid cancer. Wegovy and Ozempic aren’t treatments for those with insulin-dependent diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, these aren’t the right fit.
Tell your health care provider if you experience severe stomach problems that won’t go away, including abdominal bloating or pain, acid reflux, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites of food, nausea, and vomiting (including vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier). These may be symptoms of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).
Find detailed side effect and risk information for specific medications by name on our dedicated medication page.
While Found’s clinicians work with patients to determine the best treatment option, the ultimate decision as to whether a patient is qualified for a medication rests with the provider.
About Found
Found is among the largest medically-supported telehealth weight care clinics in the country, having served more than 250,000 members to date. To discover your MetabolicPrint™ and start your journey with Found, take our quiz.
About GLP-1 prescriptions at Found
GLP-1 prescriptions, filled through your local pharmacy, are now available as part of Found's weight-loss toolkit. While GLP-1s can be effective for weight loss, like all medicines, they are not clinically appropriate for everyone. Eligibility for a GLP-1 is based on a thorough evaluation of your medical history and lab work. If a GLP-1 is not appropriate for you, our providers will work with you to determine an effective medication for your health profile.
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U.S Food & Drug Administration. (2021, June 4). FDA. FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2024, from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014
U.S Food & Drug Administration. (2024, March 8). FDA. FDA Approves First Treatment to Reduce Risk of Serious Heart Problems Specifically in Adults with Obesity or Overweight. Retrieved August 16, 2024, from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-reduce-risk-serious-heart-problems-specifically-adults-obesity-or
Wegovy® Dosing Schedule | Wegovy® (semaglutide) Injection 2.4 mg. (n.d.-b). https://www.wegovy.com/taking-wegovy/dosing-schedule.html
Novo Nordisk Inc. (2017b). WEGOVY. https://www.novo-pi.com/wegovy.pdf
Cross, P. I., PhD. (2023b, December 21). What happens if you take too much Ozempic or Wegovy? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-happens-if-you-take-too-much-ozempic-or-wegovy
U.S Food & Drug Administration. (2024, July 26). FDA. FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products. Retrieved August 16, 2024, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-alerts-health-care-providers-compounders-and-patients-dosing-errors-associated-compounded