How to use it
Take Wegovy as instructed by a qualified health care provider. Novo Nordisk recommends injecting the medicine once a week under the skin in the upper arm, upper thigh, or stomach. Store the single-dose Wegovy pens in the refrigerator.
Dosing
For most patients, dosing typically begins with the 0.25 mg pen for weekly injections for the first four weeks. The dose increases to 0.5 mg on the fifth week of treatment. After that, your provider may increase your weekly dose, every four weeks, to 1 mg, then 1.7 mg, and highest 2.4 mg, as clinically needed for weight loss and if you continue to tolerate Wegovy injections.
Side effects
Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Wegovy.
Tell your health care provider if you have 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).
Use effective contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Wegovy.
Wegovy isn’t appropriate for people who have insulin-dependent diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Wegovy isn’t the right fit.
Black Box Warning
Although rare, semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in animal studies. Wegovy’s “black box” warns of the risk of these tumors. If you have trouble swallowing, develop hoarseness, or feel swelling or a lump in your neck, contact your health care provider immediately.
The FDA also warns not to take Wegovy if you have a personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome Type 2, or medullary thyroid cancer.
Precautions
Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Wegovy.
Tell your health care provider if you have 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).
Use effective contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Wegovy.
Wegovy isn’t appropriate for people who have insulin-dependent diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Wegovy isn’t the right fit.
Interactions
Some drugs can also interact with Wegovy, including:
- Insulin
- Sulfonylureas (these can cause blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low when combined with Wegovy)
- Some birth control pills
- Other GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist medications such as liraglutide, dulaglutide, or tirzepatide
You should not drink alcohol while taking this drug because alcohol can lower blood sugar. Combining alcohol with Wegovy may cause blood sugars to fall too fast, leading to fainting and dizziness.