What is Wegovy?
Wegovy (semaglutide) is an injection that you give yourself once a week. It comes in a pre-filled and easy to use injection pen.
What is Wegovy used for?
Wegovy is used alongside a healthy diet and exercise to help lose excess weight.
How does Wegovy work?
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring gut hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which is released after eating and helps regulate blood sugar levels. GLP-1 does this by reducing hunger levels and cravings, and results in better control of eating habits. It also works by slowing down how quickly your stomach empties, making you feel fuller for longer.
When using Wegovy, you should feel as though your appetite is reduced. Taken alongside a healthy diet and exercise, this will help with weight loss.
How to take Wegovy?
Wegovy comes in a pre-filled injection pen. To use it, you inject yourself just under the skin once a week. The pen has been designed to make it very easy to use, even if you’ve never used something like this before. You can watch our video to see how to use Wegovy.
Wegovy should be injected on the areas with the most fat, such as your belly (but not within 5cm of your belly button), your upper arms or thighs. You can inject Wegovy in the same area each time (like the upper thigh) but it’s important to change your injection sites and choose a different spot each time.
Wegovy dosage
Wegovy is taken in increasing doses over several weeks. You’ll start with a dose of 0.25mg, which increases every four weeks until you reach the maximum dose of 2.4mg. The normal dosing schedule is as follows:
- Weeks 1-4: 0.25mg a week
- Weeks 5-8: 0.5mg a week
- Weeks 9-12: 1mg a week
- Weeks 13-16: 1.7mg a week
- Week 17 and onwards: 2.4mg a week
Although this is the recommended dosing schedule, you might find that you want to stay at a lower dose for longer to manage any side effects, or if you’re finding the treatment effective at a lower dose. It’s very important that you do not increase the dose any faster than this schedule. Wegovy is designed to help with slow, sustained weight loss and increasing the dosage faster than is recommended can be dangerous.
If you’re struggling with side effects or think that a lower dose of Wegovy might help you to achieve your healthy weight loss goal, you can contact us via your online patient account to discuss this with our clinical team. We can also guide you on how to maintain your weight loss when you reach a healthy body mass index (BMI).
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Can I get Wegovy without a prescription?
Wegovy is available in the UK only by prescription and cannot be purchased over the counter.
Is mental health support available to patients undergoing weight loss treatment?
Yes, support is available. If you’re undergoing weight loss treatment and finding it challenging to manage your mental health or feel you need additional help, we’re here for you. Visit our Mental Health Hub to learn how we can help you. You can send us a message through your patient account or submit a consultation through our Depression and Anxiety treatment service . Additionally, you might find our free Boots Online Doctor podcast helpful: Your Better Mental Wellbeing focuses on managing stress and is accessible to everyone
Why does weight loss plateau?
After losing some weight, it’s common to hit a plateau where weight loss slows or stops. This is a normal and important part of your journey.
During this time, keep up your lifestyle and behavior changes to help your body adjust to your new weight. Continue your treatment until you reach your target weight.
Resetting habits like understanding your relationship with food, managing hunger and cravings, and sticking to your plan, is crucial for long-term success.
We are here to support you with our free weight loss resources which you can access by downloading our free weight loss app.
