Wegovy Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Wegovy Injection contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, available as a weekly injection or a daily pill. It is used for long-term weight loss and weight management in adults with obesity or overweight-related health problems, and it may also help reduce cardiovascular risk and treat certain liver conditions. Wegovy works by reducing appetite and slowing digestion, helping people eat less and lose weight over time when combined with diet and exercise.

What is Wegovy Injection

Wegovy is a prescription medicine available as a weekly injection or a daily pill. It contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which belongs to a group of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Wegovy Injection uses

• Long-term weight loss and weight management in adults with obesity
• Long-term weight loss and weight management in adults who are overweight and have a weight-related medical problem such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol
• Weight loss in children 12 years and older with obesity (injection only)
• Reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with known heart disease who have obesity or are overweight
• Treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a liver disease, in adults with moderate to advanced liver scarring (injection only)

Benefits of Wegovy Injection

• Helps people lose weight and keep it off when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise
• May lower the risk of serious heart and blood vessel problems in certain adults
• Can improve liver inflammation and scarring in people with MASH

How Wegovy Injection works

Wegovy copies the action of a natural body hormone called GLP-1, which helps control hunger and food intake. It reduces appetite, helps you feel full longer, and slows down digestion, so you eat less and lose weight over time.

Wegovy Injection dosage

The injection is given once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Choose a new weekly injection day only after at least two days have passed since your last injection. The injection pen is for one-time use only and the dose is already set. Check the medicine before use; do not use it if it looks cloudy, has changed color, or has particles in it. Inject under the skin of the stomach, thigh, or upper arm; do not inject into a muscle or vein. Change the injection site with each dose; do not inject into skin that is tender, bruised, red, or hard, or into scars or stretch marks. People who are blind or have vision problems should not use the injection pen without help from someone trained to use it.

The tablet is taken once daily in the morning with a small amount of plain water only, on an empty stomach. Swallow the tablet whole; do not split, crush, chew, or dissolve it. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking the tablet before eating, drinking anything other than water, or taking other oral medicines. Do not take more than one tablet per day.

Use Wegovy together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Available forms and strengths

Tablets (1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, 25 mg)

Side effects of Wegovy Injection

Common

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Indigestion
• Bloating
• Burping
• Low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
• Gas or flatulence
• Gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
• Heartburn
• Hair loss
• Changes in skin sensations
• Dizziness

Serious

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Gallbladder disease, including gallstones
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Kidney problems
• Serious allergic reactions
• Increased heart rate
• Suicidal thoughts or behavior
• Eye complications in people with type 2 diabetes (diabetic retinopathy)
• Severe gastrointestinal side effects
• Liquid or food getting into the lungs during deep sedation or anesthesia

Warnings and precautions

Wegovy has a boxed warning, the strongest FDA safety warning, about a possible risk of thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. This was seen in animal studies, and it isn't known for sure if it happens in humans. Do not use Wegovy if you or a family member has ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer) or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

Never share your injection pen with another person, even if the needle has been changed, because it can spread infection or disease. Tell your doctor if you have a history of stomach or intestinal problems like severe gastroparesis, pancreatitis, kidney disease, diabetic eye problems, or mental health issues including depression or suicidal thoughts, before starting Wegovy. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are using Wegovy before any surgery or procedure involving anesthesia or deep sedation, since it can increase the chance of food or liquid getting into your lungs.

You should stop using Wegovy at least two months before trying to become pregnant, because it may harm your unborn baby. Ask your doctor about a safer option if you are planning pregnancy. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking Wegovy tablets. It is not known if the injection passes into breast milk, so talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, since Wegovy can worsen kidney problems, especially if you become dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea. It is not known for certain how alcohol affects Wegovy, but drinking alcohol may increase the risk of dizziness, nausea, or other side effects.

Storage

• Store injection in refrigerator from 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F)
• If needed (prior to cap removal), the single-dose pen can be kept from 8°C to 30°C (46°F to 86°F) for up to 28 days. The Wegovy FlexTouch pen can be stored at room temperature from 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) or in the refrigerator for up to 56 days after first use
• Do not store Wegovy in the freezer or directly beside the refrigerator cooling element
• Do not freeze Wegovy, and do not use Wegovy if it has been frozen
• Protect from light, and it must be kept in the original carton until the time of administration. Discard the pen after use
• Store tablets at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C)
• Store tablets in the original closed Wegovy bottle until you are ready to take one. Do not store in any other container
• Store in a dry place away from moisture

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as hives, itching, dizziness, fast heartbeats, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you notice a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath, since these may be signs of a thyroid tumor.
• Call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain that spreads to your back, with or without nausea or vomiting, which could be a sign of pancreatitis.
• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of gallbladder problems, such as upper stomach pain, fever, clay-colored stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of low blood sugar, such as headache, hunger, weakness, sweating, confusion, irritability, dizziness, fast heart rate, or feeling jittery.
• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of kidney problems, such as swelling, urinating less, feeling tired, or feeling short of breath.
• If you think you've taken too much Wegovy, contact your doctor or a poison control center right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
• If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, seek support immediately through a crisis helpline or emergency services.

Alternatives

• Saxenda Injection
• Ozempic Injection
• Zepbound Injection