Wegovy Uses & Side Effects

The weight management drug Wegovy was recently in the news when billionaire Elon Musk said he used it to get “fit, ripped, and healthy.” Elon is not the only one—Wegovy and its counterpart, Ozempic, have also gained popularity amongst TikTok influencers for their weight loss effect. However, just like with any other medication, there is no magic formula to get you “fit, ripped, and healthy” overnight, though Wegovy has good clinical evidence to support its use in weight loss. Discuss your health history with a healthcare professional if you are interested in using Wegovy for weight management. Please keep reading for drug information on Wegovy, including its uses and side effects.

What is Wegovy? How does it work?

Wegovy is a brand-name medicine that contains semaglutide as the active ingredient. It is used for chronic weight management in adults and children over the age of 12 years who meet certain BMI (body mass index) criteria for weight management discussed below. This medication works along with a reduced-calorie diet while maintaining a consistent exercise regimen.

Semaglutide (Wegovy) belongs to a group of prescription drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Semaglutide mimics the action of GLP-1, a natural hormone in the body; this hormone regulates appetite and helps you feel fuller faster by slowing the stomach emptying process. Therefore, Wegovy can help you achieve weight loss along with a lower-calorie diet and exercise.

How is Wegovy different from Ozempic and Rybelsus?

It is important to know that Wegovy is only approved for weight loss; this product should not be used for diabetes management. Semaglutide, the active drug of Wegovy, is also the active ingredient of Ozempic and Rybelsus; however, these three drug products have different uses.

As mentioned, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Wegovy for weight management, whereas Ozempic and Rybelsus are authorized to be used in people with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels along with diet and exercise.

Wegovy and Ozempic are both weekly subcutaneous injections (under-the-skin injections). Rybelsus is a once-daily oral tablet.

Besides its role in type-2 diabetes, Ozempic has an off-label use for weight management. While Wegovy and Ozempic are both administered once weekly, Ozempic’s dosing for weight loss is lower than Wegovy’s.

Since these drug products contain the same active ingredient, you should not take them together.

How to take Wegovy?

Dosage

Wegovy is given as a once-weekly injection. The initial dose is 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. Depending on how you tolerate this medication, your doctor will instruct you to increase Wegovy’s dose every four weeks until a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once a week is reached. Ideally, the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg should be achieved at month 5 and be maintained after that.

Administration

Wegovy is administered as an under-the-skin injection (subcutaneous injection).

Wegovy injections come in the form of prefilled single-dose pens. A licensed healthcare professional will teach you the proper technique for under-the-skin injections. You may inject Wegovy in your upper arm, stomach, or thigh. The injections are given on the same day, once a week. The Wegovy injection can be taken at any time of the day, with or without food intake. You can store Wegovy pens at room temperature (46F-86F) for up to 28 days.

Missed Dose

If you missed a dose of Wegovy and the next dose is more than 48 hours (2 days) away, you should take the injection as soon as possible.

If you missed one dose and the next scheduled dose is due within the next 48 hours, you should skip the missed dose and take the next injection at the scheduled time. If you miss two or more doses of Wegovy, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how to restart treatment.

Who can take Wegovy for weight loss?

In adults, overweight is classified as having a BMI (body mass index) of 27 kg/m²or greater, and obesity is having a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater.

Along with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, Wegovy can be used for weight management for adults and children who meet the following criteria under the supervision of a healthcare provider:

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher
Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or higher in the presence of a weight-related health condition, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), or type 2 diabetes.
Children over the age of 12 years who have an initial body mass index (BMI) in the 95th percentile or higher (obesity) for age and sex.

Who should not take Wegovy?

People who should not take Wegovy:

Those who have had an allergic reaction to the active ingredient (semaglutide) or any of the inactive ingredients in Wegovy injections. Get emergency medical care if you have symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including problems with breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, severe hives, or itching.
People with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2).
Those who are taking other drugs from the same class (GLP-1 receptor agonists), such as Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), or Victoza (liraglutide).
People taking other weight loss drugs (the safety and efficacy of this drug combination have not been established).
Inform your doctor if you plan to get pregnant or are pregnant. Wegovy may harm your unborn baby. Stop taking Wegovy 2 months before you plan to become pregnant.
- Wegovy pregnancy exposure registry is available for women who use Wegovy treatment during pregnancy. A pregnancy exposure registry helps gather information on how certain medications can affect pregnancy. If you are interested in participating in this registry, you should talk to your healthcare provider or call Novo Nordisk at 1-800-727-6500.
It is unclear if Wegovy passes into breast milk. Discuss with your healthcare provider regarding the risks and benefits of your case, including different options to feed your baby while on Wegovy.

What are Wegovy drug interactions?

Wegovy delays gastric emptying. This can have an effect on the absorption of other oral medications.

Inform your healthcare team if you take insulin or certain medications for diabetes; examples include glimepiride, glyburide, glipizide, Byetta, and Trulicity. The combination of Wegovy and these medications increase your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

How much weight can you lose with Wegovy?

In clinical trials, patients with a starting weight of around 232 lbs and an average BMI 37.9 kg/m2 were enrolled. Those who took Wegovy lost an average of 35 lbs (15.9 kg) or roughly 15% of their body weight. In contrast, patients who took the placebo lost 6 lbs (2.7 kg) or approximately 2.5% of their body weight. After 68 weeks, 83% of patients taking Wegovy had a weight loss of at least 5% of their body weight compared to 31% of patients on a placebo.

What are the most common side effects of Wegovy?

The most common adverse effects of Wegovy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, headache, tiredness, indigestion, heartburn, and dizziness. There can be a mild allergic reaction at the injection site with itching, redness, swelling, and irritation.

The gastrointestinal side effects of Wegovy can be managed by eating bland low-fat foods like rice and crackers, avoiding lying down after eating, eating slowly, and getting some fresh air.

What are the warnings and precautions for Wegovy?

Allergic reactions

A more severe allergic reaction can occur with signs and symptoms such as severe skin rash; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat; difficulty breathing or swallowing; or fast heartbeat. This is a medical emergency. You should call your local emergency number and get immediate medical help if this occurs. Before starting Wegovy, tell your doctor if you have ever had allergic reactions to other GLP-1 receptor agonists or any other medications.

Thyroid cancer

Wegovy carries a boxed warning for an increased risk of thyroid tumors, specifically thyroid C cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma. This medication is contraindicated in people with a personal history or family history of these types of thyroid tumors. People who have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN type 2) should not take Wegovy. Talk with your doctor about the risks of Wegovy if you have such a medical history.

Pancreatitis

Taking Wegovy for weight management can cause inflammation of the pancreas. Call your doctor if you develop vomiting or severe abdominal pain that radiates all the way to your back that does not get better.

Gallbladder disease

Wegovy has been linked to an increased risk of cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation) and cholelithiasis (gallstones) due to rapid weight loss. This risk is especially higher in children than adults.

Hypoglycemia

Wegovy contains the active drug semaglutide, which is prescribed to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients using Wegovy for weight management can develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially if they have diabetes and are also on diabetes medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Talk with your doctor about adjusting the doses of your diabetes medications before starting Wegovy.

Acute kidney injury

Wegovy can cause acute kidney injury or worsening chronic renal failure in some patients. Your doctor will likely monitor kidney function before starting Wegovy and when increasing the dose, especially if you have severe gastrointestinal side effects which can lead to dehydration.

Eye problems in patients with type-2 diabetes (diabetic retinopathy)

This is a complication of type 2 diabetes. Patients taking Wegovy may have a temporary worsening of diabetic retinopathy due to rapid improvement in glucose control.

Increased heart rate

Wegovy can lead to an increase in heart rate. Tell your doctor if you experience palpitations or a racing heartbeat while on this weight loss drug.

Suicidal behavior and ideation

Patients enrolled in clinical trials of other weight loss drugs have been found to develop suicidal behaviors and ideation. Contact your doctor if you develop any unusual changes in mood or behavior.

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