This article was reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA.
If you’ve been taking Ozempic®, Wegovy®, or a compounded version of semaglutide, you might wonder, How long can you take semaglutide for weight loss?
You can take semaglutide for weight loss indefinitely. There’s no set cut-off time, as the drug was originally designed as a diabetes medication and intended for long-term use.
If you’re tolerating it well and it’s working for you, you can take semaglutide until you reach your goal weight and then beyond for long-term weight management. This could be for the rest of your life.
Not bad, right?
Below, we’ll share more info on long-term semaglutide use, including how long it takes to start working for weight loss and potential long-term effects.
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How Long Can You Take Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
There’s no cut-off for when you need to stop taking semaglutide — you may be able to take it long-term. That goes for whether you’re taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or compounded semaglutide.
Semaglutide was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. That means it’s intended for long-term, even life-long use.
If you’re tolerating semaglutide well and it’s helping you lose or manage your weight, you can take it indefinitely. You’ll start on a low dose, gradually increase your dose, and then stay on a semaglutide maintenance dose for weight loss and management.
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Studies on Long-Term Semaglutide Use
More studies are needed, but long-term semaglutide use appears to be safe.
A 2022 study — funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy — found that taking semaglutide for two years was safe and effective.
A more recent 2024 study — also funded by Novo Nordisk — is currently the longest clinical trial on semaglutide for weight loss. It looked at almost 18,000 participants with excess weight or obesity and cardiovascular disease who took weekly semaglutide injections for four years.
Participants lost weight during the first 65 weeks of treatment and then maintained weight loss over the rest of the experiment. The four-year trial didn’t show any new safety concerns.
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Why You Might Stop Taking Semaglutide
While there’s no official cut-off point, a few factors could mean you have to stop taking semaglutide.
These include:
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If you want to get pregnant
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If you experience troubling side effects, like chronic constipation or incessant vomiting
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If you develop a health condition like pancreatitis or gallbladder disease
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If the drug isn’t working
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Availability — some semaglutide drugs are experiencing shortages
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The cost of semaglutide — brand-name semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are pricey and aren’t often covered by insurance
Your prescribing healthcare provider can make sure this GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonist drug is safe for you. If not, they can recommend an alternative weight loss drug.
Let your provider know about any changes in your circumstances or if the side effects of semaglutide are bothering you. They can monitor your treatment plan and tell you if you need to stop taking semaglutide at any point.
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How Long Does It Take for Semaglutide to Work?
How long does semaglutide take to work? This isn’t the straightforward question it sounds like. We’re all unique, so there’s no set answer or guarantee. When semaglutide works will vary from person to person.
You could notice your weight change within your first few weeks of weight loss treatment. But significant weight loss will generally take longer.
A Novo Nordisk-funded 2021 study looked at almost 2,000 adults with excess body weight or obesity without diabetes. Participants took once-weekly 2.4-milligram (mg) semaglutide injections or a placebo for 68 weeks and followed healthy lifestyle changes like eating a nutritious diet and increased physical activity.
Participants saw weight loss by the four-week mark, and this continued for the rest of the experiment.
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How Long Does Semaglutide Stay in Your System?
Semaglutide can stay in your system for about five to seven weeks. It has a half-life of one week, meaning it takes a week for the amount of semaglutide in your system to decrease by half. Then it’ll take another week to decrease by half again, and so on.
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FAQs: What Are the Risks of Taking Semaglutide Long Term?
As with any drug, there may be some risks to taking semaglutide long-term. But before you panic, know these risks are rare.
Long-term effects of semaglutide may include:
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Pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas)
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Gallstones and gallbladder disease
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Acute kidney injury (when your kidneys stop working)
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Increased heart rate
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Mental health issues
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Diabetic retinopathy complications (an eye condition caused by diabetes)
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Thyroid cancer
One important note — semaglutide is considered a safe drug, and for many, the benefits outweigh any potential long-term risks.
A healthcare professional can help make sure semaglutide is safe for you to take in the long haul.
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Do You Have to Take Semaglutide Forever?
No, you don’t have to take semaglutide for weight loss forever. You can stop if the side effects are unmanageable or when you reach your weight loss goal.
But always let your healthcare provider know before you stop taking semaglutide (or any other medication).
Bear in mind you may regain some of the weight you lost if you stop the drug. So, you don’t have to take semaglutide forever, but you might want to for chronic weight management.
Image Credit: CR/istockphoto.
Can I Prevent Weight Gain After Stopping Semaglutide?
You can maintain your weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise. But your appetite, cravings, and food noise (obsessive thoughts about food) might return to the levels you experienced before taking semaglutide. This may lead to increased food intake and weight gain.
After all, obesity is considered a chronic disease, so semaglutide can help you manage it in the long haul. Just like how if you had high blood pressure (hypertension), you wouldn’t necessarily stop taking blood pressure medication once it’s under control.
This article originally appeared on Hers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
Image Credit: SeventyFour/istockphoto.
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