The maximum semaglutide dose for weight loss is 2.4 milligrams (mg) per week. Your healthcare provider will start you on a lower weekly dose and gradually increase it over time.
If you’ve been hearing a lot about GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide, you’re not alone. The popularity of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, has skyrocketed in recent years.
Those considering semaglutide for weight loss treatment may wonder about dosing and how to take it. We’re here to help.
Keep reading as we dive into semaglutide doses, including information on compounded semaglutide, Ozempic, and Wegovy. Plus, check out our handy semaglutide weight loss dosage chart for an easy-to-follow overview of what to expect.
Image Credit: Carolina Rudah / iStock.
Semaglutide for Weight Loss
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in three medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy. The first two are approved to treat type 2 diabetes and sometimes used off-label for weight loss.
(Off-label use means a medication is prescribed to treat something other than what it’s FDA-approved for.)
Only Wegovy is FDA-approved for chronic weight management. It’s intended for people who have obesity (a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher) and those with overweight (a BMI of 27 or greater) with at least one weight-related condition, such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.
Compounded semaglutide, which is available through the Hers platform, contains the same active ingredient as the brand-name medications (but it hasn’t been approved by the FDA).
As a weight loss drug, semaglutide is intended to be used along with lifestyle changes like a reduced-calorie diet and regular physical activity.
Image Credit: Carolina Rudah / iStock.
Semaglutide Dose for Weight Loss
The maximum semaglutide dosage for weight loss is 2.4 milligrams weekly. However, that’s not what you’ll take when you first start on semaglutide.
Semaglutide dosing follows what’s known as a dose escalation scheme. That means your healthcare provider will start you on a lower dose of semaglutide and gradually increase it to a higher dose over time.
What’s the reason for slowly increasing weekly doses of semaglutide? It can help your body adjust to the medication while minimizing the side effects.
The semaglutide dosing chart below shows the dosing schedule for Wegovy (for weight loss) and Ozempic (for type 2 diabetes).
Image Credit: Hers.
Compounded Semaglutide Dosing
One of the best things about compounded semaglutide (besides the accessible price) is that it typically comes in vials rather than prefilled injection pens. This gives healthcare providers a lot more flexibility with dosing schedules.
When you get compounded semaglutide through Hers, your provider will prescribe a personalized dosing schedule tailored just for you. And they can adjust that schedule over time if need be.
Small dose adjustments can significantly alter your experience with semaglutide — helping you hit that sweet spot between reduced appetite and nausea.
Making these small dose adjustments with prefilled injection pens is nearly impossible.
Image Credit: Carolina Rudah/istockphoto.
Flexible Dose Options for Semaglutide Drugs
Ozempic and Wegovy both have a starting dose of 0.25 milligrams per week. While this may sound small, this medication packs quite a punch. And people can experience uncomfortable side effects in the first month with this lower dose.
Your personalized starting dose of compounded semaglutide may be as low as 0.15 milligrams per week.
Conversely, if you’re already taking semaglutide and your side effects have gone away, you may start with a semaglutide dose as high as 1.9 milligrams per week.
Here are a few examples of a dosing schedule for semaglutide.
Once you reach a dose that works for you (you’re losing weight and tolerating the medication well), you’ll stop increasing your dose. This steady dose is known as your maintenance dose.
Some people may benefit from the maximum dose of 2.4 milligrams weekly, but others may never need to go that high.
Image Credit: Hers.
How Do You Take Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
Semaglutide for weight loss is given as a subcutaneous injection. This means a very thin needle is inserted into the layer of fatty tissue just under the skin.
Brand-name semaglutide (Wegovy and Ozempic) comes in a prefilled injection pen. This pen is single-use and contains the dose of semaglutide that’s appropriate for you at the time.
Compounded semaglutide often comes in a small vial, in which case you’d measure out the dose each week using a single-use syringe.
When you’re first prescribed semaglutide for weight loss, a healthcare professional will show you how to prepare and give yourself injections.
There are a few areas it can be injected, including the:
-
Abdomen (stomach)
-
Thigh
-
Upper arm
You might want to rotate injection sites with each dose. That means not using the exact same spot over and over again. Rotating injection sites helps prevent injection site reactions, like bruising, redness, or mild pain.
Image Credit: Hers.
What Happens If I Miss a Dose of Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
Semaglutide is supposed to be taken on the same day each week. But missed doses might happen at some point during your treatment journey.
What should you do then? The answer to this question depends on how far away your next dose is.
If your next dose is still more than 48 hours away, take your missed dose as soon as you remember.
But if your next dose is less than 48 hours away, don’t take your missed dose. Instead, wait to take your next dose of semaglutide on the usual day.
Image Credit: CR / iStock.
What Are the Side Effects of Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
As with other GLP-1 receptor agonists, the most common side effects of semaglutide reported during the Wegovy clinical trials include things like:
-
Nausea
-
Vomiting
-
Diarrhea
-
Constipation
-
Abdominal pain
-
Upset stomach
It’s also common to experience gastrointestinal side effects when you increase your semaglutide dose — as it can take some time for your body to adjust. Semaglutide side effects should abate once you’ve reached your maintenance dose.
If you’re concerned about nausea — or if it’s something you’re already dealing with — reach out to a healthcare provider. They might recommend Zofran (ondansetron), a prescription anti-nausea medication.
Zofran is FDA-approved to treat and prevent nausea from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, but it’s commonly prescribed off-label to treat all types of nausea.
Less common side effects of Wegovy include:
-
Fatigue
-
Headache
-
Dizziness
-
Belching and flatulence
-
Distended abdomen (visible bloating)
-
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people who also have type 2 diabetes
-
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
-
Inflammation of the digestive tract (gastroenteritis)
-
Inflamed nose and throat (nasopharyngitis)
There is also the possibility of rare adverse effects when taking Wegovy. According to the drug’s prescribing information, these potential risks are:
-
An allergic reaction (hypersensitivity)
-
Severe low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, especially those taking insulin or sulfonylureas
-
Complications related to diabetic retinopathy in those with type 2 diabetes
-
Acute pancreatitis or gallbladder disease
-
Acute kidney injury
-
Increases in heart rate
-
Suicidal ideation or behavior
Lastly, Wegovy may increase the risk of certain thyroid tumors — but this has only been observed in rodent studies. Still, definitely tell your healthcare provider if you have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer before starting semaglutide treatment.
Image Credit: eternalcreative/Istockphoto.
What Happens If You Have Significant Side Effects From Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
It’s possible to experience significant, disruptive side effects while taking semaglutide for weight loss. Clinical trials have reported discontinuation rates (people quitting the medication) of up to eight percent due to gastrointestinal side effects.
Some research suggests discontinuation rates for GLP-1s may be significantly higher in the real world, particularly in people with obesity.
It’s totally valid to wonder what happens next if you have significant side effects while taking semaglutide for weight loss. There are several possibilities:
-
First, if you’ve reached your maintenance dose but aren’t tolerating it well, your provider might reduce your dose.
-
If you’re experiencing a lot of nausea, your provider might recommend a prescription anti-nausea medication like Zofran.
-
Another option is to try a different GLP-1 receptor agonist to help with weight loss. Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) are two other options FDA-approved for weight management.
-
It’s also possible that GLP-1 receptor agonists may not be the optimal weight-reduction intervention for you. Depending on your individual situation, other weight loss medications (like weight loss pills) or bariatric surgery might be worth exploring.
In any case, your healthcare provider is there to support you. They can work with you to address any questions or concerns that pop up during your weight loss journey.
Image Credit: KucherAV/ iStockphoto.
Semaglutide Dose for Weight Loss: The Bottom Line
Here’s what to remember about the semaglutide dose for weight loss:
-
Semaglutide injections are usually prescribed on a dose escalation scheme, meaning you start low and gradually increase your dosage.
-
The starting dose of Wegovy is typically 0.25 milligrams, and the maximum dose is 2.4 milligrams.
-
Compounded semaglutide comes in vials instead of prefilled pens, making personalized dosing schedules easier.
-
Typically, semaglutide doses are increased every four weeks if the medication is well tolerated.
-
If you experience prolonged or significant side effects, you might benefit from a slower dose escalation scheme or a lower maintenance dose.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.
This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: Carolina Rudah/istockphoto.
