What is Wegovy?
Wegovy (semaglutide) injection is a prescription medicine used for weight loss in obese adults and teenagers, or overweight adults with other weight-related medical issues. Wegovy works by regulating appetite and reducing calorie intake, leading to weight loss and helping with weight management.
Wegovy belongs to the class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a manufactured version of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone in the body that acts in several areas in the brain to regulate food intake. When Wegovy is administered, it activates the GLP-1 receptors in the brain. This lowers appetite, reducing the calories consumed, leading to weight loss.
This medicine should be used together with a decreased-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity to help weight management.
Wegovy is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) once a week.
How should I use Wegovy?
- Wegovy is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm, using a pen device. You should not inject this medicine into a muscle (intramuscularly) or vein (intravenously).
- This medicine should be used one time each week, on the same day each week, at any time of the day.
- You can take Wegovy with or without food.
What are the side effects of Wegovy?
Serious side effects
- Vision changes
- Unusual mood changes, thoughts about hurting yourself
- Pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest
- A light-headed feeling, like you might pass out
- Signs of a thyroid tumor–swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, feeling short of breath
- Symptoms of pancreatitis–severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea with or without vomiting, fast heart rate
Common side effects
- Low blood sugar (in people with type 2 diabetes)
- Upset stomach, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite
- Diarrhea, constipation
- Runny nose or sore throat
- Stomach flu symptoms
- Headache, dizziness, tiredness
Miss a dose
Use the medicine as soon as possible and then return to your regular schedule. But If your next dose is due in less than two days (48 hours), skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule.
Call your doctor if you miss more than two doses in a row of Wegovy. You may need to restart the medicine at a lower dose to avoid stomach problems.
Do not use two doses of semaglutide at one time.
Warnings
Call your doctor at once if you have signs of a thyroid tumor, such as swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, or shortness of breath. In studies with rodents, Wegovy and medicines that work like Wegovy caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if this medicine will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
You should not use this medicine if you have tumors in your glands called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2), or a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).
Overdose
Overdose may cause severe nausea, vomiting, or low blood sugar.
Storage
Wegovy should be stored in refrigerator from 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).
If needed (prior to cap removal), the pen can be kept from 8°C to 30°C (46°F to 86°F) for up to 28 days.
Do not freeze.
Protect Wegovy from light, and it must be kept in the original carton until time of administration. Discard the Wegovy pen after use.
