Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM
Summary
- Wegovy® (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 medication used to help patients with obesity or who are overweight with associated medical conditions lose weight when lifestyle changes aren’t enough. It slows down the rate at which food gets emptied from your stomach and sends messages to the brain responsible for appetite.
- Wegovy® requires a prescription and is administered as a weekly injection.
- Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Serious risks involve pancreatitis, diabetic retinopathy, hypoglycemia, kidney issues, and possible hereditary thyroid cancer. Discuss your health history and potential side effects with a healthcare provider before taking Wegovy®.
- Wegovy® should be injected into the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Proper injection technique and monitoring of other semaglutide medications are essential.
Learn how Wegovy® can help with weight management
Nearly 1 in 3 American adults suffer from being overweight, and over 42% of the population has obesity. Wegovy® is a medication that may be able to help you lose excess weight when combined with diet and exercise.
But how does this medication work, what should you know before starting, and what are the side effects? To help answer those questions, we’ve provided the following guide. Learn the essential facts so that you can talk to your healthcare provider about Wegovy® in an informed way and make a plan to support your long-term wellness.
What is Wegovy®?
Wegovy® is a branded version of semaglutide, which belongs to a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. Ozempic® is another popular GLP-1 medication containing semaglutide, but they are FDA-approved for different purposes.
Learn more:
- The Ultimate Guide to Ozempic: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & More
- Ozempic® vs. Wegovy®: What’s the Difference?
What GLP-1 medications do
GLP-1 medications are also called GLP-1 agonists or GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications activate GLP-1 receptors on cells, which play an important role in many parts of the body, including the stomach and the brain.
Taking GLP-1 medications slows down the rate at which food gets emptied from your stomach—and it also sends messages to the brain that make you feel less hungry. It can also affect the way food tastes so that you don’t crave it as often.
Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy®) is one of only two GLP-1 medications approved by the FDA for help with weight loss, along with liraglutide. However, semaglutide medications have been particularly popular in recent years, possibly because you can take them less frequently and still see the benefits.
Who Wegovy® is for
Wegovy® is specifically formulated to promote weight loss in people with obesity or who are overweight with associated medical conditions. To be eligible for treatment with Wegovy®, the following should apply to you:
- You have obesity, with a BMI of over 30
- You are overweight, with a BMI of at least 27 and a weight-related condition like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol (too much fat in your blood)
The FDA has also approved Wegovy® for use in children over 12 years old whose BMI is above the 95th percentile for their age and biological sex.
How Wegovy® works
The semaglutide in Wegovy® causes your body to produce more insulin, which helps move sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells so that it can be used as energy.
It also slows down the rate at which food leaves your stomach, reduces hormones that can raise your blood sugar, and targets parts of your brain that cause hunger and cravings. As a result, you feel full longer and want to eat less—which can help you lose weight, especially when combined with diet and exercise.
The benefits of Wegovy® for weight loss
Wegovy® has been shown to be effective at helping people lose weight. A two-year study found that injecting it once per week resulted in losing over 15% of total body weight.
The same study also lowered certain weight-related heart risks. But it’s important to note that both these effects were achieved in combination with diet and exercise.
Possible side effects of Wegovy®
Like all medications, Wegovy® can have side effects that range from mild to severe. It’s important to talk to your doctor about these potential side effects so you can make the best choice for you..
Wegovy® has a similar side effect profile as other semaglutide medications like Ozempic®—but Wegovy® has a higher concentration of semaglutide than Ozempic® does, which might make certain side effects more likely. The main side effects for semaglutide are as follows:
- Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Stomach (abdomen) pain
- Dizziness
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Feeling bloated
- Stomach flu
- Vomiting
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Belching
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Upset stomach
- Low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
- Runny nose or sore throat
- Serious Side Effects
- Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Gallbladder problems
- Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially those who also take medicines to treat diabetes mellitus such as insulin or sulfonylureas
- Kidney problems (kidney failure)
- Serious allergic reactions
- Change in vision in people with type 2 diabetes
- Increased heart rate
- Depression or thoughts of suicide
- Increased hereditary thyroid cancer risk in patients taking GLP-1 medications like Wegovy® for 1-3 years
- Rare Side Effects
- Diabetic retinopathy (an eye disease that can cause vision loss in people with diabetes)
Wegovy® also lists a few side effects in addition to the ones associated with other semaglutide medications, like headache, fatigue, and gas. You may feel better if you eat more slowly, avoid lying down afterwards, spend time outdoors, avoid rich food, and eat more foods with water in them (like soup).
Warning: Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors
Wegovy® has been linked to a risk of thyroid C-cell tumors based on animal studies. Specifically, in rodent studies, semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy®, has been shown to cause thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. Although the risk to humans has not been conclusively established, it is essential to be aware of the following precautionary measures.
How to get Wegovy®
Wegovy® is a prescription medication, so you’ll need to talk to a healthcare provider before you can purchase and use it. Here are some of the things you should discuss during that conversation:
- Any past or present medical conditions you have
- Whether you’ve ever had pancreas or kidney problems
- Whether you have type 2 diabetes and whether you’ve had diabetic retinopathy
- Whether you’ve ever struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health challenges
- Whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding (or plan to be while taking the medication)
- Any other medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements
Your healthcare provider will use this information to help determine whether Wegovy® is appropriate for you.
How to use Wegovy®
Using Wegovy® properly means following a few important guidelines. Remember: you should only use this medication if it’s been prescribed to you by a qualified healthcare professional, and you should only use it as directed.
Who should not take Wegovy®
Wegovy® can be useful, but it isn’t for everyone. You should avoid taking this medication if any of the following conditions apply to you:
- You or anyone in your family have a kind of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
- You have a condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). This is a hereditary condition associated with several endocrine tumors.
- You are allergic or hypersensitive to any of the ingredients listed in Wegovy®.
Wegovy® vs. other medications
Wegovy® should not be used alongside other semaglutide medications or other GLP-1 medications. The FDA has only approved a specific amount of semaglutide each week for weight management, so taking Wegovy® with other weight management medications that contain it is not recommended.
How to take Wegovy®
The standard maintenance dose of Wegovy® is 2.4mg, injected once a week under the skin. You should also eat a low-calorie diet and get regular physical activity for best results.
Wegovy® comes in single-use pens that you use to inject the medication into your abdominal wall, thigh, or upper arm. It’s best to choose different sites in the same part of the body when injecting it (for example, different locations in the upper arm). You’ll get additional guidance on how to inject Wegovy® from your healthcare provider if they prescribe it to you.
Frequently asked questions about Wegovy®
How quickly do you see weight loss on Wegovy®?
Results for Wegovy® may vary from one person to another—but results are often noticeable around the three-month mark.
Is Wegovy® cheaper than Ozempic®?
Wegovy® has a relatively high price compared to other weight loss products, but these costs can be made more affordable if it is covered by your insurance.
Find out if Wegovy® is right for you with Lemonaid Health
Wegovy® has the potential to help many Americans who are struggling with the health and lifestyle impacts of being overweight or obese. But it’s vital to understand the correct way to use this medication and the risks associated with it before attempting to obtain or use it for yourself.
Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider before using Wegovy®, take it only if they have prescribed it to you, and follow their instructions. Our team at Lemonaid Health can help by setting up a consultation with US-based healthcare professionals so that you can get the expert support you need to make healthy choices about the medication you use.
Wegovy® and Ozempic® are both registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Novo Nordisk is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S.
