Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Five different pen strengths, one 16-week ramp-up, and a single maintenance target: that’s the entire Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule in a nutshell. Most people assume higher is always better, but the FDA label actually allows a lower long-term maintenance dose for adults who can’t handle the top strength. In this guide, I’ll walk through every dose, the exact week-by-week schedule, what happens if you miss a shot, and how injections compare to the newer Wegovy tablet.

Key Takeaways

• Wegovy injection starts at 0.25 mg once weekly and increases every 4 weeks through 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, up to the 2.4 mg maintenance dose [1][2].
• Full titration takes 16 weeks (about 4 months) before you reach standard maintenance dosing [1][2].
• Adults can stay on 1.7 mg long-term if 2.4 mg isn’t tolerated; adolescents are generally kept on 2.4 mg [2][3].
• The new Wegovy tablet starts at 1.5 mg once daily and titrates monthly to 25 mg once daily, a completely separate schedule from the injection [4].
• Missing a dose by less than 5 days means you inject as soon as you remember; longer gaps may require restarting at a lower dose [1].
• GI side effects (nausea, constipation, diarrhea) are most common during the first weeks after each dose increase and typically ease within days to a couple weeks [3][5].
• Stopping Wegovy is linked to regaining lost weight over time, so long-term planning matters before you start [3].

What Is the Starting Dose of Wegovy and How Much Do You Increase Each Week

The starting dose is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. This dose is not meant to produce major weight loss, it’s a tolerability dose that lets your body adjust to semaglutide before increasing [1][2].

After week 4, the dose steps up every 4 weeks, not weekly. That distinction trips people up constantly. You don’t increase dose every week; you stay on each strength for a full month before moving to the next pen.

• Weeks 1-4: 0.25 mg once weekly
• Weeks 5-8: 0.5 mg once weekly
• Weeks 9-12: 1.0 mg once weekly
• Weeks 13-16: 1.7 mg once weekly
• Week 17 onward: 2.4 mg once weekly (standard maintenance)

Common mistake: jumping ahead because the scale “isn’t moving fast enough.” Skipping steps raises the risk of severe nausea and vomiting. The schedule is slow on purpose [3][5].

How Long Does It Take to Reach the Maintenance Dose on Wegovy

It takes 16 weeks, or about 4 months, to reach the standard 2.4 mg maintenance dose from the first injection [1][2]. Some patients and prescribers choose to extend a step longer if side effects are rough, which pushes the timeline past 4 months.

Official Quick Start materials frame this in months rather than weeks for easier tracking: Month 1 (0.25 mg), Month 2 (0.5 mg), Month 3 (1.0 mg), Month 4 (1.7 mg), Month 5 onward (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) [1][6][7].

Edge case: If you and your provider decide to repeat a dose level because of nausea, the overall timeline to maintenance simply extends by however many extra weeks you stay at that step. There’s no fixed deadline that forces an increase.

What’s the Difference Between All the Wegovy Doses: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7, and 2.4 mg

Each Wegovy strength is a distinct prefilled pen, not an adjustable dial, and each one represents one rung on the titration ladder rather than a separate “plan” [2][3]. Here’s how they break down.

Dose	Pen color/label	Typical use	Purpose
0.25 mg	Starting pen	Weeks 1-4	Tolerability, not weight loss
0.5 mg	Step 2 pen	Weeks 5-8	Early escalation
1.0 mg	Step 3 pen	Weeks 9-12	Mid escalation
1.7 mg	Step 4 pen	Weeks 13-16, or long-term alternative	Can become maintenance if 2.4 mg isn’t tolerated
2.4 mg	Maintenance pen	Week 17+	Standard target dose for adults and adolescents

Decision rule: choose to stay at 1.7 mg if you’ve had persistent GI side effects at that level and your provider agrees the benefit-risk balance favors stopping escalation. Choose 2.4 mg if you’re tolerating 1.7 mg reasonably well, since it’s the dose studied most for maximum weight-loss effect [2][3].

If you’re curious how these full-size doses compare to much smaller “microdosing” protocols some clinics use off-label, see this GLP-1 microdosing chart for context.

How Much Does Wegovy Cost Per Injection or Per Month

Wegovy pricing and insurance coverage change often, so treat any specific number as a snapshot, not a guarantee [VERIFY: current list price and copay card terms with your pharmacy]. List price has historically run over a thousand dollars per month without insurance, while many commercial insurance plans and manufacturer savings cards significantly cut out-of-pocket costs for eligible patients.

What drives your actual cost:

• Whether your insurance plan covers GLP-1 medications for weight management
• Manufacturer savings card eligibility (commercial insurance required for most cards)
• Pharmacy and dose strength (price doesn’t usually change much between the 0.25 mg and 2.4 mg pens)
• Telehealth bundled pricing versus retail pharmacy pricing

For uninsured patients, coupon programs and comparison shopping matter a lot. I’d recommend reviewing GoodRx Wegovy coupons for uninsured patients and this breakdown of Wegovy pill cost without insurance before committing to a pharmacy.

What Happens If You Miss or Skip a Wegovy Dose

If you miss a dose and it’s been less than 5 days, inject it as soon as you remember, then resume your normal weekly schedule [1]. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and take your next one on the regular scheduled day, don’t double up.

A longer gap changes things more. If you miss multiple doses in a row (generally more than 2 weeks at higher strengths), your provider may restart you at a lower dose to rebuild tolerance, since GI side effects can return as if you were starting fresh [1][3].

Example: Say your injection day is Monday and you forget until Thursday (3 days late). You inject Thursday, then go back to Monday dosing the following week. But if you don’t remember until the following Wednesday (9 days late), you skip that dose entirely and wait for the next Monday.

Can You Stay on a Lower Dose of Wegovy Instead of Going to the Max

Yes, adults can remain on 1.7 mg once weekly long-term instead of advancing to 2.4 mg, if 2.4 mg causes intolerable side effects [2][3]. This is written directly into current FDA labeling as an approved alternative maintenance dose for adults, it is not considered “off-label” or second-rate.

That said, adolescents 12 and older are generally kept on 2.4 mg as the recommended maintenance target, without the same lower-dose allowance built into labeling [3]. Weight-loss results at 1.7 mg tend to be more modest than at 2.4 mg, so staying lower is a tradeoff between tolerability and effect size, not a free lunch.

Choose 1.7 mg maintenance if: you’ve had repeated, significant GI distress at 2.4 mg, you and your provider have already tried slowing the titration, and you’re seeing meaningful progress at the lower dose already.

How Is Wegovy Dosing Different From Ozempic or Saxenda

Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda are all injectable, but they differ in active drug, maximum dose, and approved use. Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide, while Saxenda contains liraglutide, a related but distinct GLP-1 medication [3].

• Wegovy: semaglutide, titrates to 2.4 mg weekly maintenance, approved for chronic weight management
• Ozempic: semaglutide, maximum approved dose is lower (typically up to 2.0 mg weekly), approved for type 2 diabetes
• Saxenda: liraglutide, daily injection, titrates up to 3.0 mg once daily, approved for weight management

For a deeper side-by-side on how these semaglutide products relate, see semaglutide brand names: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and this semaglutide injections dosage breakdown. Using Ozempic’s exact dose schedule for weight loss purposes isn’t the same as following an approved Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule, since the drugs are approved at different maximum strengths.

What Are the Side Effects at Each Dose Level and When Do They Go Away

Gastrointestinal side effects, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting, are most intense in the first one to two weeks after each dose increase, then tend to settle down before the next step [3][5]. This pattern repeats at every escalation, which is exactly why the schedule spaces increases 4 weeks apart instead of weekly.

General pattern by stage:

• 0.25-0.5 mg: Mild nausea, occasional headache; usually the easiest stretch
• 1.0 mg: Nausea and constipation become more noticeable for some patients
• 1.7 mg: GI symptoms often peak here as the body adjusts to a bigger jump
• 2.4 mg: Symptoms can recur briefly then usually stabilize within 1-2 weeks

Common mistake: assuming side effects mean the drug “isn’t working for you.” In most cases, mild-to-moderate GI symptoms are expected and temporary, not a sign of failure [3][5]. Severe or persistent vomiting, signs of pancreatitis (severe abdominal pain), or gallbladder symptoms warrant contacting your provider right away.

Who Shouldn’t Take Wegovy, or What Medical Conditions Make It Unsafe

Wegovy carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors and should not be used by anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) [3]. It’s also contraindicated for people with a known hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any component of the formulation.

Other situations that need careful provider evaluation before starting:

• History of pancreatitis
• Diabetic retinopathy, especially with rapid glucose improvement
• Gallbladder disease
• Pregnancy or planning pregnancy (not recommended)
• Severe gastrointestinal disease, including gastroparesis

This list is not exhaustive. Always review your full medical history with a licensed provider before starting any dose on the Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule, since individual risk factors change the calculus.

What Are the Best Alternatives to Wegovy If You Can’t Tolerate the Doses

If standard Wegovy doses cause intolerable side effects, options include extending titration time, staying at a lower maintenance dose, switching formulations, or trying a different GLP-1 medication under medical supervision [3][5]. No single alternative is “better” universally, it depends on what specifically isn’t working.

• Slower titration: repeating a dose step for an extra 4 weeks before advancing
• Wegovy tablet: oral once-daily dosing some patients tolerate differently than injections; see semaglutide dose for weight loss comparing injections vs. oral tablets
• Lower-dose or microdosing protocols: some clinics offer structured lower-dose approaches; review this microdosing semaglutide chart for how that differs from standard titration
• Different GLP-1 or dual-agonist medication: switching requires a new provider evaluation, not a self-directed change

Do You Need to Keep Increasing Wegovy Dose If It Stops Working

No, reaching a plateau doesn’t automatically mean you need a higher dose, especially if you’re already at the 2.4 mg maintenance level, which is the maximum approved strength for the injection [2]. Weight loss naturally slows and plateaus for most patients after the active titration period, and that’s an expected physiological response, not necessarily a treatment failure.

Before assuming the medication “stopped working,” it’s worth reviewing diet, activity, sleep, and medication adherence with your provider, since these factors affect outcomes at any fixed dose. There is no FDA-approved dose above 2.4 mg weekly for the injection, so “going higher” isn’t an available option within approved prescribing.

What Happens to Your Weight After You Stop Taking Wegovy

Weight regain is common after stopping Wegovy, since appetite-regulating effects fade once the drug clears your system [3]. This is one of the most under-discussed realities of GLP-1 treatment: Wegovy is generally studied and used as a long-term, ongoing therapy, not a short course with permanent effects.

Decision rule: if you’re considering stopping, talk with your provider about a plan, whether that’s tapering, switching to lifestyle-only maintenance, or transitioning to a lower dose, rather than stopping abruptly without a follow-up strategy.

Can You Go Back to a Lower Dose If Side Effects Are Too Bad

Yes, providers can move you back down a dose level if side effects become difficult to manage, and this is a recognized, supported approach rather than a failure of treatment [3][5]. Regulatory and manufacturer guidance explicitly allows clinicians to delay increases or maintain a lower dose when patients experience intolerable symptoms [3][5].

Example: A patient who develops severe nausea and vomiting at 1.7 mg might drop back to 1.0 mg for a few extra weeks, then re-attempt 1.7 mg more slowly, rather than pushing straight to 2.4 mg on the standard calendar.

Is Wegovy Safe for Type 2 Diabetes Patients at Any Dose

Wegovy (semaglutide for weight management) can be used by people with type 2 diabetes, but it needs careful coordination with other diabetes medications at every dose level, especially insulin or sulfonylureas, due to hypoglycemia risk [3]. Dosing itself doesn’t change for people with diabetes, the same 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg titration applies.

Key considerations:

• Blood sugar should be monitored more closely during titration, since appetite and intake changes can affect glucose levels
• Diabetic retinopathy history requires closer eye monitoring, since rapid glucose improvement has been linked to retinopathy complications in studies of semaglutide
• Combining Wegovy with insulin or sulfonylureas often requires dose adjustments to those other medications

This is a conversation for your prescribing provider, not something to manage independently, given the medication interactions involved.

Wegovy Tablet vs. Injection: A Different Titration Schedule Entirely

The Wegovy tablet (oral semaglutide) follows a completely separate schedule from the injection: start at 1.5 mg once daily for 30 days, then increase every 30 days up to a maintenance dose of 25 mg once daily [4]. This is not interchangeable with the injectable Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule, the numbers, units, and frequency are all different.

Quick comparison:

Feature	Wegovy injection	Wegovy tablet
Frequency	Once weekly	Once daily
Starting dose	0.25 mg	1.5 mg
Maintenance dose	2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg if needed)	25 mg
Titration interval	Every 4 weeks	Every 30 days
Total ramp-up time	16 weeks	Varies by step count

Choose the tablet if you’re needle-averse and your provider agrees it fits your clinical picture; choose the injection if you prefer weekly dosing over daily pill-taking. For more on the pill-specific cost and HD injection options, check Wegovy HD cost: pricing, coverage, and savings options and Wegovy HD reviews: is the higher dose worth it.

FAQ

What is the first dose of Wegovy?
The first dose is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for the first 4 weeks. It’s a tolerability dose, not meant to drive significant weight loss yet [1][2].

How many mg is the highest Wegovy dose?
The highest approved injectable dose is 2.4 mg once weekly, the standard maintenance target for most adult and adolescent patients [2].

Can I skip straight to a higher Wegovy dose?
No. Dose increases should follow the 4-week intervals on the approved schedule; skipping steps raises the risk of severe gastrointestinal side effects [1][5].

Is 1.7 mg a permanent dose or just a step?
It can be either. For most patients it’s a step toward 2.4 mg, but adults who can’t tolerate 2.4 mg can stay on 1.7 mg long-term under FDA labeling [2][3].

Does the Wegovy tablet use the same chart as the injection?
No. The tablet starts at 1.5 mg once daily and titrates monthly to 25 mg once daily, a completely separate schedule from the weekly injection [4].

What if I miss a Wegovy injection by a week?
If it’s been more than 5 days since your missed dose, skip it and resume on your regular scheduled day; don’t take two doses close together [1].

Will I lose weight after stopping Wegovy?
Most people experience weight regain after stopping, since the appetite-regulating effects fade over time. Discuss a stopping or tapering plan with your provider first [3].

Can people with diabetes use the same Wegovy dosage chart?
Yes, the titration schedule is the same, but blood sugar and other diabetes medications need closer monitoring throughout [3].

Conclusion

The Wegovy Dosage Chart: Every Dose, Strength & Titration Schedule comes down to five pen strengths, a steady 4-week escalation, and a maintenance target of 2.4 mg (with 1.7 mg as an approved fallback for adults). The tablet form runs on an entirely different daily schedule, so don’t mix the two up. If you’re starting treatment, map out your 16-week calendar with your provider now, track side effects by week rather than by day, and have an honest conversation about what happens if you plateau or decide to stop. For a closer look at how low-dose and microdosing protocols stack up against standard titration, read our microdose semaglutide guide next.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed healthcare provider before starting or changing any medication.

References

1. Wegovy Quick Start Guide. wegovy.com.
2. 215256s007lbl. accessdata.fda.gov.
3. Download. fda.gov.
4. Starting Wegovy Pill. wegovy.com.
5. Wegovy Epar Product Information En. ema.europa.eu.
6. Us21semo00668 Wgv Quickstartguide Digital. wegovy.com.
7. Wegovy Patient Quick Start Guide Digital Us21semo00378. wegovy.com.