Wegovy doses chart: Dosage, Schedule, Storage & Important Safety Tips

Last updated: November 2, 2026

More than half of people who start a GLP-1 medication end up confused about when to raise their dose, according to patient support materials from the drug maker itself, not because the schedule is complicated, but because nobody hands you a clear chart on day one. This guide lays out the complete Wegovy doses chart: Dosage, Schedule, Storage & Important Safety Tips so you know exactly what to expect from week one through long-term maintenance.

Quick Answer

Wegovy injections follow a five-step titration: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, then a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, or 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD), each held for about four weeks before increasing [1]. Wegovy tablets start at 1.5 mg daily and climb monthly to a 25 mg maintenance dose [2][3]. Store injection pens refrigerated and tablets at room temperature, away from moisture.

Key Takeaways

• The standard Wegovy injection chart runs 0.25 mg → 0.5 mg → 1 mg → 1.7 mg → 2.4 mg (or 7.2 mg with Wegovy HD), each step lasting four weeks [1][4].
• Wegovy tablets use a separate chart: 1.5 mg daily, rising every 30 days up to 25 mg [2][3].
• Injections are given once weekly, any time of day, with or without food.
• Missed injections can be made up only if the next dose is 48+ hours away; otherwise skip it [5][6].
• Injection pens need refrigeration (2-8°C) but can sit at room temperature for up to 28 days [6].
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation are the most common side effects at every dose step [7][8][9].
• Wegovy carries a boxed warning against use in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2 [6].

What Dose of Wegovy Should I Start With

Nearly everyone starts Wegovy injections at 0.25 mg once weekly, regardless of body weight or weight-loss goal. This starting dose is not meant to produce weight loss, it’s meant to let your body adjust to the medication before the real work begins [1].

The full titration schedule looks like this:

Step	Dose	Duration
1	0.25 mg	Weeks 1-4
2	0.5 mg	Weeks 5-8
3	1 mg	Weeks 9-12
4	1.7 mg	Weeks 13-16
5	1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, or 7.2 mg (maintenance)	Week 17 onward

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Choose to stay on 1.7 mg if 2.4 mg causes significant nausea or GI upset, your prescriber can keep you there long-term rather than pushing to the top dose [8]. Wegovy HD adds a 7.2 mg maintenance option for patients who tolerate lower doses well and need more appetite suppression, decided case-by-case with your clinician [4]. For a side-by-side look at semaglutide dosing in milligrams and units, see this semaglutide dosage chart for weight loss.

How Often Do You Inject Wegovy

Wegovy injections are given once a week, on the same day each time, at any hour, with or without meals. Consistency matters more than the exact time of day.

Practical tips for staying on schedule:

• Pick a day that’s easy to remember, like Sunday mornings or the start of the work week.
• Set a recurring phone reminder.
• If you switch your injection day, you can move it as long as your last dose was at least 48 hours earlier [5][6].

A common mistake is injecting at random intervals “whenever it’s convenient.” This can push you toward missed-dose territory and makes side effects harder to predict.

What Are the Side Effects at Each Wegovy Dose

Gastrointestinal side effects, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain, are the most common reactions at every dose level, and they tend to spike right after each increase [7][8][9]. The titration schedule exists specifically to limit how intense these symptoms get.

Here’s roughly how it plays out:

• 0.25-0.5 mg: Mild nausea, occasional burping, appetite reduction.
• 1 mg: Nausea and constipation become more noticeable for some people.
• 1.7-2.4 mg: GI symptoms peak for many patients before settling after a few weeks.
• 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD): Reserved for those who’ve already proven they tolerate lower doses well.

If side effects are significant at any step, your prescriber may slow the titration or hold you at a lower dose longer rather than pushing forward on schedule [7][8]. For more on managing digestive side effects, see Ozempic diarrhea and constipation: causes and relief tips, which covers the same GLP-1 mechanism.

How Do I Know When to Increase My Wegovy Dose

You increase your Wegovy dose on a fixed four-week schedule, not based on how much weight you’ve lost. Your prescriber follows the chart unless side effects force a slower pace [6][8].

Decision rule: increase if you’ve completed four full weeks at your current dose and your side effects are manageable. Stay put if nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea are still disruptive, there’s no rush, and many people do better staying at 1.7 mg rather than forcing their way to 2.4 mg [8].

Edge case: if you’ve missed several doses in a row and restarted, your clinician may have you repeat a lower dose step rather than resuming where you left off, since tolerance can change.

What Happens If I Miss a Wegovy Injection

What you do depends entirely on how close your next scheduled dose is. If your next dose is 2 or more days (48+ hours) away, take the missed injection as soon as you remember. If it’s closer than that, skip it and resume your normal weekly schedule [5][6].

Never take two doses within 48 hours to “catch up”, this raises the risk of side effects without added benefit [5][6]. For Wegovy tablets, the rule is simpler: skip the missed pill and take the next one the following day, never doubling up [2][3].

Quick example: Your injection day is Monday. You forget and remember on Wednesday (2 days later), take it now. You remember on Saturday (next dose is Monday, only 2 days out), skip it and inject Monday as usual.

How Much Does Wegovy Cost Per Month

Wegovy’s list price and insurance coverage vary widely depending on your plan, pharmacy, and manufacturer savings programs, so there is no single number that applies to everyone. Because pricing changes frequently and depends on insurance negotiations, check current figures directly with your pharmacy, insurer, or the manufacturer’s savings card program rather than relying on a fixed number here.

What tends to affect your out-of-pocket cost:

• Whether your insurance plan covers weight-loss medications at all.
• Enrollment in manufacturer savings cards, which can lower costs for eligible, commercially insured patients.
• Pharmacy choice, mail-order versus retail pricing can differ.
• Dose level does not usually change the price; pens are priced per month of therapy, not per milligram.

How Do You Store Wegovy Pens Correctly

Wegovy injection pens must be refrigerated at 2-8°C and kept away from light; freezing ruins the medication and a frozen pen must be thrown out [6]. This is one of the most overlooked safety steps in the whole process.

Storage checklist:

1. Keep pens in their original carton in the refrigerator door or a middle shelf, not near the back where it’s coldest.
2. If you need to travel or can’t refrigerate, pens can stay at room temperature (up to about 30°C) for a limited window, commonly cited as up to 28 days, then must be discarded even if medication remains [6].
3. Never store near a freezer compartment or ice pack directly touching the pen.
4. Wegovy tablets are different, store them at room temperature, in the original bottle, away from bathrooms or humid spaces, and never transfer them to a pill organizer [2][3].

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Common mistake: packing a pen in checked luggage without insulation during air travel. Cabin temperature swings can push the pen past safe limits. For a deeper dive into travel rules for GLP-1 pens, see does Ozempic need to be refrigerated? Storage and travel rules, which covers the same semaglutide storage principles.

Is Wegovy Safe for Everyone or Are There Restrictions

No, Wegovy is not safe for everyone. It carries a boxed warning against use in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, based on findings in rodent studies [6].

Other safety flags to know:

• Pancreatitis risk: severe, persistent abdominal pain that radiates to the back needs urgent evaluation [6].
• Gallbladder disease: Wegovy can increase risk of gallstones and cholecystitis [6].
• Kidney injury: dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea can worsen kidney function, especially in those with existing kidney issues [6].
• Diabetic retinopathy: people with type 2 diabetes and existing eye complications should be monitored closely [6].

If you have any of these conditions or a thyroid cancer family history, talk to your doctor before starting, this medication is not a fit for everyone chasing weight loss, no matter how well it worked for someone else.

What’s the Difference Between Wegovy and Ozempic Dosing

Wegovy and Ozempic both use semaglutide, but they’re dosed and approved differently. Wegovy is FDA-approved for chronic weight management with doses up to 2.4 mg (or 7.2 mg with Wegovy HD), while Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes with a lower typical maintenance range, usually topping out around 2 mg [1].

Key distinctions:

• Wegovy’s titration schedule is built around weight-loss tolerability; Ozempic’s is built around blood sugar control.
• Pen devices and dose markings differ, so the two aren’t interchangeable milligram-for-milligram without a prescriber adjusting the plan.
• Off-label use of Ozempic for weight loss follows a different, unofficial dosing pattern than the approved Wegovy chart.

If you’re comparing real patient experiences across these options, our Wegovy reviews roundup covers how people responded at different doses.

Can You Lose Weight on the Lowest Dose of Wegovy

Some weight loss can happen even at 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, but the lowest doses are designed for tolerance-building, not maximum results. Most of the significant weight loss documented in clinical use happens at the 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg maintenance levels [1].

Decision rule: if you’re losing weight steadily at a lower dose and tolerating it well, your prescriber may choose to keep you there rather than rushing to the top dose, slower progress with fewer side effects can be the better trade-off for some people.

What Should You Not Do When Taking Wegovy

Do not double up doses, skip the titration schedule, or share pens with anyone else. Each of these mistakes raises your risk of side effects without adding any benefit [5][6].

Things to avoid specifically:

• Don’t inject more than once a week, even if you missed a prior dose.
• Don’t crush, split, or chew Wegovy tablets, they must be swallowed whole with up to 4 ounces of water on an empty stomach [2][3].
• Don’t store pens in a freezer or leave them in a hot car.
• Don’t stop and restart at your old dose without checking with your prescriber, tolerance can change.
• Don’t ignore severe abdominal pain, jaundice, or a drop in urine output; these need prompt medical attention [6].

Are There Other Weight Loss Drugs That Work Like Wegovy

Yes, other GLP-1 and dual-agonist medications work through similar appetite-regulating pathways, though dosing and approval details differ. Ozempic (semaglutide, for diabetes), Zepbound (tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist), and oral semaglutide tablets are the most commonly discussed alternatives.

How to decide: if daily pills are preferable to weekly injections, ask about Wegovy tablets rather than switching medication classes entirely [2][3]. If weekly injections already work but side effects are too strong, your prescriber might discuss a different GLP-1 molecule rather than just a dose change.

What Happens If You Inject Too Much Wegovy

Injecting more than your prescribed dose increases the risk of severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration, and in serious cases can trigger complications like pancreatitis. If you suspect an overdose or accidentally injected twice, contact your prescriber or poison control promptly rather than waiting to see how you feel.

Edge case: accidentally pressing the pen trigger twice in one sitting is a common pen-handling mistake with disposable devices, always check the dose window before and after injecting to confirm the correct amount was delivered.

Do You Need to Keep Taking Wegovy to Maintain Weight Loss

Weight regain is common after stopping GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, since the appetite-suppressing effect fades once the drug clears your system. This is why most prescribers frame Wegovy as a long-term chronic weight management tool rather than a short course of treatment.

What this means practically:

• Plan for maintenance dosing to continue indefinitely unless your prescriber recommends tapering for a specific medical reason.
• Build sustainable habits around diet and activity while on the medication, since these matter more once you taper or stop.
• Discuss any plan to stop with your prescriber first, stopping abruptly isn’t dangerous in itself, but going in without a plan often leads to regained weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the starting dose on the Wegovy injection chart? The starting dose is 0.25 mg once weekly for the first four weeks, used only to help your body adjust before any meaningful weight-loss effect begins [1].

How long does it take to reach the maintenance dose? It takes about 16 weeks to reach the standard maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, following the four-week step-up schedule [6][8].

Can I skip a titration step to lose weight faster? No. Skipping steps increases side effect risk without speeding up results; the schedule is designed around tolerability, not convenience [7][8].

Is Wegovy HD the same as regular Wegovy? Wegovy HD offers a higher maintenance option of 7.2 mg for appropriate patients, following the same escalation pattern as standard Wegovy [4].

Do I take Wegovy tablets with food? No. Wegovy tablets must be taken on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, with no more than 4 ounces of water [2][3].

What if I’m traveling and can’t refrigerate my pen? Pens can stay at room temperature (up to about 30°C) for a limited period, commonly up to 28 days, before they must be discarded [6].

Who should not take Wegovy? People with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2 should not take Wegovy due to a boxed warning based on rodent studies [6].

Does the dose affect how much weight I lose? Generally yes, higher maintenance doses (1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, 7.2 mg) are associated with greater appetite suppression, though individual response varies [1].

Conclusion

The Wegovy doses chart isn’t complicated once you see it laid out: five dose steps, four weeks each, moving from 0.25 mg up to a maintenance level chosen with your prescriber. What trips people up isn’t the math, it’s missed injections, storage mistakes, and pushing through side effects that actually call for slowing down. Keep your pens refrigerated, stick to your weekly schedule, and talk to your prescriber before changing anything on the chart. If you’re just starting out, review the Wegovy weekly injection pen guide and bring any questions about dosing or side effects to your next appointment, that conversation matters more than any chart alone.

References

1. Ee06186f 2aa3 4990 A760 757579d8f77b. accessdata.fda.gov.
2. 218316orig1s000lbl. accessdata.fda.gov.
3. 215256s031,218316s00lbl. accessdata.fda.gov.
4. The Deal with Dosing. wegovy.com.
5. 215256s000lbl. accessdata.fda.gov.
6. 215256s007lbl. accessdata.fda.gov.
7. Starting Wegovy Pen. wegovy.com.
8. Wegovy Quick Start Guide. wegovy.com.
9. Prescribing Information. wegovy.com.