Wegovy Weight Loss Injection

What is the Wegovy® weight loss injection? 

Wegovy® contains semaglutide, an anti-obesity agent that is administered through the body once every week. However, Wegovy is not merely to lose weight; it is widely believed to be effective as a weight loss injection when combined with healthy, low-calorie dietary habits and regular physical activity. 

Wegovy® FlexTouch Pen is a weight loss prescription that helps you in your weight loss journey. It contains an active ingredient called semaglutide, which acts like the GLP-1 hormone. So, once a week when you inject the Wegovy® FlexTouch Pen into your body, this active ingredient signals to your brain that you feel full. 

However, note that it is only effective when used alongside a healthy and controlled diet and regular physical exercise. 

How does Wegovy® Injection work? 

Wegovy® works by suppressing your appetite and ensuring you intake a controlled and regulated diet. It contains an active ingredient, semaglutide, which mimics a hormone called GLP-1. This hormone is released in your body when it is in the process of digestion. As a result, this GLP-1 indicates to your brain that you feel full. Similarly, semaglutide, when taken in the Wegovy® Injection, suppresses your food cravings and makes you feel full for long periods. 

The initiation dose of Wegovy® Injection is 0.25 mg. In addition, you can also up-dose after your Wegovy® treatment duration for 4 weeks. For example, in the 2-year trials, it was established that the peak dose which is positive and was demonstrated was 2.4 mg. 

The best way to make the most out of your Wegovy® Injection is to pair it with a healthier diet and increased exercise. In fact, research was conducted between two groups: those who made lifestyle changes during their Wegovy® prescription and those who didn’t. Only 40 % of the users with no lifestyle changes lost 5% weight. On the other hand, almost 80% of the users with healthier lifestyle changes lost 5 % of their weight.  

How effective is Wegovy Treatment? 

Wegovy® is a highly effective weight loss prescription medication that can help you lose up to 15% of your weight during your treatment course. As shown in studies, up to 80% of people achieved weight loss during their Wegovy® prescription as opposed to during dieting and exercise. 

How much of my weight can I lose if I am on the Wegovy Medication? 

Clinical trials were conducted to measure the weight loss effects of Wegovy®. As a result: 

• Compared to 31% of people receiving a placebo, up to 83% of adults receiving Wegovy® injections saw weight loss of 5% or more. 

• Almost 66% of adults undergoing Wegovy® prescription lost 10% or more weight as compared to 12% of adults taking a placebo. 

• Around 48% of adults taking Wegovy® lost 15% or more as compared to the 5% of adults under a placebo. 

• Compared to 2% of adults taking a placebo, up to 30% of patients receiving a prescription for Wegovy® dropped 20% or more of their body weight. 

• On an average, the group people lost at least 14% and 17% of their beginning weight. That means, that at the beginning of the trial, you weight 100kg, then at the end of the trial, you’d lose 14 to 17 kgs. 

These findings show that individuals using Wegovy® Injections lose significantly more weight than those who tried to lose weight by diet and exercise only. 

Wegovy Vs Mounjaro Injection 

In the field of effective weight loss medications, both Mounjaro and Wegovy Weight Loss Injection are the top contenders. However, whether Mounjaro or Wegovy® suits you depends completely upon your body’s reaction to the medication. Mounjaro works on two hormones, so it might affect more parts of your body’s weight regulation. On the other hand, Wegovy® only focuses on one hormone: GLP-1. The choice completely depends upon whether the medication works for you or not. 

Both Mounjaro and Wegovy® Injection exhibited almost similar end results in the clinical trials (as shown in the table above). However, it is difficult to gauge if one is more effective than the other. That’s because both medications haven’t been in the same test groups and neither within the same study. 

Wegovy Injection Dosage

The Wegovy® Injection has different dosages according to different time periods. The reason behind this difference is the starting dosage of the treatment course, which is low. After this, you gradually build up the dosage over months, as shown in the table below: 

As shown in the table, the maximum dosage of Wegovy® (2.4 mg) gives you the greatest weight-loss benefits. However, it also comes with a high probability of side effects such as nausea or stomach-related issues. 

With Wegovy®, not every user reaches the maximum dosage of 2.4 mg. Some people with Wegovy® weight loss prescription might have to increase their dosage in a gradual manner, while some don’t even reach the maximum dosage amount, which is completely okay. You can achieve weight loss benefits with any dosage level of the Wegovy® prescription. So, there’s no need to panic if your body cannot tolerate a high dosage of the medication. 

Simply ensure that if you are injecting with the lower dosage, it is consistent. After all, regular low dosage is far better than struggling with the side effects of higher dosages. 

Who can take Wegovy? 

If you are an obese adult with a BMI of 30 or over, you can take the Wegovy® prescription. However, there is one more category of people who are eligible to take Wegovy® legally: adults with a BMI of 27 or over who have pre-existing medical conditions (such as High Blood Pressure) that can be negatively affected by their weight. 

If you are trying to get a Wegovy® weight loss injections in the UK, you need to match the above criteria and have a doctor’s prescription. This strict regulation on the Wegovy® medication is due to its serious side effects in case the injection isn’t compatible with your body. 

That’s why you shouldn’t take the Wegovy® prescription. If: 

• You are a pregnant adult, planning for potential pregnancy, or breastfeeding your baby 

• Your body has an allergic reaction to the ingredients present in the Wegovy® Injection 

Also, while consulting your doctor on whether you should have Wegovy®, ensure you discuss if: 

• You have a medical condition related to your Pancreas or Kidney 

• You have a history of Diabetic retinopathy or suffer from Type-2 Diabetes 

If you have the above conditions, you might already be on your prescribed medications. So, taking Wegovy® along with them can cause harmful side effects as they can undergo a chemical reaction with the ingredients of Wegovy®. That’s why it is important you consult your doctor before consuming any of the following: 

• Anti-diabetic drugs. (For instance, if you are consuming Insulin and Sulfonylureas along with Wegovy®, it might increase the risk of your blood sugar going down.) 

• Other GLP-1 medications. (For instance, if you consume medications like Mounjaro or Saxenda along with Wegovy®, there’s a high chance of double side effects, which might be deadly. That’s why these medications should never be taken together with Wegovy®.) 

Wegovy Summary

Step 1: Prepare your Wegovy® injection 

It’s always better to be prepared ahead of your Injections. That’s why, 

• Ensure that your Wegovy® injection still has time before it expires. 

• Once you’ve done that, ensure that the liquid inside the injection is colourless and entirely clear. If your Wegovy® Pen has cloudy, discoloured liquid, immediately dispose of it and do not, under any circumstances, use it. This discolouration can be due to several reasons, such as expiration of the injection, exposure to light, or storage at the wrong temperature. 

If it is your first time being injected with the Wegovy® Injection, you will need to inject on a weekly basis. So, it’s advised to pick a day that works well with your daily schedule. 

Step 2: Select your dose 

Selecting your Wegovy® Injection dosage is an easy task. 

• Each Wegovy® injection comes with a colour-coded dosage indicator. 

• Use the dose selector on the pen to set the prescribed amount. 

• You will receive one Wegovy weight loss injection set every month. It will contain enough liquid to last you four dosages. 

• When the pen is used up, you know it’s time to increase your dose. 

Keep in mind that you must flip the pen’s selector until the counter stops and your recommended dosage shows.  

Step 3: Insert your needle 

Once you’ve chosen the right dose, it’s time to inject. So: 

• You will also get 4 disposable NovoFine needles with your FlexTouch pen. 

• Your first step is tearing off the paper tab attached to the needle packaging. Then, ensure that they are pushed straight into the Wegovy FlexTouch Pen. Keep turning until you are sure they are nicely fit inside. 

• You’ll only have 1 pen for the month, but each time you inject, you will need to insert a new needle. 

• There are two caps on the needle, which must be removed before the application. 

• Pull off the outer cap but hold onto it since you will need it again. 

• After that, you need to pull off and dispose the inner cap of the needle. If the needle is bent, damaged, or used, immediately dispose of it and do not use it. 

Step 4: Check the flow 

If it’s your first use of the pen, you must check the flow. Otherwise, you can miss it. Also: 

• If you have never used the pen before, you still need to check the flow even if you can see the drop of Wegovy on the needle’s tip. 

• For that, you simply point Wegovy Pen’s needle in the upward direction and press the dosage button. You do this until the dose indicator is back to the number ‘0’. 

• The ‘0’ must align with the dose pointer. 

• A drop of Wegovy liquid should appear on the needle’s tip so that you know that your pen is ready for use. 

• If one doesn’t appear, check the flow again. You can only do that twice. 

• If a drop of the Wegovy liquid still doesn’t appear on the tip of the needle, then you must replace that needle with a new one and check again. 

Do not use the pen if a drop still does not appear.  

Step 5: Choose your injection site 

You can’t inject anywhere on your body. There are a few prime areas on your body where it works best. Also, you always need to change up the area where you injected the Wegovy weight loss injection last time. So, you can choose either your upper arms, your stomach, or your upper legs. Always keep a 5 cm distance from your belly button. 

Step 6: Inject your dose 

Now, it is time to inject your dose. So: 

• Make sure the needle is placed against your skin so the dose indicator is still in your view. 

• Do not cover the indicator with your fingers because this will disturb the injection. 

• Then, you need to press the dose button down so that the number ‘0’ appears on the dose indicator. This means that you have injected the entire dosage into your body. 

• Holding onto the dose button, carefully count to six while the needle remains in your skin. 

• Once you have reached this time, you can withdraw the needle. 

• A jet of Wegovy liquid will probably fly out of the tip if you remove the needle too quickly, and you might lose some of the dose. 

• A small drop of blood can appear at the injection site. Do not worry; this is normal. You have just pierced your skin. 

• So, you need to press gently on the bleeding area so that the blood flow comes to a stop. If needed, you might apply a band-aid. 

After the injection, a droplet of Wegovy may also be visible at the needle’s tip. This, too, is normal and will not affect your dose. 

Step 7: Dispose of your pen safely 

In fact, proper injecting, as well as safe disposal of used needles immediately after injection, is essential. If you dispose of the needles in an improper manner, it can result in accidental injury or might increase the chances of cross-contamination.  

So, the cap that we set aside in the previous steps comes in use here. 

• Tilt the needle tip towards the cap’s outer side on a flat surface. 

• Gently push the cap on fully once the needle is concealed. 

• Unscrew the needle from the pen and place it in a sharps bin or as your healthcare provider has directed. 

• After you have injected yourself with the 4th (last) dose of the Wegovy prescription, you can dispose the empty pen in your regular household dustbins. 

What are the side effects of Wegovy Weight Loss Injections? 

If you are in the beginning phase of taking Wegovy Weight Loss Injections, you might face some common side effects, such as: 

• feeling or being sick 

• diarrhoea 

• constipation 

• stomach pain 

• headache 

• dizziness 

• tiredness 

• indigestion and heartburn 

However, many of them disappear after your body adjusts to the Wegovy medication. Simply ensure that if you keep experiencing continuous or concerning side effects, you must consult your nearest healthcare facility.