Semaglutide is a medication that’s growing in popularity as a prescription treatment.
It’s used to treat type 2 diabetes but can also help you lose weight by reducing your appetite and the number of calories you consume daily.
If you’ve been prescribed semaglutide in injection form, also known as Wegovy, or are considering asking your prescriber about this treatment, here’s a handy guide with everything you need to know.
Is Wegovy (semaglutide) used for weight loss or diabetes?
Wegovy has been licensed as a weight-loss treatment, but other forms of semaglutide are currently only licensed for treating diabetes.
Wegovy brings along many health benefits as a weight loss medication, such as a reduced risk of obesity-related conditions such as stroke, heart attack and some cancers.
You should only consider Wegovy for weight loss if you have already tried to manage your weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and incorporating exercise into your daily routine.
If this method hasn’t helped you achieve the desired results, you may consider medical treatments such as Wegovy.
However, to be eligible for this medication, you must have a BMI above 30 or a BMI above 27 with certain medical conditions.
When is the best time to take Wegovy?
You will need to inject Wegovy once a week at the same time, so it’s important to choose a day and time that will fit into your schedule.
For example, if you prepare for work on a Sunday night, you might choose to inject Wegovy then, making it part of your weekly preparation routine.
The day you choose is entirely up to you, as long as it fits into your schedule at a time that you aren’t likely to forget about it.
It may help you to write your dosage day on the box you keep in the fridge so that you are reminded when your next injection is due whenever you open it.
You could also try setting an alarm on your phone or taking your injections at the same time that you take other medication—anything that will jog your memory at the same time every week will work!
How often to take or administer Wegovy
As mentioned above, Wegovy is a weekly injection, meaning you should take it simultaneously each week.
Some other weight loss injections, such as Saxenda, were previously injected daily, but Saxenda has been discontinued.
If your chosen injection day isn’t working for you, you can change it as long as it’s been 3 days (72 hours) since your last dose of semaglutide.
This medication should be kept in the fridge between each use.
What is the best way to take Wegovy?
If you’re taking semaglutide for weight loss, then there’s only one way to take this medication at the moment, and that’s by injection.
However, if you’re taking semaglutide to treat type 2 diabetes, you have the option of taking weekly injections or daily tablets (Rybelsus).
At the moment, Rybelsus isn’t licensed as a weight management treatment, but as it uses semaglutide as its active ingredient, this may be a development we see in the future.
Where do you inject Wegovy?
Semaglutide is generally injected into areas with a fair amount of fatty tissue.
The recommended injection sites are the lower abdomen, the front of your thighs, or your upper arms.
We would suggest starting your injection wherever you feel most comfortable.
The needles included with the injections are fine and short, and most people don’t feel them.
Can you change the place you inject?
Yes! It’s recommended that you change where you inject every time. This is to avoid any damage to tissue or lumps forming under the skin’s surface if you inject in the same place too often.
Luckily, with the suggested injection sites, you have plenty of areas to choose from.
Even alternating from one side of the abdomen to the other can make a difference and help prevent unwanted skin or tissue damage.
If you find that one injection site hurts too much, you may want to avoid it in the future. Still, the areas mentioned above are recommended because you will unlikely hit a muscle or vein when injecting Wegovy.
The patient information leaflet with every pen will have a handy infographic showing how to inject yourself with the medicine.
If you follow those instructions, you should find it a quick, easy and painless process.
Should I eat before or after my injection?
As Wegovy is a weekly injection, it doesn’t matter whether you take it before or after a meal – it generally comes down to personal preference.
For many people, it may be a case of trial and error until they reach a method that works, but medically, there’s no reason to need to take it before or after food as long as you take it on the same day each week.
Some people find that they can feel a bit nauseous if they take semaglutide just before or just after eating, which can be a factor in their decision on when to take it.
If this happens to you, don’t worry too much. Try taking your semaglutide at different times until you find one that works for you. You may even take your injection just before bed to help you avoid the sickness side effects.
What happens if you take Wegovy early?
You should always try to take Wegovy at the same time every week, but this rule isn’t so strict that you have to note down the very second you take your injection.
If you take your injection a little earlier than planned, you shouldn’t worry, but if you plan to take your injection much earlier (for example, a day earlier), you should rethink your plans.
Taking Wegovy injections much earlier than planned could lead to an overdose of your medication, which could cause unpleasant side effects and has the potential to make you quite unwell.
Having too much semaglutide in your system could lead to your blood sugar levels dropping too low, which could lead to complications. We don’t recommend taking your medication early unless you’ve been specifically advised by a healthcare professional, like your GP or prescriber.
Trust us; it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Is it possible to overdose on semaglutide?
As long as you don’t inject yourself again, you shouldn’t overdose on semaglutide. If you do accidentally inject too much medication, this can cause unpleasant side effects and discomfort.
If you inject too much semaglutide and experience adverse effects, you should contact your healthcare provider for advice.
Too much semaglutide can cause the following symptoms:
- Hyperglycemia (low blood pressure)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- More intense or frequent other side effects
To prevent an overdose, you should use the dosing calendar that is printed under the lid of your box of Wegovy. This will help you to keep track of your injections.
How to take Wegovy (semaglutide) injections
Wegovy FlexTouch pen is a dial-a-dose pen which contains 4 doses of Wegovy. 1 pen will last you for 4 weeks.
Get ready to inject
Before injecting Wegovy, you need to check your pen. You should ensure that the pen is up to date and the fluid is clear and colourless.
Do not use your pen if it’s cloudy or coloured; it should be clear. This can happen if the medicine is exposed to light, stored at the wrong temperature, or has passed its expiry date.
Pick the right dose
Your Wegovy pen is colour-coded according to the strength of the dose, making it easy to check that you are administering the correct dose.
When you first start using semaglutide to lose weight, you will begin on the lowest dose, 0.25mg. Your dosage will increase every 4 weeks, known as titration, helping your body adjust to the medicine.
Your dosage will increase to 0.50mg, 1.0mg, 1.7mg and finally to the highest dose of 2.4mg. However, not everyone will need to use the highest dose to achieve results.
Once you have finished your pen, you will know it is time to up your dosage.
Turn the selector on the pen until the counter stops and shows your prescribed dose. Remember to redial your dose each time you inject.
Attach the needle
Although you only use one pen a month, you will need to insert a new needle every time you inject.
To attach the needle, tear off the paper tab and push the needle straight onto the pen, turning it until it’s tight and secure. Two tabs will cover the needle, which you must remove before using.
Pull the outer cap off, but do not throw it away; you will need it later. Then, pull the inner cap off and dispose of it.
Never reuse a needle or use a damaged, bent or broken needle.
Prime your Wegovy pen
To prime the pen, you need to check the flow. Turn the dose knob until the flow check symbol is in line with the dose pointer. Point the needle up and hold down the dose button until the counter displays ‘0’.
A drop of medicine should be visible at the tip of the needle, and any air bubbles will be released.
If you can’t see a drop of medicine at the tip of the needle, recheck the flow. If there is still no drop, try using a new needle twice. If there is no flow after this, do not use the pen.
Choose injection spot
Once you are ready to inject your medication, choose the area you wish to inject.
If you decide that you are going to inject Wegovy into your stomach, then you must make sure you keep it two inches away from your belly button.
Another person, preferably someone qualified to administer the medication, should inject the medication into your arms. For more information on injection spots, please refer to earlier in this guide.
Up to 1 in 10 people who use injectable weight loss drugs experience injection site reactions, which include redness, bruising, itching, swelling and pain. However, these tend to settle as your body gets used to the medication.
If you are struggling with an injection site reaction, you can try taking non-drowsy antihistamine tablets or using a local antihistamine cream.
A site reaction usually resolves within a couple of days, but if it lasts for longer or becomes red, inflamed or hot to the touch, you should speak to your GP for advice.
If you experience any signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a swollen tongue, eyes or face, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath, please seek medical treatment immediately.
Administer the Wegovy injection
When you are ready to administer the injection, insert the needle into your skin. Make sure that the dose counter is still visible.
Hold down the dose button until ‘0’ shows on the dose counter; this means that you have injected the full dose.
Keep the needle pressed into your skin while continuing to hold the dose button and slowly count to 6. Once the time is up, you can remove the needle. You might not receive the full dose if you remove the needle too soon.
Safely dispose of your Wegovy pen & needle
As soon as you have injected your medication, you must safely dispose of your needle.
You will now need to use the cap you kept to one side. On a flat surface, lean the needle tip into the outer cap, but be careful not to touch the needle or outer cap. Once you have covered the needle, push the cap entirely on.
Unscrew the needle from the pen and dispose of it using a sharps bin, preventing injury or cross-contamination. You should never try to put the inner cap back on, as this could cause injury to yourself.
After using your last dose of your monthly pen, you can dispose of your empty pen in your regular household waste.
