Wegovy Tablets Dosage Guide for Weight Loss

The starting dose of Wegovy tablets is 1.5mg, once per day. This is a low introductory dose, designed to be increased slowly over time rather than starting at the full strength. 

This step-up approach is important because it helps your body adjust to the medication without overwhelming it and reduces the risk of side effects.

Further reading: Side effects of Wegovy tablets  

It also improves your chances of sticking with the treatment long-term. 

Wegovy tablets are designed to reach a maintenance dose of 25mg once daily.  

While lower doses can still lead to weight loss, the best trial results were seen at 25mg, with average weight loss in obesity studies reaching around 13.6% to 16.6% over 64 weeks.  

By comparison, lower doses such as 14mg appeared less effective, suggesting they may suit some patients for tolerability, but are not the main target maintenance dose for maximum results. 

The highest dose of Wegovy tablets is 25mg once daily.  

This is the recommended maintenance dose, meaning it is the dose most people are expected to work towards over time.  

The dose is increased gradually to give your body time to adjust and to help reduce side effects such as nausea.  

If 25mg is not tolerated, the prescribing guidance advises considering a switch to Wegovy injections rather than remaining on a lower tablet dose long term 

That said, a tailored approach is often best in weight management, and if you are achieving good results on a lower dose, your doctor may decide that it is appropriate to keep you on that dose as your maintenance treatment. 

The dose increases usually happen every 30 days, but only if you are tolerating the current dose well. 

The gradual increase is there to help your body adjust and to keep side effects like nausea as mild as possible.  

If you’re still feeling unsettled on your current dose, it’s often better to stay where you are a bit longer rather than pushing ahead too quickly. 

Everyone responds slightly differently, so your schedule might not look exactly the same as someone else’s. 

In practice, the dose increase typically looks like this: 

You should generally aim for 25mg once daily, as this is the recommended maintenance dose of Wegovy tablets, linked with the strongest weight-loss results.  

If you started on a high dose straight away, you would be more likely to feel unwell, especially with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloating and stomach discomfort. Building up slowly makes treatment easier to tolerate and gives you the best chance of reaching the dose that delivers the full benefit. If a dose is not tolerated during escalation, the escalation can be delayed. 

In the main obesity trial, people taking oral semaglutide 25mg lost an average of 13.6% of their starting body weight at 64 weeks, versus 2.2% with placebo. Novo Nordisk’s patient guidance also states that the full treatment effect is usually seen at the maintenance dose of 25mg.  

If you miss a dose of Wegovy tablets, skip it and take your usual dose the next day.  

Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed tablet.  

Missing the occasional dose is not usually a problem, so just get back into your normal routine as soon as you can. If you often forget, taking it at the same time each morning and setting a phone reminder can help. 

To get the best results, it is important to take your dose correctly each morning.  

• Take your tablet first thing in the morning: on an empty stomach with a small amount of water (up to 4 ounces or ½ a cup).  

• It should only be taken with water: avoid any other drinks, as this can affect how well the medicine is absorbed. 

• Wait at least 30 minutes: before eating, drinking anything else, or taking any other oral medications. This gives the tablet time to absorb properly in your system. 

• Swallow the tablet whole: do not crush, cut, chew, or dissolve it, as this can change how the medication works. 

Wegovy tablets are designed to be taken step by step, with the dose increased gradually to make treatment safer, more manageable, and easier for your body to adjust to. This gradual approach helps reduce the chance of side effects while working towards the recommended maintenance dose of 25mg.

That said, not everyone needs to move through the schedule at exactly the same pace. If your body needs more time to adjust, you may stay on a lower dose for longer, and this is something your prescriber will decide with you.

Although 25mg is the recommended maintenance dose associated with the best results, some people may find they get good appetite suppression, feel fuller for longer, and achieve worthwhile weight loss on a lower dose. That is absolutely fine, as long as the treatment is working well for you and is being used under the guidance of your prescriber.

Always follow the dose prescribed for you, rather than increasing or changing it yourself.