The protocol at a glance
Once a week, same day each week. The weight-management label steps up every 4 weeks over 16 weeks to reduce stomach side effects.
| Weeks | Weekly amount on the Wegovy label |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | 0.25 mg |
| 5–8 | 0.5 mg |
| 9–12 | 1 mg |
| 13–16 | 1.7 mg |
| 17+ | 2.4 mg maintenance (1.7 mg if 2.4 is not tolerated) |
| Optional | 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD) after at least 4 weeks at 2.4 mg |
Diabetes (Ozempic): 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg, with optional increases to 1 mg and 2 mg.
Community reports mostly follow the label steps from 0.25 mg, often staying at each step longer than 4 weeks when nausea is strong.
What people say they do, collected from community discussions. Not tested in a trial; shown so you can compare it with the evidence above.
Mixing calculator
Enter the vial size, the water you add and the amount you want to draw; it gives the mark on a 100-unit (1 mL) insulin syringe.
What the trials found
Average body-weight change in the main obesity trials:
STEP 1: Wilding JP et al., N Engl J Med 2021 (NCT03548935). STEP UP figures as reported at the FDA approval of Wegovy HD, March 19, 2026.
Side effects
- Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain are the most common, mostly during step-ups.
- Label warnings include thyroid C-cell tumours (seen in rodents), pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney problems from dehydration and diabetic eye changes in people with diabetes.
- Unusual skin sensations were more common at 7.2 mg in STEP UP.
How it works
GLP-1 receptor
Slows stomach emptying, lowers appetite and helps insulin release after meals.
Sources
- Wegovy and Ozempic US prescribing information
- Wilding JP et al. N Engl J Med 2021 (STEP 1, NCT03548935)
- FDA approval of Wegovy HD 7.2 mg, March 19, 2026