Wegovy Dosing Schedule: Starting Dose, Increases, HD and Missed Doses

Wegovy injections start at 0.25 mg once a week and increase every four weeks: 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, then the 2.4 mg maintenance dose from week 17. The Wegovy pill starts at 1.5 mg once daily and steps up monthly to a 25 mg maintenance dose. Adults who've been on 2.4 mg can move up to Wegovy HD, 7.2 mg a week. If you miss an injection, take it if your next dose is more than two days away; otherwise skip it.

Here's the full schedule from the prescribing information, why it's so gradual, and what to do when things don't go to plan.

Not sure what to expect at each step? See how long Wegovy takes to work, and if you're deciding between forms, our Wegovy pill vs injection comparison.

If a step causes side effects you can't tolerate, the label allows your prescriber to delay the next increase by four weeks. Some people stay on 1.7 mg long term. Teenagers 12 and older follow the same ladder, with 2.4 mg as the maintenance dose.

Take the pill first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with no more than about half a cup (4 oz) of plain water, then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else or taking other medicines. Food and extra liquid sharply reduce absorption. Don't split, crush or chew the tablet.

Most of Wegovy's effect comes once you reach the higher doses. In STEP 1, adults on 2.4 mg lost about 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks. In the STEP UP trial, Wegovy 7.2 mg produced about 21%, versus about 17.5% on 2.4 mg in the same trial. The 25 mg pill produced about 13.6% at 64 weeks in OASIS 4. The starter doses aren't expected to produce much weight loss; they're there for tolerability.

Never take two doses to catch up. You can change your injection day as long as there are at least 48 hours between doses.

Semaglutide slows the stomach and acts on the brain's nausea centers. Increasing the dose every four weeks gives the body time to adapt, which cuts nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. People who rush the schedule, or restart at full dose after a break, are the ones who most often end up in urgent care with vomiting and dehydration. See our side-effects guide.

Curious what each dose step means for results? See how much weight you can lose on Wegovy for average weight loss by dose and month.

Each step on this ladder is a single-dose pen. If you are new to the device, how to use the Wegovy pen walks through the clicks, the yellow bar and what to do when a pen misbehaves.

If you are wondering whether you have to climb all the way to 2.4 mg, can you stay on a low dose of Wegovy explains what the label allows at 1.7 mg and what the trials show for each lower step.

Wegovy is designed to start low and climb slowly: 0.25 mg weekly up to 2.4 mg by week 17 for the pen, 1.5 mg daily up to 25 mg by day 91 for the pill, with a 7.2 mg HD option above that. Follow the steps, ask about pausing if side effects are rough, and skip rather than double up on missed doses. For prices of each form, see our Wegovy cost guide.