Wegovy Online UK

Wegovy contains semaglutide. This is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a medicine that works like a natural gut hormone.

You take it as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) once a week for long-term weight management. Doctors prescribe it for adults with obesity, which means a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.

They also prescribe it for adults who are overweight, with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater, who have at least one weight-related health problem.

These problems include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia), or pauses in breathing during sleep (obstructive sleep apnoea).

You use Wegovy alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.

Semaglutide copies a natural hormone called GLP-1. Your gut releases this hormone after you eat. It acts on parts of the brain that control appetite and how much you eat.

As a result, you feel full sooner and feel less hungry. It also slows down how fast your stomach empties, so you eat less. Together, these effects lead to clear weight loss.

The STEP clinical trial programme showed strong results. People taking semaglutide 2.4 mg each week lost about 15% of their starting body weight over 68 weeks.

This is much more than older weight management medicines achieved. Wegovy is a major step forward in treating obesity with medicine.

You take Wegovy as an injection under the skin once a week. Use it on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Inject into your tummy (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm.

Change the injection site each week. Your dose goes up slowly over 16 weeks until you reach the maintenance dose. This gradual increase lowers the risk of stomach and gut side effects.

If you miss a dose and your next dose is more than two days away, inject as soon as you can. If your next dose is closer than that, skip the missed dose and go back to your usual schedule.

Your dose goes up step by step. In weeks 1 to 4, you take 0.25 mg once a week. In weeks 5 to 8, you take 0.5 mg. In weeks 9 to 12, you take 1 mg. In weeks 13 to 16, you take 1.7 mg.

From week 17 onwards, you take 2.4 mg, which is the maintenance dose. If you cannot tolerate the maintenance dose, your prescriber may reduce it to 1.7 mg once a week.

You do not need a dose change if you have kidney (renal) or liver (hepatic) problems. Wegovy is not recommended if you have severe disease of the stomach or gut.

Very common (more than 1 in 10): feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea, being sick (vomiting), constipation, tummy pain, headache, tiredness, and indigestion (dyspepsia).

These happen most often while your dose is going up. They usually ease over time.

Common (1 in 10 to 1 in 100): dizziness, wind (flatulence), acid reflux (gastro-oesophageal reflux), burping (eructation), reactions where you inject, hair loss (alopecia), low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia, especially if you also take sulfonylureas or insulin), and gallbladder problems including gallstones (cholelithiasis).

Uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000): inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), a faster heartbeat, and sudden kidney damage (acute kidney injury, caused by dehydration from stomach and gut side effects).

Rare: thyroid C-cell tumours. These were seen in rodent studies, and it is not clear what they mean for people.

Pancreatitis, which means inflammation of the pancreas, has been reported with GLP-1 receptor agonists. Stop Wegovy if pancreatitis is suspected. Do not restart it if pancreatitis is confirmed.

Do not use semaglutide if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Watch for gallbladder problems, especially during fast weight loss. Drink enough fluids to lower the risk of kidney problems from vomiting or diarrhoea.

If you take insulin or sulfonylureas, you may need a lower dose to avoid low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Stop Wegovy at least two months before you plan to become pregnant.

Do not use Wegovy if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Do not use it if you are allergic to semaglutide or any other ingredient. Do not use it during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

You should also not use it if you have a history of pancreatitis where the risks outweigh the benefits.