What semaglutide dose should I take?

How does the dosage change with semaglutide?

Whether you are taking Wegovy, Ozempic, or Rybelsus, the standard dosage schedule involves increasing the dose gradually until you reach a maintenance dose of semaglutide, usually 2.4 mg.

Once you have worked your way up to your maintenance dose, you remain on it for the remaining duration of your treatment.

Semaglutide dose schedule

In general, you increase your semaglutide dose every 4 weeks. This gives your body more time to adjust to the treatment.

Wegovy and Ozempic

Although Ozempic and Wegovy are both injectable versions of semaglutide, the doses are slightly different. Both drugs are administered just once per week into your thighs, abdomen, or upper arms.

See below for a semaglutide dosage chart:

Your weekly Ozempic dose will only be increased to 1 mg after 8 weeks of treatment. You will remain at this maintenance dose unless you experience any adverse side effects, in which case you may drop back down to 0.5 mg.

Wegovy doses reach up to 7.2 mg, although 2.4 mg is the usual maintenance dose, and unlike Ozempic, it is licensed for weight loss in the UK. If you are currently taking Ozempic to lose weight, you may benefit from switching to Wegovy, as it is available in higher doses.

Rybelsus

Rybelsus is a tablet form of semaglutide. There are Wegovy tablets, but these have not yet been approved for use in the UK, and it may be the end of 2026 until they are. Until then, Rybelsus may be preferable for people who don’t want to inject themselves.

However, rather than being taken weekly like semaglutide injectables, Rybelsus tablets must be taken daily.

The starting dose is 3 mg. You stay on this dose for 4 weeks before increasing it to a 7 mg dose. After another 4 weeks, you may increase the dose again to 14 mg. This is the maximum maintenance dose.

What dosage should I be on?

Everyone taking semaglutide for the first time will begin on the starting dose. The semaglutide starting dose for weight loss will depend on the treatment you're using.

For both Wegovy and Ozempic, this is 0.25 mg injected once per week. For Rybelsus this is the 3 mg tablet taken once daily.

After 4 weeks, you will increase your dose to the next level up.

Unless you experience unmanageable side effects, you can keep increasing your dose every 4 weeks until the maximum maintenance dose is reached.

What is the 7.2 mg Wegovy dose?

Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, offers a 7.2 mg dose to patients who do not benefit enough from the previous maximum dose of 2.4 mg. This dose is administered through three 2.4 mg pens (although a 7.2 mg pen is in development), and offers more effective weight loss results, provided it is prescribed to you by a licensed doctor. In STEP UP trial, patients using this new dose have been found to lose up to 25% of their starting weight, although it also carries a greater risk of side effects. For this reason, you should only take 7.2 mg Wegovy if you tolerate the 2.4 mg dose well.

What dose should I take if I’m switching from another weight loss treatment?

If you are planning on switching from one weight loss treatment to another, you must only do so once you have a doctor’s approval. They can recommend which dose you should begin taking.

Switching from Ozempic to Wegovy

If you plan to switch from Ozempic to Wegovy, you should aim to keep the dose the same as what you have previously been taking. For example, if you reached the maximum maintenance dose on Ozempic (1 mg), you should start with either a 1 mg or 1.7 mg Wegovy dose. Take your first Wegovy dose one week after your last Ozempic dose, on your normal dosing day.

Switching from Saxenda to Ozempic or Wegovy

If you decide to switch from Saxenda (liraglutide) to Ozempic or Wegovy (semaglutide), we recommend having a short break of 7 days in between treatments. You can take your new meds 7 days after your next dose would have been due. You should start your semaglutide injection on the starting dose and work your way up every 4 weeks.

Switching from Mounjaro to Wegovy

Switching from Mounjaro to Wegovy is as simple as finding your equivalent dose, and either taking that or dosing down. Here is a table showing the equivalent doses of Mounjaro and Wegovy:

Switching from any other weight loss treatment

If you have been taking any other weight loss meds (such as Xenical [Orlistat] or Mysimba) ask your doctor how long you should wait before starting semaglutide. Ensure you begin with the lowest dose and wait 4 weeks before increasing it.

Switching between semaglutide tablets and injections

You may wish to switch to a different form of semaglutide, such as from tablets to injections or vice versa.

In all cases, safety guidelines suggest taking a 7-day break and starting your new treatment at the initial starting dose.

You cannot begin your new treatment on a higher dose even if you reached the maximum maintenance dose on your previous treatment.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose of Wegovy or Ozempic, take the missed dose as soon as you remember (if it has been less than 5 days since the missed dose).

If it has been more than 5 days since your missed dose, skip the dose completely. Continue taking treatment on your regular schedule.

Do not make up for a skipped dose by injecting yourself with two doses. This is likely to result in increased side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

If you miss a daily dose of Rybelsus, skip it completely and continue taking your medication the following day. Once again, do not make up for the missed dose by taking 2 tablets at once.

What happens if I skip my semaglutide dose?

If you are taking Ozempic or Wegovy injections, you should be taking one dose per week. You should not stop taking treatment without talking to your doctor.

Do not skip a dose or take any breaks during your semaglutide treatment. Regular weekly doses are necessary for the treatment to work.

If it has been 2 or more weeks since your last dose, speak to a healthcare professional about how to restart your semaglutide treatment.

Why it’s important to check the dose when purchasing your Wegovy pen

Here at HealthExpress, we sell all available doses of Wegovy.

Dosage	0.25 mg	0.5 mg	1 mg	1.7 mg	2.4 mg	7.2 mg*

*The 7.2 mg Wegovy dose is injected via three 2.4 mg pens, one after the other. Make sure each injection is at least 5 cm apart and that you change needles between injections.

It is important to check you are ordering the correct dose, as each pen is designed to deliver a specific amount of semaglutide.

If you are starting semaglutide for weight loss, you must choose the 0.25 mg pen.

Can I use a bigger dose pen to deliver a smaller dose?

No, you cannot. For a starting dose of 0.25 mg you must order a 0.25 mg pen to ensure you are taking the treatment safely and correctly.

Inaccuracies

Each pen is designed to deliver a specific dose. By using a higher dose pen to deliver a smaller dose, you will lack the accuracy required which could easily lead to taking too much.

Taking more semaglutide than you have been prescribed puts you at an increased risk of side effects. These could force you to stop treatment, which could ruin your weight loss progress.

Expiry

Semaglutide injectables can only be used for up to 6 weeks - after this period the medication will be unsafe to inject.

It is important to choose the correct pen so that you can administer 4 accurate doses over 4 weeks. After this the pen should be discarded.