Lose weight with Wegovy: everything you need to know about this weight loss treatment
Dr Earim Chaudry
Medical Director
In 30 seconds…
Wegovy is a new weight loss treatment which works to reduce your appetite, thus helping you lose weight.
Available with a private prescription, the weight loss drug is prescribed to overweight adults with a BMI of 30 or above or 27 and above with a weight related health condition.
While it’s not yet available in the UK, it’s anticipated to be released within the year of 2023.
Wegovy works by slowing down the digestive system, which makes you feel fuller for longer. It also influences your GLP-1 hormone to reduce your appetite, meaning you don’t experience hunger cues as regularly.
Wegovy is administered with a weekly injection, which you can inject into your upper arm, stomach (so long as it’s 2 inches away from your belly button,) or your thighs.
This article explores how Wegovy works, who may get a private prescription, the side effects of Wegovy and more.
What is Wegovy?
Wegovy is a new weight loss treatment that should be injected into your body weekly.
Approved in the USA in 2021, Wegovy is expected to be available in the UK sometime in 2023.
Does Wegovy actually help you lose weight?
When you combine Wegovy with a healthy diet, reduced calorie intake, and increased exercise, you can absolutely lose weight.
In fact, in clinical trials, Wegovy has proven to lose an average of 14.9% of their body weight.
Wegovy has been licensed as a weight loss drug, meaning its sole purpose is to help administers to lose weight.
In 2021, another one of the large clinical trials took place that measured the impact of Wegovy. This study involved 1961 overweight adults that were split into a placebo group and those who took the real weight loss drug.
Along with a reduced calorie diet and daily exercise, those who took the weekly injection of Wegovy semaglutide lost a minimum of 5% of their body weight after 68 weeks. 32% lost up to a huge 20% of their body weight.
When comparing this to the placebo group who focused only on lifestyle and diet changes, only 32% of people lost 5% of their body weight. A smaller 2% in the placebo group lost 20% of their body weight through a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.
This clinical trial is just further proof that Wegovy is an excellent weight loss treatment.
How does Wegovy work?
Wegovy’s active ingredient is semaglutide. This can be found in other weight loss drugs, like Ozempic.
Semaglutide helps you lose weight through hormonal stimulation. The GLP-1 hormone is responsible for regulating appetite, so, when adjusted by Wegovy, your appetite reduces considerably.
GLP-1 also impacts stomach mobility, meaning your food is digested and emptied at a slower pace, helping you feel fuller for longer.
Wegovy cost: how much will the weight loss treatment set you back?
While we’re hoping to update this article as soon as we find out, Wegovy cost is a question that remains unclear. The drug has yet to be released in the UK, so the cost is still unknown.
However, as soon as it launches in the United Kingdom, we’ll be sure to update this for you.
Using Wegovy as a weight loss treatment
No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, using a weight loss drug like Wegovy is a far less extreme option than surgery.
Here’s everything you need to know about Wegovy. For a more in-depth look at Wegovy, read our fully comprehensive guide.
Who can take Wegovy? The body mass index criteria
Weight loss drugs like Wegovy are powerful. Due to them being an injectable prescription medicine for weight management, there are certain criteria that you need to meet in order to get a prescription.
- Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or above
- Or your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 27 or above and you have at least one weight related health condition. This may include conditions like diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or others.)
Who can’t take Wegovy?
Wegovy is an effective weight loss medication, but it’s not for everyone. If you fall under any of the following criteria, you shouldn’t take Wegovy:
- You’re 75+ years old
- You’re currently pregnant or breastfeeding
- You’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, liver, or kidney failure
- You’re taking other weight loss drugs or insulin
Can you get Wegovy on the NHS?
While Wegovy will be available on the NHS, it won’t be widely accessible.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have stated that Wegovy is a weight loss treatment for overweight adults, but “it won’t be available to everyone.”
Can I get Wegovy over the counter?
You cannot get Wegovy over the counter. Wegovy is an injectable prescription medication for weight management, which you’ll need to obtain from a healthcare professional.
Here at Voy, we provide an online doctor service and an online consultation with a member of our clinical team. A qualified medical professional is able to prescribe Wegovy if you meet the criteria.
That said, Wegovy is currently not available in the UK. Once it has launched, you’ll be able to determine whether you are eligible for this weight loss treatment and obtain your prescription here.
Wegovy: dosing schedule
Wegovy comes in the form of weekly injections. This weight loss drug is not in tablet form and follows a specific dosing schedule.
Your weekly injection is prefilled with solution, and you’ll need to inject Wegovy into your stomach, arm, or thigh.
There are 5 dosages of Wegovy which needs to gradually increase over time. The injection pens are colour coded to show the dosages.
Everyone’s dosing schedule will be unique, but for the most part, this is a generalised month-by-month insight:
- Month 1 – begin with a 0.25mg dosage
- Month 2 – increase your dosage to 0.5mg
- Month 3 – increase again to 1mg
- Month 4 – increase to 1.7mg
- Month 5 + – increase (and stay at until the end of your weight loss treatment plan) to 2.4mg
How often should I administer a Wegovy dose?
Wegovy semaglutide has been created for an easy weekly dose. Try to stick to the same day of the week when taking your Wegovy injection. You can find more information about when to take Wegovy in your patient information leaflet.
How quickly do you see weight loss results with Wegovy semaglutide?
Everyone is unique and on their own path of their weight loss journey. There are so many contributing factors that may influence how quickly Wegovy gets to work with visible results.
For some, you’ll be able to see the evidence of weight loss within the first 4 weeks after your first dose of Wegovy.
How can I get sustained weight loss with Wegovy?
Using Wegovy as a treatment for weight related conditions only does half the work. In order to achieve sustained weight loss, you’ll need to combine this prescription medication with careful calorie and food intake along with making changes for a healthier lifestyle.
After taking your final dose of Wegovy, you may find that you put weight back on. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a healthy diet and increased exercise.
How does Wegovy stand up to other weight loss treatments? Wegovy vs Ozempic
Other weight loss treatments include drugs like Ozempic, which works in the same way. In both Ozempic and Wegovy, the active ingredient semaglutide works to reduce cravings and, by regulating appetite, help you with weight loss.
The main difference is that Wegovy is licensed specifically as a weight loss treatment, while Ozempic is, first and foremost, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Unlike Wegovy, other weight loss treatments like Orlistat/Xenical work to reduce fat absorption. These medications are also in tablet form, which, if you’re needle-phobic, may be a better alternative.
That said, Orlistat/Xenical need to be taken up to three times per day. Mysimba – another weight loss treatment in the form of tablets – need to be taken up to four times daily.
Wegovy, however, requires only one weekly injection. It does not reduce fat absorption; rather it helps to reduce and regulate your appetite. The closest alternative to Wegovy would be Saxenda. This, unlike Wegovy, has an active ingredient of liraglutide.
When you consider the effect of the weight loss medications, you’ll see that Wegovy leads by a landslide:
- Wegovy
Effect: 85%
Form: Injections
Frequency: One injection weekly - Mysimba
Effect: 62%
Form: Tablets
Frequency: Four daily tablets - Saxenda
Effect: 60%
Form: Injection
Frequency: One injection daily - Orlistat/Xenical
Effect: 45%
Form: Tablets
Frequency: Three daily tablets
What are the side effects of Wegovy?
Your doctor or online doctor will prescribe Wegovy as a weight loss treatment after explaining the potential side effects. There are common side effects experienced by a larger proportion of people as well as more serious (but rare) side effects.
Common side effects of Wegovy
The most common side effects of Wegovy are:
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Tummy ache/ abdominal pain
- Dizziness
- Bloating
- Gas
- Heartburn
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
Rare but serious side effects of Wegovy
While the following side effects are rare, they’re also serious. Should you experience these symptoms, seek medical treatment immediately.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas)
Symptoms: Intense abdominal pain that won’t go away which can travel into your back. - Gallbladder problems
Symptoms: Upper abdominal pain, jaundice, and/or a fever. - Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Symptoms: Irritability, mood swings, rashes, itching, fast heart rate, headache, feeling fragile, and/or difficulties breathing and swallowing. - Allergic reaction
Symptoms: Swelling in your throat, lips, tongue, or face, difficulty breathing or swallowing. - Mental health problems
Symptoms: Feeling highly anxious, lacking motivation, feeling emotionally numb.
You can find the common side effects along with the rarer, more serious side effects inside your patient information leaflet.
Is Wegovy safe to take?
The above side effects of Wegovy may make you doubt the weight loss treatment as a whole. However, rest assured that Wegovy is a safe and effective weight loss medication.
Just make sure you speak with your doctor (both in a clinic or an online doctor) about any concerns. If they feel you’re at a higher risk of the more severe side effects, they will not prescribe Wegovy as a weight loss treatment.
How to cope with Wegovy side effects
When taking Wegovy semaglutide, you may experience the side effects above.
This can feel unsettling and may cause a desire to stop taking your Wegovy medication.
However, there are strategies you can use to reduce unwanted common side effects:
- Eat smaller meals and pay attention to your hunger cues.
- Stop eating when you are full. Don’t eat for boredom, and, if applicable, try to manage an emotional eating disorder
- Avoid alcohol – particularly in high units – as well as fried or spicy foods
- Keep hydrated with water, specifically if you’re vomiting or losing fluids
- If you’re not vomiting but you’re feeling nauseous, try drinking mint or ginger tea to help your stomach settle
How to make the most out of your weight loss treatment: reduced calorie diet, increased exercise
Wegovy is an excellent weight loss treatment for weight related medical problems.
That said, a large part of the responsibility still remains with you.
In essence: your weekly injections do only part of the work.
Along with making sure you’re administering the whole dose, you’ll need to focus on your weight loss plan, too.
This includes ensuring you eat a balanced and healthy diet (and quitting junk food), with increased physical activity, as well as making lifestyle changes in the name of a healthier you.
If you’re interested in using Wegovy for weight loss, talk to a member of our clinical team today. Getting ahead of release day means you’ll be able to start your weekly injections sooner rather than later.
Wegovy semaglutide is a fantastic addition to your weight loss strategy. Along with a better diet and increased physical activity, the route to weight loss has never been clearer!
References
Wegovy resulted in 14.9% decrease in body weight – EMC
More participants in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group achieved weight reductions of 5% or more – Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
The most common side effects of Wegovy – Wegovy