Wegovy is a comparatively new medicine that’s authorized by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) to deal with weight problems.
It has grown in reputation and is turning into a standard injectable medicine to assist individuals drop pounds.
This text will clarify every part you should find out about Wegovy and if it’s acceptable for you.
What’s Wegovy?
Wegovy is a brand-name medicine with the lively ingredient semaglutide. It’s produced by Novo Nordisk.
Wegovy falls below the drug class of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists.
It helps individuals in quite a lot of methods, together with:
Higher blood sugar stage administration
Decrease A1C ranges
Improved insulin sensitivity
Combating insulin resistance
And weight reduction
Nonetheless, it’s only authorized as a weight reduction drug and isn’t thought of a diabetes medicine.
It’s an injectable medicine, obtainable solely by prescription and administered as soon as weekly.
Different GLP-1 agonists embrace Ozempic, Victoza, Saxenda, and Trulicity.
What are the advantages of Wegovy?
There are a lot of advantages to taking Wegovy, together with:
Weight reduction
Wegovy is proven to assist help in substantial weight reduction.
In research, Wegovy causes weight reduction in sufferers by lowering urge for food and slowing digestion.
By doing so, it stops the liver from releasing glucagon and prevents spikes in blood sugar ranges whereas bettering insulin sensitivity.
In a single examine, grownup contributors taking Wegovy misplaced 15% of their beginning weight on common.
In a separate examine, adolescents taking Wegovy misplaced 16% of their beginning weight on common.
Improved insulin sensitivity
Wegovy improves blood sugar ranges, A1C, and insulin sensitivity.
The STEP 2 trial checked out Wegovy’s results on blood sugars and A1Cs in individuals who have sort 2 diabetes.
The researchers discovered that contributors taking the medicine not solely misplaced weight however noticed statistically vital enhancements of their blood sugars and A1C ranges as nicely.
Even in the event you don’t have diabetes or prediabetes, taking Wegovy can assist insulin resistance and enhance your blood sugar ranges.
This might delay and even forestall the event of diabetes sooner or later.
Decrease cardiovascular threat
Semaglutide (the lively ingredient in Wegovy) has been confirmed to scale back the chance of main coronary heart assault, stroke, or loss of life in adults with sort 2 diabetes and coronary heart illness.
Within the examine, semaglutide-treated sufferers lowered their threat of cardiovascular loss of life, coronary heart assault, and stroke by 26%!
Why would you be prescribed Wegovy?
Wegovy is FDA-approved as a remedy for weight problems, weight reduction, and power weight administration. It could decrease blood sugar ranges and enhance A1C, however Wegovy just isn’t a diabetes medicine.
Not everybody who needs to take Wegovy will have the ability to get a prescription.
Folks should meet sure physique mass index (BMI) standards to turn out to be eligible for Wegovy, together with individuals who have a BMI of 30 or larger.
You might also qualify for Wegovy in case your BMI is 27 and you’ve got a number of weight-related medical circumstances, akin to excessive ldl cholesterol, hypertension, or sort 2 diabetes.
Wegovy is authorized for power weight administration in individuals 12 years and older.
To qualify for Wegovy, the adolescent will need to have a BMI at or above the 95 percentile for his or her age and intercourse.
Individuals who don’t qualify for Wegovy might qualify for one more GLP-1 medicine like Ozempic. Particularly in the event that they dwell with sort 2 diabetes and are battling insulin resistance.
Discuss together with your physician in the event you’re interested by taking Wegovy or Ozempic.
What are the uncomfortable side effects?
Many individuals expertise gentle to average uncomfortable side effects when taking Wegovy, particularly once they first begin taking the medicine.
These widespread uncomfortable side effects embrace:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdomen ache
Constipation
Weight reduction
Low blood sugar, in the event you take insulin
Though uncommon, extra extreme problems might embrace:
Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
Pancreatitis
Modifications in imaginative and prescient (worsening of diabetic retinopathy)
Kidney issues
Severe allergic reactions
A number of of those extra extreme uncomfortable side effects can result in well being problems and loss of life.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration in the event you:
Develop a fever
Expertise adjustments or worsening of your imaginative and prescient
Really feel weak or in ache after taking the medicine
Suppose you could be having an allergic response to the medicine
Search emergency medical consideration in the event you’re experiencing extreme low blood sugar ranges and you can’t preserve sugar down within the type of meals or drinks.
Extreme low blood sugar may be deadly if not handled shortly.
What’s the appropriate dose?
There are a lot of totally different Wegovy doses obtainable.
The quantity you’re taking will rely upon a couple of components, together with your top and weight, well being objectives, way of life, and well being historical past.
Wegovy comes within the following doses:
A Wegovy pen for giving a 0.25 mg weekly dose (for the beginning of remedy)
A Wegovy pen for giving a 0.50 mg weekly dose
A Wegovy pen for giving a 1 mg weekly dose
A Wegovy pen for giving a 1.7 mg weekly dose
A Wegovy pen for giving a 2.4 mg weekly dose (the utmost weekly dose)
Every pen operates the identical because the others, the one distinction between them being the totally different pre-measured dosing sizes.
Every pen is designed to offer solely a single weekly dose.
By no means take extra Wegovy than you might be prescribed. Should you overdose on Wegovy, you could expertise antagonistic uncomfortable side effects.
How a lot Wegovy ought to I take?
Your physician will allow you to decide the fitting dose of Wegovy for you. It’s going to range relying in your well being historical past, objectives, way of life, top, and weight.
There isn’t a “typical” or “regular” dose.
The FDA’s approval is for sufferers to start out with a low dose of 0.25 mg per week and step by step escalate over time till they obtain desired weight reduction or weight upkeep.
The utmost weekly dose is 2.4 mg, administered as soon as per week.
That is the dose that almost all sufferers will ultimately attain, relying on their tolerance of the medicine, the efficacy of remedy, and the severity of the uncomfortable side effects they’re experiencing.
What occurs if I take an excessive amount of Wegovy?
By no means take Wegovy greater than as soon as per week.
Nonetheless, in the event you unintentionally take an excessive amount of Wegovy, you could expertise antagonistic uncomfortable side effects akin to:
Debilitating nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdomen ache
And even low blood sugar—particularly in the event you’re additionally on insulin which may turn out to be deadly if not handled instantly.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration instantly in the event you’ve unintentionally taken an excessive amount of Wegovy.
I missed a dose of Wegovy. What now?
That is fully okay, and lacking a dose of Wegovy each every now and then is not going to hurt you, make you achieve weight, or worsen your blood sugar ranges.
Nonetheless, Wegovy is handiest when it’s taken constantly.
Should you miss a dose of Wegovy, it’s okay to take it a couple of days late.
Nonetheless, in the event you missed your dose greater than 5 days in the past, simply skip that week’s dose and take your frequently scheduled dose on time.
inject Wegovy
Test your Wegovy pen earlier than injecting. If there are any particles or discoloration current within the medicine, don’t use the pen. It could have expired or the medicine might have gone unhealthy.
Earlier than injecting, clear the injection web site with rubbing alcohol.
Rotate injection websites every week to forestall accidents and the event of scar tissue.
Wegovy is usually injected below the pores and skin within the thigh, stomach, or higher arm.
Discuss to your physician about the most effective locations so that you can inject and easy methods to rotate injection websites.
Who shouldn’t take Wegovy?
Don’t take Wegovy until you’ve been prescribed the medicine.
It’s not advisable to be used in case you are pregnant, planning on turning into pregnant, or in case you are breastfeeding.
Don’t use Wegovy (or every other medicine containing semaglutide) in the event you or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or in case you have A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome sort 2 (MEN 2).
Don’t use Wegovy in case you are allergic to semaglutide.
Should you’re inquisitive about making an attempt a GLP-1 agonist however you’re allergic to semaglutide, you could go for Victoza—whose lively ingredient is liraglutide.
How can I cease taking Wegovy?
You might want to cease taking Wegovy for a lot of causes, and that’s tremendous. Nonetheless, you’ll not need to cease the medicine chilly turkey.
Be sure you discuss together with your physician earlier than stopping any diabetes medicine, together with Wegovy. Your physician will most likely need you to wean your dose as a substitute of stopping remedy abruptly.
Insulin resistance, meals cravings, blood sugar ranges, and weight might creep again up when you cease taking Wegovy.
On common, individuals achieve again about 2/3rds of the burden they initially misplaced one yr after stopping remedy with GLP-1 medicines containing semaglutide.
You might want to discuss to your physician about another medicine, train, or weight loss program plan to assist fight any rebound results you could expertise in the event you resolve to cease taking Wegovy.
Does Wegovy substitute insulin?
No. Should you take Wegovy and also you’re insulin-dependent, you can’t cease taking your insulin when you begin this weekly injection.
Your blood sugar ranges could also be decrease over time, however not like insulin, Wegovy doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugar ranges.
Should you usually take insulin for diabetes administration, you will want to proceed to take action.
Should you’ve been on Wegovy for a number of months, you could discover that your insulin wants are step by step lowering, however this hardly ever, if ever, fully takes away the necessity to take insulin.
How do I retailer Wegovy?
Ideally, Wegovy ought to be saved within the fridge between 36°F to 46°F within the unique field to guard it from mild.
It may be used for as much as 56 days after opening.
If wanted, it may be saved exterior the fridge with the pen cap nonetheless on for as much as 28 days (between 46°F to 86°F.)
By no means freeze your Wegovy pens or put them in direct daylight or excessive warmth.
How do I get a prescription for Wegovy?
Discuss to your physician in the event you want to get a prescription for Wegovy.
Your physician ought to have the ability to write you a prescription to strive the medicine in the event you meet the BMI necessities or are obese and have a qualifying power situation.
If you don’t qualify for Wegovy however need to drop pounds, your physician might be able to advocate different FDA-approved weight reduction medicines which may be a greater match for you.
Can I take Wegovy with my diabetes medicines?
It will rely upon what your different diabetes medicines are.
Wegovy shouldn’t be mixed with every other GLP-1 medicines akin to Ozempic, Victoza, Trulicity, or Mounjaro.
The lively ingredient semaglutide may be taken together with metformin, insulin, or different medicines. Simply you’ll want to ask your physician earlier than doing so.
Lastly, ensure your physician is aware of of each different medicine you’re taking earlier than beginning Wegovy.