What the Wegovy dose schedule looks like
Wegovy uses a five-step titration schedule that climbs from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg over roughly 16 to 17 weeks. Each step lasts four weeks: 0.25 mg, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, and finally 2.4 mg as the full maintenance dose. The schedule is set by the FDA prescribing information and is the same for every adult patient, regardless of starting weight. Slower titration is allowed when side effects are difficult to tolerate; faster titration is not.
The Wegovy dosing chart below is taken directly from the Novo Nordisk prescribing information. These are not suggestions or general guidance — they are the FDA-approved Wegovy dose schedule that providers follow when writing prescriptions.
A few things worth highlighting about the chart. First, the starting dose of 0.25 mg is below the therapeutic range. It is not expected to drive significant weight loss on its own; its job is to let the body adjust to a GLP-1 agonist with as little nausea as possible. Second, the dose roughly doubles at each step until you reach the 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg strengths, which were added to the lineup in 2021 specifically for the weight management indication. Third, the entire schedule is built around four-week intervals because semaglutide has a long half-life of about a week — it takes roughly four to five weeks for blood levels to stabilize after each escalation.
For a side-by-side look at how Wegovy compares with other GLP-1 weight loss medications and their own titration schedules, our main Wegovy guide walks through the alternatives.
Why Wegovy is titrated slowly: the start low, go slow principle
The phrase "start low, go slow" is a clinical pharmacology principle that applies to many medications, but it is especially important for GLP-1 receptor agonists. Wegovy works by activating GLP-1 receptors throughout the body, including in the stomach and brain. Activating those receptors all at once at a high dose almost always causes severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Slow escalation gives the gut and the central nervous system time to adapt.
In the STEP 1 clinical trial, Novo Nordisk tested several titration speeds before settling on the four-week step interval. Faster schedules produced unacceptable rates of dropout from gastrointestinal side effects. The 16-week titration was the slowest schedule that still got most patients to the 2.4 mg maintenance dose within a reasonable timeframe.
The same logic explains why Wegovy starts at 0.25 mg even though that dose is essentially subtherapeutic for weight loss. The first month is not really a treatment month — it is a tolerance-building month. Patients who skip it or try to start higher tend to abandon the medication within days because the side effects are unmanageable.
Each Wegovy pen is a fixed dose. You cannot "take half" of a higher pen or "double up" a lower one. Trying to skip a step in the titration schedule by, for example, taking the 1.0 mg pen during the second month instead of waiting, is a fast track to severe nausea, dehydration, and a trip to urgent care. Dose changes belong to the prescriber, who weighs your weight loss progress, side effect history, and tolerability.
The five Wegovy doses, explained one at a time
Each of the five Wegovy strengths plays a specific role in the titration. Some are bridges. Some are destinations. Knowing which is which helps set realistic expectations for what each month of treatment is supposed to feel like.
Wegovy 0.25 mg — the starting dose
The 0.25 mg dose is given once a week for the first four weeks. It is not designed to produce significant weight loss. It exists to let your gut and brain become accustomed to GLP-1 receptor activation before the dose climbs into the therapeutic range. Most patients lose between two and five pounds during this month, mainly because of the early reduction in appetite that even a low dose can produce.
Side effects on 0.25 mg are usually the most noticeable of the entire course, simply because the body is encountering semaglutide for the first time. Mild nausea, occasional bloating, and constipation are the most commonly reported. If these symptoms are tolerable, the prescriber will move you up to 0.5 mg at the start of week five.
Wegovy 0.5 mg — the first escalation
The 0.5 mg dose runs from week 5 through week 8. By this point, most early nausea has eased, and patients begin to notice the appetite suppression more clearly. Meals start to feel smaller. Snacking impulses fade. Weight loss typically picks up to roughly one to two pounds per week for many people, though individual results vary.
0.5 mg is also the lowest dose at which semaglutide has demonstrated meaningful efficacy in clinical trials, though for diabetes rather than weight loss. For obesity, it is still considered a step on the way to maintenance, not a target dose.
Wegovy 1.0 mg — the second escalation
The 1.0 mg Wegovy dose covers weeks 9 through 12. This is the strength at which most patients say the medication "kicks in" properly. Hunger becomes harder to remember, and the food noise that drove pre-treatment eating quiets significantly. Weight loss usually continues at a steady pace through this month.
The 1.0 mg dose is also the maintenance strength for Ozempic when used at its lower diabetes dose, which is why patients transferring from Ozempic to Wegovy often have an easier time at this step than at the earlier ones.
Wegovy 1.7 mg — the third escalation and an alternate maintenance
1.7 mg is given during weeks 13 through 16 and is more than just a bridge. The FDA label explicitly recognizes 1.7 mg as an acceptable long-term maintenance dose for patients who cannot tolerate the full 2.4 mg dose. It produces meaningful weight loss in clinical trials, and many patients elect to stay on it indefinitely if they reach their goal weight or if the climb to 2.4 mg causes a fresh wave of side effects.
The 1.7 mg pen also has a distinct delivery click count, which we cover in the section below on reading the pen.
Wegovy 2.4 mg — the maintenance dose and highest approved strength
2.4 mg is the full maintenance dose and the highest dose of Wegovy that the FDA has approved. It begins at week 17 and is intended to be continued indefinitely. In the STEP 1 trial, participants on 2.4 mg lost an average of 14.9% of their starting body weight by week 68, compared with 2.4% in the placebo group.
Not every patient reaches 2.4 mg. Roughly 5 to 10 percent of patients in clinical trials stayed on a lower dose due to ongoing GI side effects. Whether reaching 2.4 mg is necessary depends on individual response. Some patients lose all the weight they need at 1.7 mg. Others need the full dose to break through a plateau.
| Dose | Weeks | Pen color band | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 1 to 4 | Light green | Starting dose, tolerance building |
| 0.5 mg | 5 to 8 | Medium green | First escalation, early appetite control |
| 1.0 mg | 9 to 12 | Green | Second escalation, full appetite suppression |
| 1.7 mg | 13 to 16 | Dark green | Third escalation or alternate maintenance |
| 2.4 mg | 17 onward | Deepest green | Full maintenance dose, highest approved |
For a deeper look at what each dose feels like in practice, including injection technique and rotation between sites, see our how to inject Wegovy guide.
Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) dosing
Most people who type "Wegovy pill dosing chart" into a search engine are looking for one of two things: information about Rybelsus, which is the currently approved oral form of semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, or information about the still-pending higher-dose oral semaglutide for weight management. Both deserve a clear explanation, because they are not the same product.
As of April 2026, there is no FDA-approved oral Wegovy for weight loss. The only oral semaglutide product on the US market is Rybelsus, which is approved for adults with type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk submitted a new drug application for higher-dose oral semaglutide (25 mg and 50 mg daily) for the weight management indication, and the FDA review is expected to conclude in late 2026 or 2027. Until then, the Wegovy injection is the only FDA-approved semaglutide for weight loss.
Rybelsus dosing chart
| Oral dose | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 mg | 30 days | Starting dose, taken once daily on an empty stomach with no more than 4 oz of plain water. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other oral medications. |
| 7 mg | 30 days | First escalation. May be the maintenance dose for some patients with diabetes if blood sugar control is adequate. |
| 14 mg | Ongoing | Maintenance dose for the type 2 diabetes indication. Highest currently approved oral semaglutide dose in the US. |
| 25 mg / 50 mg | Pending FDA review | Higher oral doses being studied for the weight management indication, not yet approved. |
Oral semaglutide has a much lower bioavailability than injected semaglutide, which is why the milligram numbers look so much higher than the Wegovy injection doses. The 14 mg oral dose produces roughly the same blood levels as a 0.5 mg injection. This is also why a Wegovy pill at the strengths used for diabetes is unlikely to match the weight loss seen with the 2.4 mg injection.
For a fuller breakdown of the upcoming oral product, see our Wegovy pill guide.
Dose clicks and how to read the Wegovy pen
The Wegovy pen is a single-use, pre-filled, pre-set injection device. Unlike older insulin pens, it does not allow you to dial up or dial down a dose. Each pen delivers one fixed amount of semaglutide for the strength printed on its label. There is, however, an internal mechanism that produces an audible and tactile click as the dose is delivered, and patients sometimes ask how many clicks correspond to which dose. The reference numbers below come from the Novo Nordisk Wegovy click chart used in patient training materials.
| Wegovy dose | Confirmation clicks | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 1 click | One single click marks the full dose delivered |
| 0.5 mg | 2 clicks | Two distinct clicks, evenly spaced |
| 1.0 mg | 4 clicks | Four clicks over the few seconds the injection takes |
| 1.7 mg | 7 clicks | Seven clicks; this is when the injection starts to feel longer |
| 2.4 mg | 10 clicks | Ten clicks, the longest of the five doses |
Hold the pen against the skin until the dose counter reaches zero and you have heard the final click. Removing the pen too early can mean an incomplete dose. The full step-by-step injection process — including site rotation, needle handling, and what to do if a drop of medication appears on the needle tip — is in our how to inject Wegovy guide.
Wegovy pens cannot be split, divided, or combined. The click count is a way to confirm that the full dose was delivered, not a way to take less. If you only hear three clicks on a 1.0 mg pen, that is a reason to call your prescriber, not a way to "step down" mid-titration.
What to do if side effects make a dose increase too hard
Roughly three quarters of patients in the STEP 1 trial reported at least one gastrointestinal side effect during the titration. Most were mild to moderate, but a meaningful minority found one of the dose escalations difficult to tolerate. The Novo Nordisk prescribing information addresses this directly: if a planned escalation is causing severe nausea, vomiting, or other intolerable side effects, the previous dose may be continued for an additional four weeks before trying the escalation again.
In practice, prescribers have a few options when a step is hard:
- Hold the current dose for an extra month. Often the most effective approach. Side effects typically ease as the body adapts.
- Step back temporarily. If you escalated and the new dose is unmanageable, returning to the previous strength for several weeks before trying again is sometimes the right call.
- Add supportive medications. Anti-nausea drugs such as ondansetron or short-term acid reducers can help bridge the worst weeks.
- Pause and restart. If side effects are severe, a brief pause followed by restarting at a lower dose may be the safest path.
- Stay at the lower maintenance dose. 1.7 mg is recognized by the FDA label as a long-term option for patients who cannot tolerate 2.4 mg.
What patients should not do is push through severe symptoms without telling the prescriber. Untreated nausea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, kidney injury, and electrolyte problems. The full breakdown of which side effects warrant a phone call versus an emergency visit is in the Wegovy side effects guide.
Persistent vomiting more than once or twice a day, inability to keep fluids down for more than 24 hours, severe abdominal pain that radiates to the back, signs of dehydration such as dark urine or dizziness on standing, or any new symptom that concerns you. These are reasons to call before the next scheduled dose, not after.
Can you stay on a lower maintenance dose of Wegovy?
Yes, and the FDA prescribing information explicitly allows it. The label identifies 2.4 mg as the target maintenance dose but recognizes 1.7 mg as a valid long-term alternative for patients who cannot tolerate the higher strength. In real-world practice, prescribers also keep some patients on 1.0 mg or even 0.5 mg if they have reached their goal weight, are tolerating that dose well, and are not regaining.
The clinical trade-off is straightforward. On average, higher Wegovy doses produce more weight loss. In the STEP trials, mean weight reduction at 2.4 mg was greater than at 1.0 mg, which was in turn greater than at 0.5 mg. But the curve is averaged across thousands of patients, and individuals can land far above or below the mean. A patient who has lost 15% of body weight on 1.7 mg may not need to add the side effect risk of pushing to 2.4 mg.
A few situations where a lower maintenance dose may make sense:
- Goal weight reached and weight is stable for at least three months
- Side effects at 2.4 mg consistently affect quality of life
- Cost or supply problems make it harder to access the higher strength
- Pregnancy planning, in which case Wegovy must be discontinued entirely at least two months before conception
- An older patient or someone with reduced muscle mass who is at risk of losing too much weight
Whether a lower dose remains effective long-term depends on the individual. Some patients regain weight when they step down from 2.4 mg to 1.7 mg. Others maintain their loss indefinitely. There is no reliable way to predict which group you will fall into without trying it under medical supervision.
Missed doses, skipped weeks, and restarting Wegovy
The FDA prescribing information includes specific guidance for missed Wegovy doses. The rules depend on how much time is left until the next scheduled dose and how many doses have been missed.
One missed dose
If you forget your weekly Wegovy injection and the next scheduled dose is more than 48 hours away, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Then resume your normal weekly schedule. If the next scheduled dose is less than 48 hours away, skip the missed dose entirely and take the next one on the regular day. Do not double up.
Two or more consecutive missed doses
If you have missed two or more consecutive weekly doses, contact your prescriber before resuming. Depending on how long the gap was, you may be able to pick up where you left off, or you may need to restart at a lower dose. The reason is that semaglutide tolerance fades over time. After two to three weeks without the medication, restarting at the previous higher dose may produce nausea and vomiting that the patient had previously stopped experiencing.
A gap of one month or more
If more than four weeks have passed since the last dose, the prescriber will usually have you restart at 0.25 mg and re-titrate from the beginning. This is the same approach used for new patients and protects against the worst of the GI side effects on resumption.
| Time since missed dose | What to do |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 days late, next dose more than 48 hours away | Take missed dose immediately, resume normal schedule |
| Less than 5 days late, next dose less than 48 hours away | Skip missed dose, take the next one on the regular day |
| Two consecutive weekly doses missed | Call prescriber before resuming, may need to step down |
| Three or more weeks since last dose | Restart at 0.25 mg and re-titrate from the beginning |
Common reasons patients miss doses include travel, supply shortages, and intentional pauses around surgery or pregnancy planning. If a planned pause is on the horizon, talk to the prescriber in advance so the restart can be scheduled, rather than improvised.
For information on storage during travel, including the six-week room temperature window, see the storage section of our how to inject Wegovy guide. For supply questions and shortage updates, see the where to buy Wegovy guide, and for total cost across all five Wegovy doses, see our Wegovy cost guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five Wegovy doses?
Wegovy is available in five strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg, all delivered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. The 0.25 mg dose is the starting dose used for the first four weeks. The 2.4 mg dose is the full maintenance dose and the highest dose of Wegovy approved by the FDA. The other three strengths exist solely to bridge the gap during titration, which typically takes 16 weeks to complete.
Can I start Wegovy at 0.5 mg instead of 0.25 mg?
No. The FDA-approved Wegovy dosing schedule requires every patient to begin at 0.25 mg weekly for the first four weeks, regardless of weight or prior GLP-1 use. Starting higher significantly increases the risk of severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration, and is not supported by the prescribing information. The only situation in which a different starting point may be considered is if a patient is transferring from another semaglutide product, and even then the decision belongs to the prescriber.
Can I start Wegovy at 1.7 mg if I was already on Ozempic?
In some cases, yes. Patients who have been stable on Ozempic 1.0 mg or higher for diabetes may be able to start Wegovy at a higher dose than 0.25 mg, but the decision is individualized and must be made by the prescribing physician. The official Wegovy label does not include a formal cross-titration table, so providers usually pick a step that approximates the patient's prior semaglutide exposure. Self-escalating without medical supervision is not safe.
At what dose does Wegovy start working?
Many patients notice reduced appetite within the first one to two weeks on the 0.25 mg starting dose, even though it is below the therapeutic range for weight loss. Meaningful weight loss typically begins in the second month at 0.5 mg and accelerates as titration continues. The full appetite-suppressing effect is not reached until the maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, usually around weeks 13 to 17.
When should I increase my Wegovy dose?
Per the FDA prescribing information, dose increases occur every four weeks: weeks 1 to 4 at 0.25 mg, weeks 5 to 8 at 0.5 mg, weeks 9 to 12 at 1.0 mg, weeks 13 to 16 at 1.7 mg, and week 17 onward at 2.4 mg. If gastrointestinal side effects are difficult to tolerate, the prescriber may delay an escalation by an additional four weeks rather than push through. Never increase the dose on your own.
Do you lose more weight on a higher dose of Wegovy?
On average, yes. In the STEP trials, the 2.4 mg maintenance dose produced approximately 14.9% mean body weight reduction at 68 weeks, compared with smaller losses at lower doses. That said, individual response varies, and some patients reach their goal weight or plateau at 1.7 mg and elect to stay there. The relationship between dose and weight loss is real but not linear for every person.
Can I stay on a low dose of Wegovy long-term?
It is possible if you and your prescriber agree that a lower dose is producing acceptable results with fewer side effects. Some patients do well on 1.7 mg as a long-term maintenance dose and never reach 2.4 mg. Others step down from 2.4 mg to 1.7 mg or 1.0 mg after reaching their goal weight. The prescribing information lists 1.7 mg as an alternative maintenance dose for patients who cannot tolerate 2.4 mg.
Do you lose weight on the maintenance dose of Wegovy?
Yes. The maintenance dose, whether 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, is where most of the weight loss happens and where it is sustained. STEP 1 trial participants continued to lose weight at the 2.4 mg dose for roughly the first 60 weeks before plateauing. After the plateau, the maintenance dose primarily helps prevent weight regain rather than driving further loss.
How long do you take Wegovy for weight loss?
Wegovy is approved for long-term, indefinite use. Obesity is treated as a chronic condition, and clinical data show that most patients regain a substantial portion of lost weight within one year of stopping the medication. As long as Wegovy continues to be effective and well tolerated, prescribers generally recommend continuing it. There is no fixed end date built into the label.
Can you skip a week of Wegovy?
If a dose is missed and the next scheduled dose is more than 48 hours away, take the missed dose as soon as possible. If the next dose is less than 48 hours away, skip the missed dose and take the next one on the regular day. If two or more consecutive weekly doses are missed, contact your prescriber. You may need to restart at a lower dose to avoid side effects, particularly if more than two weeks have passed.
How many clicks are in each Wegovy dose?
Wegovy pens are pre-filled and pre-set, so they are not measured by clicks the way some older insulin pens are. Each pen delivers exactly one fixed dose. For reference: 0.25 mg = 1 click, 0.5 mg = 2 clicks, 1.0 mg = 4 clicks, 1.7 mg = 7 clicks, and 2.4 mg = 10 clicks of the dose-confirmation mechanism. You should always hear and feel the click that confirms the full dose was delivered before removing the pen from the skin.
Is there a Wegovy pill, and what are the doses?
Oral semaglutide is sold under the brand name Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes in 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg once-daily tablets. Higher oral semaglutide doses (25 mg and 50 mg) are under FDA review for the weight management indication and are not yet approved as a Wegovy pill. Until that approval, the only FDA-approved Wegovy product for weight loss is the weekly injection.