Wegovy 0.25mg Instructions: Taking Your Starter Dose Safely

Step 1: Preparing your pen before the injection

Before you do anything else, take the pen from the fridge and set it on a clean, flat surface for about thirty minutes. A cold pen delivers the same dose, but letting it reach room temperature makes the injection noticeably more comfortable. While you wait, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Check the pen window. The liquid inside should be clear and colourless, or very pale yellow. If you see particles, cloudiness, or discolouration, do not use that pen — contact your prescriber. This thirty-second visual check is one of the most useful habits you can build into your routine.

Gather what you need: the pen, an alcohol swab (or soap and water to clean the skin), a cotton ball or gauze, and a sharps container for the used pen afterwards. Keeping these together in one small bag saves time every week. You can find guidance on safe disposal and the right container in the full Wegovy dosage instructions on this site.

Remove the pen cap by pulling it straight off. Do not twist it. The needle is already factory-attached inside; you do not add or remove needles on the Wegovy pen. If you want a detailed walkthrough of the device itself, our Wegovy 4 dose pen instructions cover every step from cap removal through to disposal. Confirm the dose counter shows the correct number for your current week.

Step 2: Injecting your 0.25mg dose

Clean the injection site with an alcohol swab and let it dry completely before you inject, injecting into wet skin stings more. Choose your site: the abdomen (at least 5cm from the navel), the front of the thigh, or the outer upper arm. Each week, pick a different spot within that area rather than the exact same point.

Pinch a fold of skin gently if you are slim; otherwise simply press the pen cap-end firmly against the skin at a 90-degree angle. Press and hold the start button until you hear a click, then keep holding for at least six seconds, this allows the full dose to be delivered. A second click may occur; continue holding until those six seconds are complete. The dose counter will show zero when the full dose has been given.

Withdraw the pen, release the skin fold, and press gently with a cotton ball if there is any small bleed. Do not rub the site. The automatic needle guard will engage as you remove the pen. If you are unsure exactly how much liquid a single injection contains, our page on 0.25 ml Wegovy explains what to expect in the pen window before and after you inject. Put the pen (with its cap replaced) straight into your sharps container afterwards; never into a household bin.

Make a note of the day you injected. The same day each week works best for most people, and keeping a simple record helps if your prescriber ever asks about your injection history.

Step 3: Getting through weeks one to four

The 0.25mg pen holds four doses. Each click advances the counter by one, so the pen is finished after the fourth weekly injection. At that point your prescriber will usually move you to 0.5mg, though the exact timing is their decision based on how you have tolerated the starter dose, and our Wegovy 0.25 guide goes into more detail on what to expect across those first four weeks. For a fuller picture of the full escalation schedule, the Wegovy doses overview explains each stage.

Nausea is the side effect most people notice first, typically in the day or two after injection. Eating smaller portions, avoiding very fatty or spicy food, and staying well hydrated all help. The NHS England weight management injections page has practical lifestyle tips that sit alongside treatment. For most people, nausea at 0.25mg is mild and eases by week two or three.

If you miss a dose during this first pen, the approach depends on how close the next scheduled injection is. Your Patient Information Leaflet covers the exact rule; the missed dose guidance page on this site also walks through it. Never take two doses to make up for one missed, that is the one instruction that applies regardless of which pen you are on.

Store the pen in the fridge between injections. If you travel, the SmPC on the Electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) states the permitted room-temperature window, refer to that document rather than relying on general advice, as the exact number matters.

When to pause and get medical advice

Most people move through the 0.25mg pen without any serious issues. But there are signs that need prompt attention rather than a wait-and-see approach. Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back (especially alongside vomiting) should not be dismissed as ordinary nausea. Contact your GP or call 111 without delay, and mention that you are taking semaglutide. The same applies to signs of a serious allergic reaction: swelling of the face, lips, or throat, difficulty breathing, or a widespread rash.

Gallbladder symptoms (pain in the upper right abdomen, particularly after eating) and signs of significant dehydration from prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea (feeling faint, producing very little urine) also warrant medical review rather than managing at home. These events are uncommon at the starter dose, but knowing the signs means you can act quickly if they occur.

If something about your experience worries you and you are a patient with us, the aftercare team is available seven days a week. You can also report any suspected side effects directly to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, that reporting system exists for exactly this purpose and your account genuinely helps regulators monitor medicines in real-world use.

If you are exploring whether Wegovy could be right for you and have not yet had a clinical assessment, you can check your eligibility through a free consultation with our prescribers.