Wegovy directions: how to take it correctly and what to expect

The morning your first pen lands

Picture the scene: the DPD notification arrives, you open the plain box, and you're holding a Wegovy pen for the first time. Before anything else, read the Patient Information Leaflet in full. It sounds obvious, but the leaflet is specific to your pen format and dose, and the instructions here are a complement to it, not a replacement.

Wegovy is injected under the skin, not into a vein or muscle. The licensed sites are the abdomen (at least a few centimetres away from the navel), the front of the thigh, or the outer area of the upper arm. Choose whichever you find easiest to reach consistently. Clean the skin with an alcohol swab, let it dry for a few seconds, then press the pen firmly against the site and activate the injection according to the leaflet's instructions for your pen type. Hold it in place for the count recommended in your leaflet to ensure the full dose is delivered.

Choose your injection day thoughtfully. Many people pick a day that anchors to a weekly routine, the same evening they meal-plan, or a Sunday before the working week. That said, if your day falls on a bank holiday or you're away, you have some flexibility: you can inject up to three days earlier or three days later than your usual day without starting the clock again, as long as the two injections remain at least a couple of days apart. For the precise window, check your leaflet or speak to your prescriber. If you are considering how your supply reaches you, our Wegovy direct to consumer page explains how the service works, which is worth reading before you plan around a long holiday or a payday trip abroad.

For a fuller walkthrough of the physical injection technique, the step-by-step administration guide covers each stage in detail.

Dose increases: what the titration schedule actually means

Wegovy does not start at the maintenance dose. The UK titration pathway moves through several steps (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, up to 2.4 mg (or the newly approved 7.2 mg with the dedicated higher-dose pen, subject to clinical assessment)) with roughly four weeks at each level before increasing. The NHS semaglutide guidance explains that this gradual escalation is designed to reduce the gastrointestinal side effects that are most common early in treatment.

It is your prescriber, not you, who decides when to increase. At nume, a named clinician reviews your progress before any repeat order; dose changes require that clinical sign-off, not just a click. If side effects at a given dose are manageable, the increase usually proceeds on schedule. If they are uncomfortable, staying at the current dose a little longer is a clinical option. Never increase, reduce, or skip a dose on your own, these are decisions made within your clinical relationship, supported by your leaflet.

If you miss an injection entirely and it has been fewer than five days since your usual day, inject as soon as you remember. If more than five days have passed, skip that week's dose and resume the following week on your normal day. The Wegovy instructions page covers missed-dose scenarios in more detail, and your prescriber and Patient Information Leaflet remain the authoritative source.

Side effects that are common early on, and when to act

The most frequently reported side effects with Wegovy are gastrointestinal: nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion, and burping. They tend to be most noticeable in the first few days after an injection or after a dose increase, and for most people they ease within a week or two as the body adjusts. Eating smaller, lower-fat meals during this period often helps, as does staying well hydrated.

Some less common effects are worth knowing. In January 2026, the MHRA issued a Drug Safety Update highlighting acute pancreatitis as a known but infrequent risk with GLP-1 medicines: severe stomach pain that spreads to the back, with or without vomiting, is a reason to seek urgent medical attention rather than waiting. Report any suspected side effects via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

For questions about how Wegovy might interact with other medicines you take, the interactions page covers the key considerations, and our prescribers are available seven days a week if something changes. Understanding the broader picture of how semaglutide works is also useful context; the semaglutide overview explains the mechanism in plain terms.

Storage, disposal, and a few practical details

Keep unused pens in the fridge between 2 °C and 8 °C. Do not freeze them, and keep them away from the freezer compartment. The exact time a pen can safely remain outside refrigeration is set out in your Patient Information Leaflet, the window varies by product and that figure is the one to follow, not any general estimate. Once outside the fridge, keep the pen away from direct light and heat.

Used needles are sharps and must go into an approved sharps container, not the household bin. Your local pharmacy or GP surgery can advise on sharps disposal in your area.

For a broader look at treatment costs if you are weighing up your options, the Wegovy pricing page sets out what to expect from private prescriptions. And if you have not yet started treatment, the weight-loss treatment overview is a useful starting point before your consultation.

If you are ready to discuss whether Wegovy is clinically appropriate for you, start your free consultation with our prescribers today.