How Does Wegovy Dosage Progression Work?

Why does Wegovy start so low before reaching the therapeutic dose?

The 0.25 mg starting dose exists to settle your system, not to treat. Semaglutide slows the rate at which food leaves your stomach and reduces appetite through GLP-1 receptor activity in the brain. Both effects are noticeable from the first injection, and starting at the full maintenance dose would produce nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort in most people. The gradual ramp-up is the mechanism's kindness to your digestive tract.

After four weeks at 0.25 mg, the schedule moves to 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, before arriving at the 2.4 mg maintenance level, each rung held for roughly a month. In total, the standard titration to 2.4 mg takes around sixteen to seventeen weeks. Your prescriber may recommend staying longer at a particular level if side effects are persistent; that is a clinical call, not a setback. You can read more about the individual steps on our Wegovy dosage overview.

The NHS medicines page for semaglutide sets out the schedule in plain terms and is worth reading alongside your patient information leaflet. If you want to understand what the very beginning of treatment looks like in practice, the 0.25 mg starting dose page covers the first four weeks in detail.

What happens if side effects make it hard to move up on schedule?

Nausea, loose stools, indigestion and fatigue are the side effects people most commonly notice after a dose increase. They are usually at their worst in the first few days at a new level and tend to ease within a week or two. That pattern repeats (predictably) each time the dose steps up, though most people find later increases easier than the first ones.

If side effects are difficult, your prescriber may extend the time at your current dose before moving up. This is explicitly supported in clinical guidance: the goal is the highest dose you tolerate comfortably, not the highest dose on the schedule. Missing a dose, taking a dose late, or changing the injection day should be discussed with your prescriber rather than managed alone, the patient information leaflet covers the practicalities, and our team is available seven days a week if you have questions mid-cycle.

One thing worth knowing: if you order your next pen close to a bank holiday or during a busy period, delivery timing can shift. Planning a few days ahead means your pen arrives before you need it, rather than after. Our frequently asked questions address what to do if a supply gap falls near a dose change.

What is the highest Wegovy dose available, and who can reach it?

For most of Wegovy's licensed history in the UK, 2.4 mg per week was the ceiling. That changed in January 2026, when the MHRA approved a 7.2 mg maintenance dose, initially delivered as three 2.4 mg pens per week. The approval of a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen followed on 14 April 2026. This pen is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above; it is not indicated for the cardiovascular use case or for BMI below 30. The titration to 7.2 mg still begins at 0.25 mg, stepping up in the same way as before; 7.2 mg is simply a higher ceiling for those who tolerate and benefit from it.

Trial data reported around 20.7% average weight loss at 7.2 mg over 72 weeks, which begins to approach the results seen with tirzepatide at its highest dose. Whether the extended schedule is appropriate for you is something a prescriber assesses on an individual basis. You can explore the full picture on our maximum Wegovy dose page. For context on how Wegovy sits within the broader landscape of weight-management treatment, the weight loss treatment overview is a useful starting point.

The gov.uk announcement confirming the 7.2 mg single-dose Wegovy pen approval has the full regulatory detail if you want the primary source.

How does the prescriber decide when a dose increase is appropriate?

A dose increase is not automatic. At nume, sorry, at each repeat with us, a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews your current dose, any side effects you have reported, and your progress before the next pen is issued. Patients transferring from another provider, or requesting a dose increase, provide evidence of their current treatment as part of that review. There are no auto-renewals; every order is a fresh clinical assessment.

The prescriber is weighing two things: whether you are tolerating the current level well enough to step up, and whether the increase is clinically appropriate at this point in your treatment. If the answer to either is no, staying at the current dose is the right outcome, not a failure of the process. A Wegovy dosage chart can help you visualise the full schedule before your consultation.

If you are thinking about starting treatment and want to understand how suitability is assessed, the weight loss treatments page explains what the consultation involves. For a broader look at how Wegovy compares with other options, our Wegovy overview covers the licensed indications, eligibility, and the evidence behind it. Wegovy's private cost in the UK varies by dose and provider; our Wegovy price comparison guide sets out what a legitimate treatment price should include.