Wegovy is a well-liked once-weekly injectable drug that has been accredited for people who find themselves chubby or overweight.
When you’ve been prescribed Wegovy, chances are you’ll surprise how Wegovy helps folks to shed weight and what different results the remedy has on the physique.
This text will inform you what that you must learn about Wegovy and weight reduction.
What’s Wegovy?
The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) accredited Wegovy in June 2021 for people who find themselves overweight or who’re chubby and have no less than one weight-related situation.
Wegovy’s is the model title for Novo Nordisk’s model of the drug semaglutide—however Wegovy has the identical lively ingredient as different medicine like Ozempic.
Wegovy, and different semaglutide medicine, are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
GLP-1 medicines are primarily artificial variations of a naturally occurring hormone that works within the physique in a lot of methods without delay.
This hormone helps folks cut back the quantity of meals they eat by lowering their urge for food and by slowing down the digestive course of.
By delaying the emptying of meals out of your abdomen into your small gut, it lets you maintain feeling full for longer after every meal.
Wegovy additionally stimulates the pancreas to launch insulin and likewise slows down your liver’s manufacturing of glucagon.
These modifications are likely to lower insulin resistance and decrease general blood sugar ranges.
General, the modifications assist individuals who battle with their weight or who’ve blood sugar ranges which can be sometimes too excessive.
Wegovy is available in 5 totally different sizes of auto-injector pens with pre-measured doses starting from 0.25 milligrams (mg) as much as 2.4 mg.
Individuals new to the drugs are prescribed a low dose which their physician regularly will increase over time.
It often takes 17 weeks or extra to construct from the beginning dose to the utmost “upkeep” dose.
Injections of Wegovy are taken one time per week on a constant day and aren’t depending on meal schedules.
Will my physician prescribe Wegovy for weight reduction?
The FDA accredited Wegovy particularly to assist folks shed weight.
Its approval is for folks to make use of the drug if they’re both overweight or if they’re chubby with no less than one weight-related situation.
Typically talking, an individual must have a physique mass index (BMI) of 30 or extra to be able to be prescribed Wegovy.
If an individual has a weight-related situation like hypertension, sleep apnea, or sure coronary heart situations, then a BMI of 27 or larger will usually be eligible too.
Some medical doctors do prescribe the remedy to people who find themselves chubby however don’t have a weight-related situation.
Nonetheless, that is thought-about to be an off-label function—which means a prescription for somebody who wouldn’t usually have the ability to get the drug or for a function past the scope of the FDA’s approval.
Anecdotally, most medical doctors won’t prescribe Wegovy except you’ve struggled to shed weight by weight-reduction plan and train alone.
It’s additionally necessary to notice that Wegovy is meant to be prescribed along side suggestions round consuming a reduced-calorie weight-reduction plan and directions for growing bodily exercise.
How a lot weight do folks lose on Wegovy?
Whereas everybody’s expertise is totally different, Wegovy has been demonstrated to assist folks to lose a substantial quantity of weight.
Wegovy suppresses the urge for food and slows down the digestive course of so folks taking it are likely to eat much less with out feeling disadvantaged.
Reducing the quantity of glucose launched by the liver additionally helps to enhance metabolic well being.
Taken collectively, these modifications assist folks to shed weight.
Medical trials demonstrated 85% of individuals taking the drug misplaced 5% or extra of their physique weight in comparison with those that weren’t taking it.
In comparison with different medicine that have been out there traditionally, it is a excessive stage of effectiveness.
Within the medical trial often known as STEP 4, about 40% of the individuals taking the lively ingredient in Wegovy misplaced 20% or extra of their physique weight whereas taking the remedy.
The most typical quantity of weight to lose was 10.6% of their pre-trial weight.
How a lot weight you’ll count on to lose additionally relies upon partially on how lengthy you’ve been taking the remedy.
How rapidly do you see weight reduction with Wegovy?
Weight reduction takes time—and a lot of the research of Wegovy are comparatively long-term.
The three main medical trials the FDA relied upon when reviewing Wegovy for approval examined weight reduction by 68 weeks.
For many medical trial individuals, weight reduction plateaued round 52 weeks (one yr) on the remedy.
Whereas a yr was about common to see most weight reduction, some folks reached this level earlier, and a few continued reducing weight by the 68-week trial endpoint.
Nonetheless, some quantity of weight reduction can occur rapidly.
A medical trial confirmed that most individuals misplaced 6% of their beginning physique weight inside 12 weeks of beginning Wegovy when following weight-reduction plan and train suggestions.
By one yr on this trial, the typical weight reduction was almost 16% of beginning physique weight.
It’s all the time a good suggestion to plan for the lengthy sport when making an attempt to shed weight.
Nonetheless, Wegovy has proven good outcomes throughout brief, medium, and lengthy phrases.
Discuss along with your physician earlier than beginning the remedy. They’ll inform you what to anticipate and the way lengthy it may be earlier than you must count on outcomes.
How a lot Wegovy do that you must take for weight reduction?
Medical trials of people who find themselves chubby or overweight and start taking semaglutide—the lively ingredient in Wegovy—skilled appreciable weight reduction at larger doses of the remedy.
Individuals who took the utmost 2.4 mg dose per week noticed their common physique weight drop by almost 15%, in comparison with simply 2.4% with a placebo.
This was regardless of each teams being given the identical steerage to eat a restricted weight-reduction plan and get train.
Because of this, the really useful goal dose of Wegovy is 2.4 mg per week. It often takes 17 weeks or so to work as much as this dose.
Different medical trials of semaglutide present that even decrease doses can result in weight reduction and produce other advantages.
Nonetheless, the accredited therapy modality of Wegovy is one in every of “constructing” in the direction of the utmost weekly dose of two.4 mg after which sustaining it over time.
The FDA advises medical suppliers to discontinue therapy with Wegovy if a affected person can’t tolerate the total 2.4 mg dose after constructing it over time.
Some folks will expertise nausea or digestive points on the most dose.
Docs might lower their dose quickly earlier than making an attempt to return as much as the two.4 mg dose, which has the strongest proof base for vital weight reduction.
Will I acquire the load again if I cease taking Wegovy?
Some weight reduction throughout Wegovy does seem like long-lasting, even if you happen to cease taking the remedy.
Nonetheless, most individuals do regain a major quantity of weight after stopping Wegovy.
Analysis has proven that one yr after stopping therapy with the drug, most individuals will regain about two-thirds of the load that they misplaced whereas taking it.
So whereas Wegovy could be an necessary weight reduction device, the drug must be paired with dietary modifications and elevated train to be maximally efficient.
When you cease taking the remedy, you must count on to see some weight acquire.
Your physician, nutritionist, and different medical suppliers may give you extra details about how beginning or stopping Wegovy may impression your weight and general well being.
What’s the largest dose of Wegovy for weight reduction?
The most important weekly dose of Wegovy comes within the 2.4-milligram dose pen. This pen often has a darkish grey label.
Whereas a health care provider would possibly prescribe extra “off-label” in some restricted circumstances, the biggest dose that’s presently out there is 2.4 milligrams per week.
Above this weekly dose, many individuals expertise extra noticeable unintended effects.
All of the medical trials that led to Wegovy’s approval pointed to this 2.4 mg per week dose as being the simplest for weight reduction.
At this weekly dose, the typical individual loses greater than 10% of their beginning weight.
What’s the greatest time to take Wegovy?
There is no such thing as a clinically demonstrated greatest time of day to take Wegovy.
Quite, an important factor is to pick a day of the week and constantly take it on that very same day every week.
When you determine to take Wegovy on a Monday, you may take it any time of day—however you must plan to take your weekly dose of Wegovy every Monday for so long as you employ the remedy.
Many individuals determine to write down the day of the week they take the drug on a calendar or on the field that their Wegovy pen is available in.
Telephone reminders are additionally useful to be sure to don’t miss a dose.
What are the unintended effects of Wegovy?
Many individuals who take Wegovy will expertise some unintended effects.
The most typical unintended effects are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Gasoline or bloat
- Tiredness
Some folks may also expertise hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), particularly in the event that they take insulin on the identical time.
It’s necessary to concentrate on the signs of low blood sugar and know find out how to act to appropriate it.
Low blood sugar could be harmful if untreated, so be looking out for:
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Confusion
- Sudden modifications in your temper or notion
- Shakiness
- A quick heartbeat
- Any of the opposite signs of hypoglycemia
There are additionally uncommon—however extra severe—unintended effects and problems that try to be conscious of:
- Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
- Pancreatitis
- Modifications in imaginative and prescient
- Kidney issues
- Psychological modifications or melancholy
- Critical allergic reactions
Discuss along with your physician about potential unintended effects.
They’ll reply the questions you’ve gotten about Wegovy and its potential dangers and advantages.
