Wegovy is a well-liked once-weekly injectable drug that has been permitted for people who find themselves obese or overweight.
When you’ve been prescribed Wegovy, you could marvel how Wegovy helps individuals to shed pounds and what different results the remedy has on the physique.
This text will let you know what it’s essential find out about Wegovy and weight reduction.
What’s Wegovy?
The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted Wegovy in June 2021 for people who find themselves overweight or who’re obese and have at the least 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 basically artificial variations of a naturally occurring hormone that works within the physique in plenty of methods directly.
This hormone helps individuals scale 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 preserve 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.
Total, the modifications assist individuals who battle with their weight or who’ve blood sugar ranges which are sometimes too excessive.
Wegovy is available in 5 completely 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 medication are prescribed a low dose which their physician steadily 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 usually are not depending on meal schedules.
Will my physician prescribe Wegovy for weight reduction?
The FDA permitted Wegovy particularly to assist individuals shed pounds.
Its approval is for individuals to make use of the drug if they’re both overweight or if they’re obese with at the least one weight-related situation.
Usually talking, an individual must have a physique mass index (BMI) of 30 or extra in an effort 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 increased will usually be eligible too.
Some medical doctors do prescribe the remedy to people who find themselves obese however do not need a weight-related situation.
Nevertheless, that is thought-about to be an off-label objective—that means a prescription for somebody who wouldn’t usually be capable to get the drug or for a objective past the scope of the FDA’s approval.
Anecdotally, most medical doctors won’t prescribe Wegovy until you’ve struggled to shed pounds via weight-reduction plan and train alone.
It’s additionally vital to notice that Wegovy is meant to be prescribed at the side of suggestions round consuming a reduced-calorie eating regimen and directions for growing bodily exercise.
How a lot weight do individuals lose on Wegovy?
Whereas everybody’s expertise is completely different, Wegovy has been demonstrated to assist individuals to lose a substantial quantity of weight.
Wegovy suppresses the urge for food and slows down the digestive course of so individuals 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 individuals to shed pounds.
Scientific 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 had been accessible traditionally, it is a excessive stage of effectiveness.
Within the scientific trial often called STEP 4, about 40% of the members 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’d count on to lose additionally relies upon partially on how lengthy you’ve been taking the remedy.
How shortly 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 major scientific trials the FDA relied upon when reviewing Wegovy for approval examined weight reduction via 68 weeks.
For many scientific trial members, weight reduction plateaued round 52 weeks (one yr) on the remedy.
Whereas a yr was about common to see most weight reduction, some individuals reached this level earlier, and a few continued losing a few pounds via the 68-week trial endpoint.
Nevertheless, some quantity of weight reduction can occur shortly.
A scientific trial confirmed that most individuals misplaced 6% of their beginning physique weight inside 12 weeks of beginning Wegovy when following eating regimen and train suggestions.
By one yr on this trial, the typical weight reduction was almost 16% of beginning physique weight.
It’s at all times a good suggestion to plan for the lengthy sport when making an attempt to shed pounds.
Nevertheless, Wegovy has proven good outcomes throughout brief, medium, and lengthy phrases.
Discuss together with your physician earlier than beginning the remedy. They will let you know what to anticipate and the way lengthy it is perhaps earlier than you must count on outcomes.
How a lot Wegovy do it’s essential take for weight reduction?
Scientific trials of people who find themselves obese or overweight and start taking semaglutide—the lively ingredient in Wegovy—skilled appreciable weight reduction at increased 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 steering to eat a restricted eating regimen and get train.
Because of this, the really helpful 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 scientific trials of semaglutide present that even decrease doses can result in weight reduction and produce other advantages.
Nevertheless, the permitted remedy modality of Wegovy is one in every of “constructing” in direction of the utmost weekly dose of two.4 mg after which sustaining it over time.
The FDA advises medical suppliers to discontinue remedy with Wegovy if a affected person can’t tolerate the total 2.4 mg dose after constructing it over time.
Some individuals will expertise nausea or digestive points on the most dose.
Docs might lower their dose briefly earlier than making an attempt to return as much as the two.4 mg dose, which has the strongest proof base for important weight reduction.
Will I acquire the load again if I cease taking Wegovy?
Some weight reduction throughout Wegovy does seem like long-lasting, even in case you cease taking the remedy.
Nevertheless, most individuals do regain a big quantity of weight after stopping Wegovy.
Analysis has proven that one yr after stopping remedy with the drug, most individuals will regain about two-thirds of the load that they misplaced whereas taking it.
So whereas Wegovy may be an vital 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 can provide 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 physician would possibly prescribe extra “off-label” in some restricted circumstances, the biggest dose that’s presently accessible is 2.4 milligrams per week.
Above this weekly dose, many individuals expertise extra noticeable uncomfortable side effects.
All of the scientific trials that led to Wegovy’s approval pointed to this 2.4 mg per week dose as being the best for weight reduction.
At this weekly dose, the typical particular person loses greater than 10% of their beginning weight.
What’s the greatest time to take Wegovy?
There isn’t any clinically demonstrated greatest time of day to take Wegovy.
Somewhat, a very powerful 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 possibly can 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 put in writing 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 uncomfortable side effects of Wegovy?
Many individuals who take Wegovy will expertise some uncomfortable side effects.
The most typical uncomfortable side effects are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Fuel or bloat
- Tiredness
Some individuals will even expertise hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), particularly in the event that they take insulin on the similar time.
It’s vital to concentrate on the signs of low blood sugar and know how you can act to appropriate it.
Low blood sugar may 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 critical—uncomfortable side effects and issues 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 together with your physician about potential uncomfortable side effects.
They will reply the questions you might have about Wegovy and its potential dangers and advantages.
