Wegovy: Weight Loss, Where to Inject, & More
speciality medications
If you’ve been paying attention to the news in the healthcare industry over the past couple of years, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.
While Rybelsus and Ozempic are indicated, first and foremost, for the treatment of diabetes, Wegovy is specifically designed to help people attain and sustain a healthy weight. For those struggling with obesity or health issues related to high body weight, Wegovy can be a game-changer.
That is, of course, if patients can find it, afford it, and use it properly.
Here, we’ll make your experience with Wegovy more effective by providing you with need-to-know information, injection best practices, and more.
First Things First: How Does Wegovy Work?
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a type of medication called a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
In biochemical terms, this means that Wegovy finds and activates GLP-1 receptors that are embedded in your body’s cell walls.
Activating these receptors can help reduce hunger, make you feel fuller, and, ultimately, decrease the overall amount of calories that you consume—which (when done safely) can support healthy weight loss.
Wegovy is a popular drug, and it comes with many benefits. Just some of these benefits are:
Effective weight loss. In clinical trials, researchers have seen that Wegovy can help patients lose a significant amount of weight (up to 15% of their starting body weight) when Wegovy is paired with a healthy diet and exercise.
Better metabolic health. Wegovy can help people control their blood sugar levels, which is immensely helpful for those who are prediabetic or are struggling with metabolic syndrome.
Lower risk of a cardiovascular event. Since Wegovy helps people improve their metabolic health and reduce their body weight, taking Wegovy can help reduce the risk of events like strokes and heart attacks.
Better quality of life. Anecdotally, people who take Wegovy and see positive results with it report that they enjoy more physical activity, less joint pain, and even better mental health because of their weight loss.
Sustainable results. Many weight loss interventions are only really helpful in the short-term.
One of the reasons Wegovy is so popular is its longer-term efficacy: Wegovy’s been shown to help users maintain healthy weights over the long term, when used both correctly and consistently.
Who Can Benefit from Wegovy?
The main people that Wegovy is poised to help are adults who are struggling with obesity or are overweight because of health conditions (like hypertension or type 2 diabetes).
The best way to determine if you are a good candidate for Wegovy is to talk to your healthcare team. They’ll be able to look at your health goals, your health challenges, other medications you may be taking and more—then recommend your best way forward for pursuing healthy weight loss.
Injections, Dosage, and More: Your Wegovy User Guide
If Wegovy is in your future, you need to know how to use it properly.
From dosage to injection sites and length of treatment, these are the need-to-know details.
Wegovy Dosage and Administration
Typically, doctors start weight loss patients on a lower initial dose before gradually increasing to a maintenance dose. Your initial dosage will depend on your weight loss goals, but a typical example of a low dose for Wegovy is 0.25 mg once per week. You may stay at that dose level for about a month before gradually increasing.
Increasing Wegovy dosage may entail stepping the dose up to 0.5 mg weekly for your second month on the drug, and then up to 1 mg weekly for your third month (and so on, and so forth). Generally, most people find their effective maintenance dose is about 2.4 milligrams once per week, but your doctor will help you determine what is best and most strategic for you.
Ideally, to help you see weight loss and then maintain your healthy weight, you would need to be on Wegovy long term. This is an investment and a commitment, but for many people, it’s worth it!
That is, of course, as long as you’re able to find and afford Wegovy without breaking the bank.
That’s where we come in.
Wegovy Cost and Affordability
Since you’ll need to take Wegovy on a regular basis, potentially for years, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into.
Particularly since Wegovy is a very popular and very expensive drug.
American patients who pay full retail price for a one-month, four-injection supply of Wegovy may pay as much as $1,700.00 for just that month! That translates to an eye-watering $20,400.00 per year for ongoing treatment with Wegovy.
Fortunately, by purchasing your Wegovy through a Canada pharmacy online and international drugs website, you stand to save significantly.
Here, through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy that same one-month supply of Wegovy for about $900.00 (or savings of up to 47%).
Wondering Where to Inject Wegovy?
Wegovy is a medication delivered by subcutaneous injection. If you’re not familiar with this route of administration, don’t worry: With practice, it will become routine, and even those most skittish around needles can become comfortable with this form of treatment.
However, it does take a little more thought and care to administer Wegovy safely and effectively, as opposed to, say, a regular oral medication.
Your healthcare team will walk you through injection protocols and the best place for you to consider injecting; after that, you’ll start to get a sense for which Wegovy injection sites work best for you and your lifestyle.
That said, Wegovy should be administered via subcutaneous injection (or injection under the skin) in your upper arm, thigh, or abdomen. Whenever possible, avoid injecting Wegovy into any area that is already scarred, bruised, or tender. This type of skin condition can interfere with Wegovy’s absorption and mechanism of action.
Take These Steps to Administer Wegovy Properly
Injecting Wegovy appropriately is key—both for maximum drug efficacy and your personal safety! These are the steps to follow for a successful Wegovy injection experience:
- After you’ve selected an injection site, use an alcohol swab to thoroughly clean off that part of your skin. This will help prevent any risk of infection that comes with breaking your skin barrier.
- Prepare the Wegovy administration pen. You’ll need to check the paperwork that accompanies your medication, but this will involve inserting the medication-loaded needle into the injection pen.
- Hold the Wegovy administration pen, with the needle prepped, at a 90-degree angle to your clean skin. Insert the needle.
- Press the button on your Wegovy administration pen to inject the medication into your body. Hold the button on the pen down until you’ve administered the entire dose.
- Dispose of the pen (or eject the used needle) and place the needle in a sharps container for safety.
Troubleshooting Wegovy Administration
Wegovy injection should be straightforward, but there’s always a chance that an unforeseen obstacle will make administration harder than it should be! Here are some practical tips to help you work around the most common issues with Wegovy injections.
Rotate administration sites. If it works for your lifestyle, consider using different injection spots each time you administer Wegovy. This can help prevent or reduce skin irritation—and give you a better shot at full medication absorption.
Be gentle! Injections can hurt, but they don’t have to be especially painful. Once you’ve inserted the needle into your skin, inject the medication slowly. This can help reduce discomfort during and after your injection.
Try to stay relaxed. This may be a difficult tip to follow, but it’s accurate: The more stressed and tense you are, the more challenging an easy-breezy administration experience will be.
If you’re nervous around needles or find the Wegovy injection process stressful, consider asking for help with the injection, habit-stacking your Wegovy injection with an activity you enjoy, or going on a walk immediately before your injection to distract yourself.
How Much Weight Loss is Actually Expected With Wegovy?
The clinical trials conducted with Wegovy to date have shown that patients who are good candidates for Wegovy and use Wegovy as directed can lose up to 15% of their starting body weight. That may not seem like much, but it’s an excellent start in terms of health outcomes. Brynna Connor, M.D., notes that “Some of the primary benefits of weight loss are reducing your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. However, losing just 5-10% of your body weight can improve these numbers.”
This level of weight loss assumes that patients are using Wegovy under the direction of a healthcare professional, and are pairing Wegovy administration with other helpful weight loss lifestyle changes (such as moving their bodies regularly and opting for a balanced diet).
Why Am I Not Losing Weight on Wegovy?
If you aren’t seeing the type of results you’d like while taking Wegovy, don’t stress! Talk to your doctor. There may be additional strategies or steps you can take to start seeing the weight loss you want.
Some possible reasons for stalled weight loss with Wegovy may include:
Diet and exercise. It’s important to pair Wegovy administration with a solid exercise routine and a healthy diet. If you’re not seeing the weight loss results that you and your doctor expect, take a look at your lifestyle.
Could you be more consistent with your workouts?
Have you been indulging in comfort foods recently?
While part of balance is enjoying foods you love and resting your body, if you’re not seeing the results you want, these factors are worth considering
Be gentle! Injections can hurt, but they don’t have to be especially painful. Once you’ve inserted the needle into your skin, inject the medication slowly. This can help reduce discomfort during and after your injection.
Pre-existing or concomitant medical conditions. There are some conditions (e.g., thyroid conditions) that can make losing weight more difficult than expected. If you’re noticing that your weight loss timeline isn’t quite what you expected, talk to your doctor about other things that could be going on.
Medication adherence. Even the most life-changing, powerful medications are only as helpful as your ability to take them regularly!
While this may seem like an obvious recommendation, it’s important to take Wegovy as directed. Don’t skip a week or delay your dosing; instead, stick to your schedule. (And, if life happens and you do forget a dose or you’re troubleshooting symptoms, make a record of your skipped dose so you can connect these dots later, if relevant).
How Long Do You Take Wegovy for Weight Loss?
The amount of time you’ll need to be on Wegovy for your ideal amount of healthy weight loss will depend on your health goals, symptoms, and other unique factors about you!
Generally speaking, though, Wegovy is a medication that people will need to take long-term for best effects. Your healthcare provider will be able to help you understand your most strategic Wegovy treatment plan.
Is Generic Wegovy Available?
As of now, there isn’t a generic version of Wegovy available.
This makes sense; Wegovy has only been approved for use since 2021, so its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, is still enjoying patent protection. Once Wegovy’s patent expires—which could take several years—we could start seeing generics.
For the foreseeable future, though, brand-name semaglutide medications are the only options.
What About Wegovy and Alcohol?
Drinking alcohol can affect a person’s appetite and blood sugar levels. This may interfere with Wegovy’s overall effectiveness if you take Wegovy and alcohol at the same time.
If you do plan to drink alcohol while taking Wegovy, talk over your plans with your healthcare professional—and keep your intake of alcohol moderate or minimal.
Does Wegovy Need to Be Refrigerated?
You will likely need to keep your Wegovy refrigerated to help maintain its effectiveness. Don’t freeze it, though! If you’re not able to refrigerate it, Wegovy is okay to keep at room temperature for a limited amount of time.
Refer to the packaging on your supply of Wegovy for more information about care or contact us to speak with a pharmacist.
Buy Wegovy For Less Through an Online Canadian Pharmacy Website
Now that you’re prepped and primed to use Wegovy well, you may be wondering how to get Wegovy for less than the USA market price.
You’re in the right place. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we’re proud to be a CIPA-certified online pharmacy and international drugs website that connects American customers with low-cost, authentic, brand-name medications. Here, you’ll find the prescription drugs you need, buy them through an intuitive and secure checkout system, and then ship them directly to your front door.
Ready to place an order online for Wegovy? We’re here to help. Connect with our team of customer service representatives with any questions you may have. NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to supporting your healthy weight loss journey.
