What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is a weight loss treatment in an injectable pen. Unlike fad diets that can often feel too restrictive and rely on calorie counting, Wegovy can help you lose weight safely and steadily by helping to control your appetite so you’re more mindful about what you eat.

The pens contain semaglutide, which belongs to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. The injections work by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone involved in balancing your blood sugar levels and reducing hunger.

Who can use Wegovy?

Wegovy is designed for people with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30. (Your BMI is a calculation of your body weight divided by your height squared.) The pens can also be used by people with a BMI over 27 who have weight related conditions, like high blood pressure, sleep apnea or type 2 diabetes.

And you can continue using Wegovy once your BMI is healthy if it was over 30 when you started using it. A weekly dose can help you maintain your weight loss even after you’ve reached your target weight.

How can Wegovy improve my life?

Using Wegovy to lose weight can benefit your health in lots of ways.

Better sleep: In a 12 month study that looked at how changes in weight can impact sleep, those who lost weight were shown to get better sleep than those who didn’t. The study mentions an improvement in sleep apnea as being one reason for this.^[1] Getting adequate restful sleep can help maintain your energy levels, which can help you push towards reaching your weight loss target. Stress and poor sleep are closely linked, so if Wegovy improves your sleep, it could help to keep your stress levels down.

Mental health: Weight loss has been shown to improve self-esteem, and can alleviate depressive symptoms as well as reduce anxiety.^[2] Because Wegovy helps you lose weight in a controlled way, it means reaching your target doesn’t have to take its toll on your mental health in the way that crash diets and intensive exercise plans can.

Lower risk of disease: Losing weight can significantly reduce your chances of developing a range of physical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.^[3]

Weight loss can also reverse the negative effects of some conditions if you already have them. Being at a healthy weight can improve type 2 diabetes, for example, and can even help to control your blood sugar levels to the point that diabetes goes into remission.^[4]

Relieved joint pain: Semaglutide has also been shown in studies to reduce moderate-to-severe joint pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.^[5] If you’re affected by knee pain, it could be because of excess weight being put through your joints. Using Wegovy once a week can help you lose the extra weight that is causing your osteoarthritic symptoms.^[6]

While you’re using Wegovy, the improvements you’ll see will be gradual, and achieved by forming habits you can stick to once your treatment has finished. As well as losing weight, you’ll be eating better and exercising more, which will benefit your overall health.

Is Wegovy more effective for women?

In one trial that compared the effects of semaglutide on men and women, a once weekly 2.4mg dose showed greater weight loss results for women over 52 weeks.^[7] Another study found that women aged 55 and over lost the most weight out of patients aged between 18-75 while using either a GLP-1 agonist (semaglutide) or a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist (tirzepatide).^[8]

This could come down to several factors, however, such as age-related changes, hormones, and metabolism differences between men and women. In the study of patients using two weight loss treatments, women aged 55 and over were found to have engaged in more coaching sessions, and tracked their weight changes more than those in other age categories.

So while some studies do point towards semaglutide having a bigger impact on women, more research is needed as to why this might be the case.

Does Wegovy come in different doses?

You’ll use each of these pens in the same way – they just contain different amounts of the drug.^[2] If you ever want to slow down this schedule, you can set the pace that’s right for you. This might mean sticking with one strength for longer than a month. Knowing you have this option means you can lose weight on your terms.

Is Wegovy safe?

Semaglutide has been shown in studies to be both safe and effective for weight loss. In one 68 week trial, although some patients did experience mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects, they were rarely severe enough that treatment was stopped. And in this same trial, a 2.4mg dose of semaglutide helped patients lose weight safely and steadily.^[9]

How does Wegovy work?

Wegovy’s active ingredient, semaglutide, helps you achieve a healthy weight by binding to the GLP-1 receptors in your pancreas and brain. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone that’s released when you eat. It acts as a signal, telling your brain that you’re full and controlling your blood sugar function.

By working like GLP-1, Wegovy improves your blood sugar control and makes your stomach empty more slowly.^[10] This can lead to fewer hunger spikes and, as a result, a decrease in your body weight over time – making it an effective weight loss medication.

Is Wegovy worth the price in Canada?

Wegovy can be worth its price tag because of how effective it is for weight loss. If other treatments and diets haven’t helped you reach your target weight, then investing in a reliable weight loss treatment might be the best step to take next.

Our research found that patients who use weight loss injections spent less money on food. This might be a result of eating less due to the appetite suppressing effects of medications like Wegovy. Equally, GLP-1s can reduce cravings for unhealthy foods, so you might end up spending less on takeout and junk food you might normally eat.

There’s also no fixed amount of time that you’ll be paying for Wegovy, as people respond to it differently. You might find the eating habits and exercise routines you develop while using the injections help you remain at a healthy weight once your treatment ends. Ultimately, being at a healthier weight can improve your quality of life and help you live longer, and this is something that’s hard to put a price on.

How to inject Wegovy

Using Wegovy is simple. It comes as pre-filled pens you inject just under your skin. Always follow your healthcare provider’s advice on how to use it.

• Inject Wegovy once a week, on the same day of the week.
• Set a reminder on your calendar or use an alarm to help you remember to use it.
• Each Wegovy pen contains four doses.
• Wegovy pens need to be kept at a temperature of 2°C to 8°C before use. You can keep them in your normal fridge at home.
• You can use Wegovy at any time of day, with or without meals. Take it on the same day each week and try to use it at around the same time on this day.
• Before you use your pen, give it a mini inspection. If the liquid you can see through the window is clear, colorless and smooth, it’s ready to inject.
• Pick the area you want to inject. Your options are your upper legs (front of your thighs), your stomach, or your upper arm. Avoid areas with irritated or broken skin, and don’t inject too close to your belly button. You can change your injection site every week if you want to, but don’t use the exact same spot as your last injection.
• Take the cap off the Wegovy pen and press it against your chosen injection site until you hear the pen make a click.
• You’ll know it’s working when the yellow bar on the pen starts moving.
• Once you hear the first click, keep holding the pen down for 10 seconds. You’ll hear another click to tell you the injection is ongoing.
• When it’s been 10 seconds and the yellow bar stops moving, the injection is finished.
• You can then remove the pen from your skin.
• Once opened, it’s safe to store at a ‘room temperature’ of up to 30°C for 6 weeks, or in a fridge between 2 and 8°C (away from any cooling elements). However the best thing to do is to keep it in the fridge (in case your room temperature happens to climb above 30°C).
• Before you inject your next dose, you might find it more comfortable to remove your Wegovy pen from the fridge 30 minutes beforehand, to allow it to reach room temperature.
• After you’ve injected your fourth and final dose of your current Wegovy pen, dispose of it in a sharps container.^[1]
• You can return your used sharps container to most local pharmacies for proper disposal.

For more detailed information on how to use Wegovy (with diagrams), check the patient information leaflet that comes with your treatment.

How long does Wegovy take to work?

Wegovy starts working immediately. You’ll need to work your way up to the maintenance dose before you see Wegovy regulating appetite fully, but you should start to see weight loss from the first month of use.

When you use Wegovy, you’ll need to maintain a healthy diet, and make sure you have a calorie deficit (where you use more energy than your calorie intake). Luckily, Wegovy helps you achieve this. It’s an effective weight loss drug and it’s safe to use long-term. So you can stay on Wegovy until you’re at a healthy BMI, or you’ve reached your target body weight.

What if I make a mistake when using Wegovy?

If you don’t hear a first click while giving your injection, or the yellow bar doesn’t start moving, press the pen more firmly against your skin. Creating a smooth, firm area for injection by spreading your skin between your fingers might help.

If you forget to use your Wegovy dose on your scheduled day, you can inject yourself as soon as you remember (so long as your next weekly dose is more than 48 hours away). Then just keep taking your injections as normal. If it’s less than 48 hours until your next injection, just wait for that one. Don’t double up on doses to make up for a missed dose.

If you skip more than one Wegovy dose, you can carry on with your dosing as normal. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to start from a lower dose again before raising it, to reduce the chance of side effects like abdominal pain.

If you use too much Wegovy, you should talk to your healthcare provider. Using too much can make you feel nauseous, be sick or lower your blood sugar. Seek medical attention immediately if you get any side effects that concern you, or signs of a severe allergic reaction.