What Happens to Your Body on Wegovy? The Science Revealed

Key Takeaways at a Glance

Wegovy is an injectable prescription medicine containing the active ingredient semaglutide. It is used to help obese adults lose weight when used alongside healthy lifestyle changes.

This works by activating a natural hormone in the body to reduce appetite, regulate blood sugars and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

What's Wegovy and Who's It For?

Wegovy is a prescription medication used for weight loss containing the active ingredient semaglutide. Available as a once-weekly injection, Wegovy is available in the following strengths, 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and the maximum dose of 2.4mg.

Wegovy works by activating a hormone naturally present in the body, glucagon like peptide-1 or GLP-1. This hormone helps with weight loss by reducing appetite, slowing stomach emptying and regulating blood sugar levels.

In doing so, you should feel fuller much quicker through a meal and therefore food intake reduces. The food you do eat, stays in your stomach longer which suppresses appetite and therefore food intake. By regulating blood glucose levels, this can also help regulate hunger cues.

Importantly, Wegovy should be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Without making these lifestyle changes, weight loss can plateau.

To be eligible for weight loss medication, you must meet the entry criteria. Wegovy is licensed for patients who have an initial body mass index (BMI) of

• 30 or above or

• 27 and above in the presence of a weight related health condition.

Even if you meet the BMI criteria, your healthcare provider will still need to conduct a clinical consultation to determine individual eligibility. If you take other medicines or suffer from other medical conditions, this may affect your eligibility.

Patients who are not suitable are those who have:

• A personal or family history of thyroid cancer - including medullary thyroid carcinoma

• A history of pancreatitis

• Allergy to the active ingredient or any of the excipients

• Severe kidney problems

• Taking other medication for diabetes

• Taking medication which interacts with Wegovy

• Pregnant women

• Breastfeeding women - as drug may pass into breast milk

How Does Wegovy Work?

By activating GLP-1 receptors, Wegovy works by helping you feel fuller much quicker through a meal. As a result, food intake is reduced as you may not be able to finish your usual portion. Additionally, stomach emptying is delayed so food stays in the stomach for longer, prolonging fullness. By also regulating your blood glucose more effectively, Wegovy can reduce cravings and stabilise hunger signals, preventing spikes or dips which can trigger overeating.

What Happens to Your Body on Wegovy, Week by Week?

Weeks 1 to 4, Getting Started

The initiation dose of Wegovy is 0.25mg, administered once weekly. As the body is encountering a new chemical, this is the time you're more likely to experience side effects such as nausea, headaches or constipation. These are generally mild and resolve with time as your body gets used to the medication.

This is your time to start fine tuning lifestyle changes. Listen out for hunger cues, only eat if you feel the hunger and stop as soon as you feel full - resist the temptation to clean the plate.

At the same time, ensure you are making sensible food choices. A diet high in lean protein and fibre but importantly low in carbohydrates can work in tandem with the treatment, improving outcomes. Low carbs in particular can help manage blood glucose more effectively, working in tandem with the medication.

Remaining hydrated and doing regular exercise will also help maximise your results.

Whilst not classed as a therapeutic dose, 0.25mg is primarily used for tolerability and to reduce the risk of side effects. However, in STEP-1 trials, participants reported an average of 1-2kg weight loss within the first 4 weeks of treatment.

Weeks 5 to 12, Momentum

After 4 weeks, the dose is gradually increased to 0.5mg, so long as you are getting on well with the treatment and not experiencing any adverse effects. After week 9, you can then further increase the dose to 1mg, or remain at 0.5mg should this dose be sufficient for you at achieving sustained weight loss.

During this time, you may see more noticeable weight loss, with clothes becoming looser, and you may notice it's easier to eat less and feel more in control of your diet.

Clinical trials show that people taking Wegovy lost an average 6% of their body weight by week 12, but this varies depending on how your body responds to the medication and your diet and exercise routine.

You may notice that any side effects resurface after the dose increases, but these should subside again once your body gets used to the higher dose.

Months 4 to 6, Consolidation

If you keep responding well to the medication, your Wegovy dose will continue to increase every 4 weeks, from 1mg to 1.7mg at week 13 and then to the highest maintenance dose of 2.4mg from week 17 onwards.

Once at the highest dose, you're likely to experience significant weight loss if you stick to your diet and exercise routine. After 20 weeks, one study found that people taking 2.4mg of Wegovy ate 35% fewer calories at each meal.

If you haven't lost at least 5% of your starting body weight by month 6, a healthcare professional may decide to review your use at regular check ups and review your ongoing use of Wegovy. If needed, they may suggest alternative weight loss treatments which may help support weight loss for you.

Long Term Maintenance

To achieve and maintain the best results, Wegovy should be used as a long-term weight management treatment. In clinical trials lasting 68 weeks, 83.5% of participants lost at least 5% of their body weight and around 30% achieved a loss of 20% or more, compared to those in the placebo group.

At the same time, it's important to keep up with the healthy lifestyle changes you have adopted as this promotes weight loss and maintenance.

It's important to continue with your lifestyle changes, including healthy eating and regular exercise. Strength and resistance training is particularly important to maintain your muscle and stop you from losing muscle as you lose weight.

Wegovy and Heart Health

Alongside benefits in weight management, clinical trials have found that this medication can also improve outcomes in cardiovascular disease.

In general, attaining a healthy weight can help lower blood pressure and improve sugar control. Wegovy may offer additional cardiovascular benefits, as studies have shown it can significantly reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.

This is significant as patients with excess weight or who are obese are at a higher risk for heart disease and often have related risk factors, such as raised cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Side Effects and Safety, What to Expect and When to Get Help

As with any drugs, taking Wegovy can lead to side effects.

Common Side Effects

As with all medicines, Wegovy can cause side effects though not everyone experiences them. The most common side effects are nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and headaches. These are usually mild and can be managed at home with lifestyle adjustments.

Other common side effects include dizziness, change in taste, acid reflux, burping, bloating, mild hair loss and injection site reactions.

Patients generally tend to inject in the stomach though if injection site reactions persist, changing the injection site may help, such as to the side of the thigh or upper arm.

Less Common but Important

Uncommon side effects include low blood glucose, increased heart rate, acute pancreatitis and gallstones (particularly with rapid weight loss).

Wegovy can harm an unborn baby. All females of childbearing potential should therefore use an adequate form of contraception such as the contraceptive pill or barrier methods.

Serious Side Effects, Seek Urgent Care

Most side effects can be managed at home by avoiding foods that are spicy/greasy, eating small meals, and drinking plenty of water. However, some are serious and require medication attention.

Seek medical attention if you notice signs of serious side effects:

• Low blood sugar (sweating, going pale, feeling hungry, dizziness, blurred vision, shaking)

• A high heart rate

• Pancreatitis (stomach/back pain, vomiting, fever, stomach swelling)

• Kidney stones (severe back/groin pain, fever, blood in the urine, smelly urine)

Call 999 or go straight to A&E if you or someone else may be having a serious allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. This can appear as airway and facial swelling, difficulty breathing, hives, fainting, or confusion.

How Quick Meds Can Help You

Quick Meds is a GPhC-regulated online pharmacy. Our team of pharmacists have over 40 years' experience and are committed to providing professional, attentive care.

Our weight loss service offers a range of clinically approved treatments and support tailored to your individual needs to help you attain a healthy weight.

After an online consultation, our team will review your information to check you're getting a safe and effective weight loss treatment that's suitable for your unique circumstances.

Once approved by a healthcare professional, your medication will be shipped in plain, discreet packaging straight to your door. Our pharmacists are always available to provide weight loss support and answer any questions you have about your treatment.

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