So, you have been prescribed Wegovy or you would like to be? You may have questions about Wegovy Injections and Wegovy Injection Sites. This article will explain Where to Inject Wegovy and What to Expect once you start Wegovy injections.
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a prescription medication and is a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity. This medication is administered as an injection once weekly. Wegovy works by reducing appetite and helping people feel full after eating less food than they normally would. Wegovy can help people with obesity to eat less food and lose weight.
No matter why you’ve been prescribed Wegovy, it’s essential to understand the places on the body known as injection sites that are safe and effective for Wegovy injections and the right way to prepare for and administer an injection.
This article will explain everything you need to know about where to inject Wegovy and what to expect.
Get to know your Wegovy pen and dosage
Wegovy comes in an injector pen (which is also called a “medication pen” or simply a “pen”).
Injector pens are considered easier to use than syringes, and they allow for simple and precise dosing of injectable drugs.
A Wegovy prescription comes in a pack of four single-use pens for a 30-day prescription. You will use a new pen each week or every time you dose.
The Wegovy pen has a hidden needle, and the dose is preset in the pen. You can see the dosage on the Wegovy pen’s label and on the box.
Wegovy Injection Sites: Where and How to Inject
Prepare for your injection
- Supplies you will need to give your Wegovy injection: your prescribed dosage Wegovy pen, 1 alcohol swab or soap and water, 1 gauze pad or cotton ball, 1 sharps disposable container for the used Wegovy pen
- Wash your hands
- Check your Wegovy pen to be sure it is the correct dosage
Do NOT use your Wegovy pen if:
- The pen appears to have been used or any part of the pen appears broken; for example, if it has been dropped
- The Wegovy medicine is not clear and colorless through the pen window
- The expiration date (EXP) has passed
What’s the typical Wegovy dosage?
- Month 1: 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks.
- Month 2: 0.5 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks.
- Month 3: 1 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks
- Month 4: 1.7 mg injected once weekly
- Month 5 and onward: 2.4 mg injected once weekly
The packaging and the pen should both be clearly labeled with the dose in mg.
It’s important to make sure that the Wegovy pen you have and the dose that your doctor prescribed match.
Never take more Wegovy injections than you are prescribed by your doctor. If you overdose on Wegovy, you may experience significant adverse side effects.
Where is the best place on my body to inject Wegovy?
To ensure that Wegovy is effective, it is essential to know where to administer it.
Wegovy is designed to be administered right under the skin (subcutaneously) by injection. Drugs injected subcutaneously (SQ) do best when they’re injected into parts of your body with fatty tissue.
The best areas on your body to give yourself a Wegovy injection are:
- Upper arms. At least 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) below your shoulder and 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) above your elbow, on the side or back.
- Outer side of upper thighs.
- Belly area. Below your ribs and above your hip bones, at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) away from your belly button.
Your injection site should be healthy, meaning there should be no redness, swelling, scarring, or other damage to your skin or the tissue below your skin.
Change your injection site from one injection to the next, at least 1 inch apart. This will keep your skin healthy and help your body absorb the medicine well.
Injections into lean or mostly muscular parts of your body are not recommended, as they tend to be painful, may bleed more than normal, and can cause the drug to be less effective.
Wegovy should never be injected into a vein or artery.
Injecting Wegovy
Remove the pen cap and grasp the pen so you can see the dose window. Line up the pen straight against your body so that you can see the pen’s window. When you push the pen firmly against your skin, you’ll hear a click. The injection has started. You’ll see the yellow bar in the pen’s window begin moving (if it’s not moving, push the pen more firmly against your skin.)
Leave the needle injected for about ten seconds to make sure the full dose has been administered.
Remove the needle from your skin.
Re-cap the Wegovy pen and discard safely
Now that you’re done, replace the Wegovy pen cap. Place the entire Wegovy pen and safely dispose of it in a sharps container or a heavy-duty household container with a lid like an empty laundry detergent container.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I injected Wegovy correctly?
As you inject your Wegovy dose, watch the dose window to make sure the dose clears and changes to yellow. Also, make sure to leave the pen needle inserted under your skin for ten seconds to make sure the medicine is injected fully.
So long as you’ve injected the medicine into a part of the body with some fatty tissue (back of upper arms, abdomen, thighs) and you’ve followed the steps to correctly administer the drug, you’ve done it correctly.
If you have questions or worry that you may have done something incorrectly, be sure to talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
What is the best time of day to inject Wegovy?
There is no clinically proven “best time” of day to take Wegovy. Rather, the most important thing is to select a day of the week and consistently take it on that same day each week.
If you decide to take Wegovy on a Tuesday, for example, you can take it any time of day – but you should plan to take your weekly dose of Wegovy each Tuesday for as long as you use the medication.
Because of this, many people decide to write the day of the week they take the drug on a calendar or on the box that their Wegovy® pen comes in. Adding a phone or calendar reminder can be helpful to make sure you don’t miss a dose.
