Wegovy dosing depends on whether you use the weekly injection or daily tablet, the condition being treated, your age, and how well you tolerate treatment. The milligram numbers for tablets and injections are not interchangeable.
The charts below summarize the U.S. prescribing information revised June 2026, checked September 26, 2026. They explain the label; they do not replace your prescription. Your clinician can delay an increase, select an appropriate maintenance dose, or change the plan when needed. Source: Wegovy prescribing information.
Weekly Wegovy injection: starting schedule
For expectations during the second injection stage, our guide to weight-loss questions at Wegovy 0.5 mg explains why longer-term trial averages cannot predict a fixed four-week result and what to bring to a follow-up.
The label uses gradual dose escalation to reduce gastrointestinal adverse reactions. The starting schedule below applies to the approved injection indications in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and older, with maintenance instructions differing afterward.
| Treatment stage | Once-weekly injection dose | What the stage means |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–4 | 0.25 mg | Starting dose. |
| Weeks 5–8 | 0.5 mg | Next escalation stage if prescribed and tolerated. |
| Weeks 9–12 | 1 mg | Further escalation stage. |
| Weeks 13–16 | 1.7 mg | Final standard escalation stage before the maintenance decision. |
| Week 17 onward | Depends on indication and response | See the maintenance table below; do not assume one dose applies to everyone. |
If a dose is not tolerated during injection escalation, the label says the clinician can consider delaying escalation for four weeks. The calendar therefore describes a labeled sequence, not a deadline you must meet despite symptoms.
If the dose on a refill differs from the current prescription or the stage discussed with your clinician, ask before using it. A package arriving in the mail is not itself confirmation that an increase is appropriate.
Injection maintenance: age and indication matter
The current label distinguishes several uses. A dose appropriate for one indication should not be copied into another situation simply because the brand is the same.
| Approved treatment context | Labeled maintenance approach |
|---|---|
| Adult weight reduction | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly; 2.4 mg is recommended. A further increase to 7.2 mg has additional conditions described below. |
| Adult cardiovascular risk reduction | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly; 2.4 mg is recommended. |
| Weight reduction in pediatric patients aged 12 and older | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly; 2.4 mg is recommended. |
| Adult noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis | 2.4 mg once weekly is recommended. If not tolerated, the label allows a decrease to 1.7 mg and consideration of re-escalation. |
MASH is a form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a liver disease. Its treatment decisions require the relevant clinical diagnosis and follow-up. This table is not a way to diagnose a condition or establish eligibility from a dose alone.
Where Wegovy 7.2 mg fits
For adult weight reduction, the June 2026 label permits an increase to a maximum of 7.2 mg once weekly when a patient has tolerated 2.4 mg for at least four weeks and additional weight reduction is clinically indicated.
This is not an automatic step for everyone after the first maintenance month. The prescriber must assess the need for additional treatment and tolerability. It should not be added to the pediatric, cardiovascular-risk, or MASH schedules without regard to their separate label instructions.
The label includes a specific 7.2 mg single-dose presentation, called Wegovy HD. Do not improvise that dose by combining or manipulating other devices. Ask the pharmacist and prescriber to confirm the exact presentation and provide its Instructions for Use.
Daily Wegovy tablets: a different schedule
Wegovy tablets use their own escalation schedule for cardiovascular risk reduction or weight reduction in adults. The tablet milligram amount should never be converted to an injection amount by arithmetic.
| Treatment stage | Once-daily tablet dose |
|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | 1.5 mg |
| Days 31–60 | 4 mg |
| Days 61–90 | 9 mg |
| Day 91 onward | 25 mg maintenance |
The clinician may delay tablet escalation if a stage is not tolerated. The label provides an option to consider an injection formulation if the 25 mg tablet maintenance dose is not tolerated. Switching is a prescribing decision with specific instructions; it is not a same-milligram substitution.
Our oral semaglutide versus injections guide explains why administration and absorption matter. Ozempic tablets, Rybelsus, and Wegovy tablets should not be treated as interchangeable products based only on the word semaglutide.
How tablets are taken matters
The Wegovy label directs patients to take one tablet in the morning on an empty stomach with water, up to four ounces. It says to wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking other beverages, or taking other oral medicines.
Tablets should be swallowed whole rather than split, crushed, chewed, or dissolved. The label says not to take more than one tablet per day. If your morning medicines or routine make the instructions difficult, ask the pharmacist or prescriber to help organize a suitable plan.
Do not take extra tablets because you ate sooner than intended or are uncertain about absorption. Explain what happened to the clinical team and follow the matching product instructions. Consistency and an understandable routine are more useful than trying to compensate by guessing.
What if a Wegovy dose is missed?
Missed-dose rules differ by formulation. Read the directions that match the actual medicine.
| Situation | Current label instruction |
|---|---|
| One injection missed and the next scheduled dose is more than two days away | Administer the missed dose as soon as possible. |
| One injection missed and the next scheduled dose is less than two days away | Skip the missed dose and resume on the regular scheduled day. |
| Two or more consecutive injection doses missed | Reinitiate escalation at a lower dosage to reduce gastrointestinal risk; contact the prescriber for the restart plan. |
| A tablet dose missed | Skip that dose and take the next dose the following day. |
If timing falls exactly at an unclear boundary, or you are uncertain when you last used the medicine, ask the pharmacist or prescriber. Do not double doses or independently resume a previously tolerated high dose after a treatment gap.
Older online charts may give different restart language. Use the current label and your clinician’s instructions, especially after several missed injections or a formulation change.
For the difference between weekly dosing and drug persistence, read our guide to Wegovy half-life, stopping and restart questions. It explains why an approximately one-week half-life is not a complete-clearance date, symptom deadline or independent restart instruction.
The amount in a device is not always one dose
Our guide to Wegovy devices and partial-dose questions explains what to confirm when considering a smaller dose or when you are unsure how much medicine was delivered.
Our guide to semaglutide mg, mL and units now addresses 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg questions, including why a labeled product volume is not a universal syringe conversion.
Our Wegovy package-count guide explains current U.S. carton presentations and why device count and dose count are different questions.
The current label includes single-dose pens, single-dose prefilled syringes, and a multidose FlexTouch presentation. The total contents of a multidose device differ from the amount delivered in one prescribed injection.
For example, the label lists a FlexTouch pen containing four 2.4 mg doses. The total amount in that pen is not one injection. Other presentations have their own operation and disposal instructions, and a different package can require new training.
Confirm the product, dose per administration, presentation, and prescribed frequency together. Do not count clicks, extract residual medicine, share a multidose device, or use an online conversion chart to improvise administration. Ask for the Instructions for Use that belong to the device actually dispensed.
Why a slower increase may be appropriate
Nausea and other digestive effects can make escalation difficult. More medicine is not automatically better if it prevents adequate food or fluid intake or causes symptoms that interfere with daily life.
The prescriber should review symptoms, response, other medicines, and health history before deciding whether to increase, delay, reduce, switch, or stop treatment. The semaglutide side-effects article helps organize that conversation.
The joint GLP-1 nutrition advisory emphasizes nutrition assessment and support during treatment. See our semaglutide protein and muscle guide for questions about maintaining nourishment and physical function when appetite changes.
A new rash needs a separate symptom review. Our guide to Wegovy rash, photographs and care questions distinguishes local reactions, other possible causes and emergency allergy symptoms, and explains why a photograph cannot diagnose a reaction.
Safety information belongs beside the chart
Wegovy has a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors observed in rodents; whether it causes these tumors in humans is unknown. It is contraindicated with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2, and with a prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to the medicine. These questions should be reviewed before prescribing.
Other label concerns include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, severe gastrointestinal reactions, kidney injury associated with volume depletion, and certain diabetes-related risks. Tell the clinical team about planned anesthesia or deep sedation because delayed stomach emptying can matter during procedures.
Severe or persistent abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, or inability to maintain fluids needs prompt medical attention. Trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat requires emergency help. These symptoms should not be managed by moving yourself to a different row in a dosage chart.
Other medicines and pregnancy plans
Wegovy should not be used with another semaglutide-containing product or another GLP-1 receptor agonist. The prescriber also needs to know about insulin, sulfonylureas, oral medicines, supplements, and other treatments that may affect safety or administration.
Discuss pregnancy or plans to become pregnant before treatment. For weight management, the label directs discontinuation when pregnancy is recognized and stopping at least two months before a planned pregnancy. A clinician should guide changes and address the underlying treatment needs.
Do not assume rules for another semaglutide brand, compounded product, or non-GLP-1 medicine apply identically. Our semaglutide versus Ozempic article explains why the ingredient and finished product must be distinguished.
Can you start Wegovy injection at 1.7 mg?
The current standard U.S. injection initiation schedule starts at 0.25 mg weekly for the first four weeks; 1.7 mg appears later in escalation, in weeks 13–16. Do not treat 1.7 mg as a routine first dose or choose it independently to accelerate results. A transition from prior therapy, an interruption or another individualized plan requires specific prescribing instructions, and daily tablets use a separate schedule. Confirm the actual route, presentation, recent treatment and prescribed plan with the care team. Wegovy U.S. prescribing information.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time of day to take Wegovy?
First identify the route. The current label allows weekly Wegovy injections on the same day each week at any time of day, with or without meals; that flexibility does not establish a universal time that improves weight loss or prevents nausea. Daily Wegovy tablets have different directions: take one whole tablet in the morning on an empty stomach with water up to 4 ounces, then wait at least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other oral medicines. Do not apply injection timing to tablets or change a schedule to manage symptoms without the prescribing team. Ask for product-specific advice after a missed dose or treatment gap. Wegovy U.S. prescribing information.
Can I take two 0.25 mg Wegovy injections instead of one 0.5 mg injection?
Two 0.25 mg amounts add up to 0.5 mg mathematically, but that arithmetic does not authorize replacing a prescribed device or schedule. Confirm the exact product, presentation and directions with the prescriber or pharmacist before combining injections. Do not repeat an injection on your own after uncertain delivery; explain what happened and keep the device and packaging available. The current Wegovy prescribing information gives presentation-specific instructions, which cannot be replaced by syringe markings or a chart for a different formulation.
Is 0.25 mg a long-term maintenance dose?
It is the labeled starting injection dose. Maintenance dosing depends on the approved indication, age, response, and tolerability. If escalation is difficult, ask the clinician to review the plan rather than deciding independently to stay at or skip a stage.
Does everyone need 7.2 mg?
No. It is an additional adult weight-reduction option with specific conditions. The decision follows at least four weeks of tolerated 2.4 mg and a clinical need for further weight reduction. Other indications and pediatric dosing have different maintenance instructions.
Is a 25 mg tablet stronger than a 2.4 mg injection?
The raw milligram numbers do not establish an equivalent effect across routes. The products have different absorption and dosing instructions. Switching requires a prescribed plan rather than a numerical comparison.
Can I use this chart for compounded semaglutide?
No. It summarizes branded Wegovy labeling. A compounded preparation is not FDA-approved Wegovy and may have different concentration or measurement instructions. FDA’s GLP-1 guidance explains associated concerns.
Where can I review cost and treatment options?
The Wegovy cost article separates current tablet and injection offers. If considering CoreAge Rx’s semaglutide service, confirm the exact preparation and pharmacy, why it is appropriate, and how dosing and follow-up are handled. Do not assume that service supplies branded Wegovy.
Keep the prescription, presentation, and schedule together
A useful dosing record includes the exact product, route, device, prescribed dose, frequency, and next review. If one changes, confirm the others. That approach makes the chart a reference for an informed clinical conversation rather than a schedule to follow independently.
Educational information for adults; individual treatment decisions require a qualified clinician. Sources checked September 26, 2026. Original AI-generated article illustrations depict fictional people and objects, not patient outcomes. Other editorial images are illustrative. Graphics summarize the cited sources.
