Switching from the Wegovy pill to Wegovy injection

Some of the most common reasons people switch include:

1. You'd prefer a once-weekly treatment

Remembering to take a tablet every morning is not always easy, and missing regular doses of your Wegovy pill will make it less effective. If you'd rather take your weight loss medication once a week, Wegovy injections may fit your routine better.

Some people find that having one scheduled injection each week is easier to manage than remembering a daily tablet.

2. You're finding it difficult to take the tablets correctly

The Wegovy pill has to be taken in a very specific way for your body to absorb enough semaglutide. You need to:

• take it after fasting for at least 8 hours, so it’s usually taken when you wake up
• swallow it whole with no more than 120ml of plain water
• wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything other than water, or taking any other oral medication

If this routine does not suit your lifestyle, such as if you usually like to eat or have a coffee when you get up, take other medications that are time sensitive, or do not have time to wait 30 minutes before breakfast, you may not be getting the full benefit from treatment.

Wegovy injections do not have food or timing restrictions, making them a more flexible option for some people.

3. You want to maximise your weight loss

Although both forms of Wegovy have been proven in clinical trials to be effective, the highest licensed injection dose currently causes a larger average weight loss than the tablet.

Clinical trials found that:

• the 25mg Wegovy tablet led to an average weight loss of up to 17% after 64 weeks
• the highest 7.2mg Wegovy injection resulted in an average weight loss of 21% after 72 weeks

If you're aiming for the greatest possible weight loss and injections are suitable for you, your doctor may recommend switching. However, if you’re losing weight at a similar rate to that of the injections, there may be no need to switch.

For example, it has been estimated that in the first 16 weeks of people taking Wegovy injections, the average weight loss was 2% of starting weight every 4 weeks. You should lose more weight once you reach the maintenance dose of either medication.

So, if you’re finding that you are not losing much weight initially, and have not reached the Wegovy pill maintenance dose yet, it may be worth waiting until you reach the maintenance dose.

If you’re not sure, you can speak to your doctor about whether switching is the right option for you.

4. You're getting gastrointestinal (GI) side effects that are difficult to manage

The Wegovy pill and injection have very similar side effects because they both contain semaglutide. However, GI side effects have been shown to happen more often with the pill.

In clinical trials, GI side effects were reported in 74% of people taking the 25mg pill vs 70.8% on the 7.2mg injection. Specifically:

While these side effects can happen on either form of semaglutide, they should get better within a few weeks and should not be severe. They can come back after a dose increase, but should settle once you reach the maintenance dose and have been on it for several weeks.

If Wegovy pill side effects continue despite your body adjusting to treatment, your doctor may suggest switching to injections if you still want to use semaglutide.

Switching from Wegovy pills to injections is simple, but it should always be done under the supervision of your doctor, as they will choose the right dose for you to switch to safely.

The usual process is:

1. Take your final Wegovy tablet.
2. Wait for 1 week (7 days)
3. Start your Wegovy injection at the dose recommended by your doctor. Make sure to choose a day and time that works for you, as Wegovy injections should be taken at the same time and day each week for the best results.

You can wait up to 7 days/weeks after your last tablet before starting the Wegovy injection, but if you wait longer than this you’ll need to start Wegovy injections at the lowest dose. Waiting too long can delay your progress, as semaglutide will leave your system and you will need to work back up through the dosage schedule.

There is no official conversion guide between Wegovy tablets and injections because they are absorbed differently by the body. However, the following doses are generally recommended when switching:

The maximum dose you’ll be able to switch to is 1.7mg, even if you previously have taken 2.4mg or 7.2mg Wegovy injections. This helps reduce the risk of side effects while your body adjusts to the injectable form of semaglutide.

As long as you do not have ongoing or severe side effects after switching, you’ll follow the Wegovy injection dosage schedule to the maintenance dose of 2.4 or 7.2mg.

Most people continue to experience the same appetite control and fullness after switching because both treatments contain the same active ingredient. However, there can be a short adjustment period when switching to semaglutide as a weekly injection rather than a daily tablet.

Appetite control and fullness

After switching, most people continue to notice:

• reduced hunger
• feeling fuller after eating
• fewer cravings
• less food noise

If you're switching to an equivalent injection dose, effects on appetite control and fullness should remain similar. However, if you’re starting at a low injection dose despite being at a high pill dose, these effects could feel less strong until you reach a higher dose of the injection.

This may be the case if your doctor thinks it's better to start on a lower dose due to side effects you’ve had on the pill, or because you waited longer than 7 days/weeks to switch, so need to start on the lowest injection dose.

Side effects

The side effects of Wegovy injections and tablets largely overlap. Some people who tolerate semaglutide tablets well will have the same experience on injections. However, because it's absorbed in your body in a different way, you may get side effects even if you did not on the tablets, or you may not get side effects even if you did with the tablet. This depends on how your body reacts to the new way of taking semaglutide.

During the first few weeks after switching, you may notice some very common side effects, which usually happen after a dose increase:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• stomach discomfort
• headache
• tiredness or weakness

Unlike tablets, Wegovy injections can also cause mild injection site reactions, such as redness, bruising, itching, or swelling where the pen is used. Most side effects improve as your body adjusts but can come back after a dose increase.

Speak to your doctor if you get severe or ongoing side effects after switching. They may recommend lowering your injection dose or staying on the same injection dose for longer than 4 weeks.

Weight loss progress

Switching from Wegovy tablets to injections should not stop your weight loss progress. Even at the lowest injection dose, people tend to lose an estimated average of 2% of their weight within 4 weeks. This is a good, consistent amount of weight to lose each month, and results usually increase with the 2.4mg and 7.2mg doses.

If you do switch from Wegovy tablets to injections, appetite suppression will generally remains consistent because you’re switching to another semaglutide medication. If you're moving to an equivalent injection dose, you may notice improved appetite control as treatment continues.