Wegovy maintenance dose

The Wegovy maintenance dose is the dose you continue on after completing the titration schedule and achieving your weight loss target. Its active ingredient, semaglutide, mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to help keep your appetite under control and maintain your new, healthy weight.

When you first start treatment with the Wegovy tablet or injection, you’ll follow a dosage schedule which gradually increases the medication over many weeks until you reach the maximum maintenance dose or a dose that is effective for you.

Once you have reached your target weight, you will need to continue with a maintenance dose of Wegovy. This may include staying on your current dose if your weight has stabilised, or reducing your dose and staying on a lower dose to maintain weight loss without losing more.

What is the maintenance dose on Wegovy?

For the Wegovy tablet it is 25mg, once you have titrated up to this dose. If you are taking Wegovy via injection, the maximum maintenance dose is 7.2mg.

Staying on a maintenance dose helps to stop weight regain by continuing to suppress your appetite and support healthy eating habits, allowing you more time to adjust to your new routines.

Evidence suggests that stopping Wegovy after weight loss can lead to weight regain. For example, one study found that people who stopped semaglutide injections regained 66% of the weight they had lost within 1 year compared to those who continued with the medication.

Once you have reached your target weight, or you are close to achieving it. When you find a dose that keeps your appetite under control, your doctor may recommend that this becomes your maintenance dose.

Depending on your eligibility, your doctor will determine when it is the right time for you to start a maintenance dose and will closely monitor your progress, adjusting your Wegovy dose as needed.

Your maintenance dose for Wegovy will be personal to you and will help you to keep the weight off. Your doctor will help you decide the best dose for you based on:

• how well you respond to semaglutide
• the side effects you have experienced
• your weight loss target
• your health, medical history, and any medications you are taking
• how well your health has improved

The purpose of the maintenance dose is to prevent weight regain. Some people will require the standard maintenance dose of 7.2mg weekly, but if the full dose is not suitable for you, for example because of side effects, your doctor may recommend a lower dose, such as 1.7 or 2.4mg once weekly, as a long-term maintenance option.

If you decide to stop taking Wegovy, you should discuss the best way to do this with your doctor. There is no need to slowly reduce your dose because Wegovy does not cause withdrawal symptoms, but it’s important to have a long-term plan in place to help maintain your new weight without the medication.

When you come off of Wegovy, you may notice that your:

• appetite increases
• weight increases
• blood sugar levels rise

While taking Wegovy, you should have implemented lifestyle changes, like a calorie-controlled healthy diet and increased exercise, to help you get the most out of your medication. Wegovy makes these changes easier to stick to in the long term.

Once you stop taking Wegovy, or any other GLP-1 agonists, you can keep your weight down by:

• following a healthy, balanced diet
• continuing with regular exercise
• managing stress levels
• prioritising good sleep
• getting friends and family to support you on your weight loss journey

Evidence suggests that stopping weight loss medications can lead to weight regain as soon as 8 weeks and may continue for up to 20 weeks. Ongoing lifestyle changes along with support are key to maintaining results.