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Wegovy is a once-weekly injectable drug that is used to help regulate blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss.
If you’ve been prescribed Wegovy, this might be the first time you have ever taken a self-administered shot.
But even if you have experience with self-managed injections, Wegovy is different enough that you might still have questions.
This article will explain everything you need to know about where and how to inject Wegovy.
Get to know your Wegovy pen, prescription, and dose
Wegovy is a prescription medication for weight loss. It has the same active ingredient—semaglutide—as other drugs like Ozempic.
It comes in an injector pen (which is also called a “medication pen” or simply a “pen”.)
Most people think of injector pens as being easier to use than syringes. This is because pens allow for simple and precise dosing of injectable drugs.
Wegovy pens are about six inches long. There is a pen cap on one end and a small plunger button on the other end.
Pens come in five colors, corresponding to pre-measured doses.
If you take off the pen cap and look at the forward half of the pen, you will see the pen tip and a clear medication chamber right behind it.
Right behind that on the body of the pen, you’ll see the label with medication and dose information
Wegovy pens do not have a visible needle. This is because, unlike many other injectable medication pens, Wegovy pens have an auto-injector.
Wegovy pens are similar to insulin or Ozempic pens, except that Wegovy pens only administer a single pre-loaded dose.
If you’ve never used a pen, your doctor’s office or pharmacist can describe to you how to safely use a Wegovy pen.
The manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, also maintains a webpage with details about safely using the pen.
What does a dose look like?
The dose in milligrams that your doctor prescribes to you should correspond to the dose listed on the label you can find on the body of the Wegovy pen.
All Wegovy pens are designed to have just a single weekly dose in them—meaning that a pen is designed to be used once and then discarded.
Even though the pens may look roughly similar, there are five different dose-sized Wegovy pens:
- A pen that contains a 0.25 mg dose is for the beginning of treatment. These pens usually have a teal label.
- A pen that contains a 0.50 mg dose. These pens usually have a pink label.
- A pen that contains a 1 mg dose. These pens usually have a brown or orange label.
- A pen that contains a 1.7 mg dose. These pens usually have a blue label.
- A pen that contains a 2.4 mg dose. These pens usually have a dark gray label.
Be sure to verify that the packaging and the pen are both clearly labeled with the dose option in milligrams that you were prescribed.
Pen colors or labels may change over time, so it’s important to verify that the dose is correctly listed.
Never take more than you are prescribed by your doctor. If you overdose on Wegovy, you may experience significant adverse side effects.
Read More: Wegovy Dosing Guide
Where is the best place on my body to inject Wegovy?
To ensure that the medication is effective, it is essential to know where to take it. Wegovy is designed to be administered right under the skin by injection.
Drugs injected under the skin do best when they’re injected into parts of your body with some fatty tissue.
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.
According to the drug’s manufacturer, the three best places on your body to inject Wegovy are the front of your thighs, your abdomen, and your upper arms—particularly the backs of your upper arms.
Read more: How to Avoid Injection Site Bruising
How to inject Wegovy
The amount prescribed by your doctor should be injected under the skin into fatty tissue once a week, on the same day each week.
The time of day for your injection generally does not matter.
The steps to follow for injecting Wegovy are outlined below.
Check your pen
Get your pen and an alcohol swab ready.
Check your dose to make sure you have the correct pen.
Remove the cap from the front part of your Wegovy pen and look through the pen’s plastic window to make sure the liquid inside the pen is clear.
Find a good spot on your body and prepare the site for the shot
Choosing an area on your body with more fatty tissue, such as your abdomen, upper thighs, and upper arms is ideal.
However, avoid injecting into the same spot each week to reduce bruising, scarring, or other skin reactions.
Prepare the site on your skin by quickly rubbing it with an alcohol swab.
Injecting Wegovy
Press the front part of the pen against your skin at the site you’ve selected in the way your doctor has shown you.
The pen should be perpendicular to your body, at about a 90-degree angle.
Press the pen down firmly against your body. The auto-injector will begin administering the drug once the plastic base of the front of the pen is pressed firmly against your skin.
Listen for an audible click to let you know the injection has started.
If you don’t hear the click, you may need to press the front part of the pen down more firmly against the skin.
Continue holding the pen in place firmly against your skin for about ten seconds. A second click will let you know that the injection is ongoing.
You’ll notice a yellow plunger bar moving inside the pen widow and pressing the medicine through the needle.
Once ten seconds have elapsed and the yellow bar stops moving toward the front of the pen, you can remove the pen from your skin.
Re-cap and discard the pen
Now that you’re done, replace the pen cap. Because this is a single-use pen, it can be safely discarded.
Seeing a tiny amount of blood is normal, and you can apply pressure to the area with your alcohol swab if needed.
How do I know if I injected Wegovy correctly?
As you inject your dose, listen for the two clicks and watch the clear window on the pen to make sure the yellow plunger presses the medicine into your body.
Ensure that it stops moving before you take the pen away from your body.
It’s a good idea to give the auto-injector at least ten seconds of firm contact with the skin to do its work.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions or worry that you may have done something incorrectly.
What is the best time of day to inject Wegovy?
There is no clinically demonstrated 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 the medication on a Monday, you can take it any time of day—but you should plan to take your weekly dose of Wegovy each Monday for as long as you use the medication.
Write the day of the week you take Wegovy on a calendar or on the box that your pen comes in.
Phone reminders are also helpful to make sure you don’t miss a dose.
What do I do if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose of Wegovy, take it as soon as possible within 5 days of your missed dose.
However, if the dose you missed should have been taken 5 days or more ago, then you need to skip that dose.
In this circumstance, you’ll take it on your next regularly scheduled day.
In other words, if you’ve just missed one dose and your next scheduled dose is less than 2 days away (48 hours), don’t take that missed dose.
Just wait until your regular day to take the regular injection.
Why does my Wegovy pen not have a needle?
When you open a new Wegovy pen, you’ll notice that there is no visible needle, unlike insulin pens.
This is because Wegovy pens use an auto-injector. Auto-injectors have a tiny needle integrated into the body of the pen.
Because of this, people who are prescribed Wegovy do not need to see or handle a needle when taking the medication.
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