The Wegovy Dosage Chart: From Starting Dose to Maintenance
Every Wegovy prescription climbs the same ladder, one step every four weeks. Your prescriber picks the dose where you stay. The pill, approved at the end of 2025, follows a different ladder with different numbers. That is where most of the confusion starts.
Medically reviewed by Jill Garnier, MDThe Wegovy injection has five steps: 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg, then 2.4mg. You stay on each step for at least four weeks. The usual maintenance dose is 2.4mg, or the highest step you tolerate. A stronger 7.2mg pen, called Wegovy HD, was approved in March 2026 for people who need more weight loss. The pill has its own four steps, from 1.5mg up to 25mg.
On this page
- What is the Wegovy dosage chart, from starting dose to maintenance?
- What is the Wegovy starting dose, and why isn't it a treatment dose?
- What is the highest dose of Wegovy? The 7.2mg HD strength
- Wegovy pill dosage: how the tablet's schedule differs from the pen
- Where to get Wegovy, and what each dose costs
- Can you stay on a lower dose of Wegovy instead of going all the way up?
- What if you miss a dose of Wegovy, or can't tolerate a step?
- Does the Wegovy dose or schedule differ in perimenopause or menopause?
- Who sets and adjusts your Wegovy dose, and where to get prescribed
- Frequently asked questions
What is the Wegovy dosage chart, from starting dose to maintenance?
The injection follows one ladder, and it is shorter than most people expect. There are five strengths. You hold each one for at least four weeks before moving up. Everyone starts at the bottom, however much weight they plan to lose. The first dose is there to let your body adjust, not to do the real work.
starting dose, not a treatment dose
the standard maintenance dose
Reaching 2.4mg takes at least 16 weeks, or about four months. It takes longer if your prescriber pauses on a step to let side effects settle. A stronger dose above 2.4mg also exists now. It has its own section below, because most people never need it.
What is the Wegovy starting dose, and why isn't it a treatment dose?
Everyone starts at 0.25mg. That dose is kept low on purpose, too low to cause real weight loss. Its only job is to let your stomach and gut get used to the medicine. Wegovy is a GLP-1 medicine, a type of drug that slows digestion and quiets appetite. The label sets four weeks as the minimum at this step. Your prescriber can keep you there longer if nausea hasn't settled, but not shorter.
What is the highest dose of Wegovy? The 7.2mg HD strength
Since 2026, there is a dose above 2.4mg. The FDA approved Wegovy HD, a 7.2mg weekly injection, on March 19, 2026. The label allows it when more weight loss is medically needed. It is not a starting dose or a shortcut. You reach it only after the 2.4mg step.
In the STEP UP trial, people on 7.2mg lost about 21% of their body weight on average over 72 weeks. See Wegovy results for the other trials. That is a real step beyond 2.4mg. There is a trade-off, though. Skin sensations like tingling, burning or extra sensitivity were common at 7.2mg. They happened more often than at lower doses and usually faded on their own. That is one reason this dose is chosen with care, not by default.
Wegovy pill dosage: how the tablet's schedule differs from the pen
The Wegovy pill was approved in December 2025. It was the first GLP-1 pill for weight management. Its numbers do not line up with the pen's at all, and that is what trips people up. The dose goes up every 30 days, as you tolerate it, until you reach 25mg.
starting dose
the maintenance dose
Don't try to convert between the two by milligram. Your gut absorbs only a small share of a swallowed dose. So the pill needs far more milligrams to have a similar effect. A 25mg pill is not ten times stronger than a 2.4mg shot. The two sit in roughly the same range, on different scales.
The pill also has its own daily routine. Take it each morning on an empty stomach with a sip of water, up to 4 ounces. Then wait at least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other pills. Swallow it whole. Our Wegovy pill dosage chart covers the routine, missed pills, switching from the pen and the price at each step.
Where to get Wegovy, and what each dose costs
Every version needs a prescription. After that, your price depends on the format, the dose and your insurance. Novo Nordisk, the maker, sells both formats for cash through its own pharmacy, NovoCare.
- Wegovy pen from NovoCare: about $350 a month, from 0.25mg to 2.4mg · First 2 months $199 for new patients, through Dec 31, 2026
- Wegovy HD 7.2mg pen: about $400 a month
- Wegovy pill from NovoCare: about $150 a month at 1.5mg · About $200 at 4mg · About $300 at 9mg and 25mg
- With commercial insurance that covers Wegovy: as little as $25 a month with the maker's savings offer
- Compounded semaglutide at Mochi Health: about $140 a month at the lowest dose, rising to about $270 · First month $60
- Compounded semaglutide at Henry Meds: from about $250 a month for the oral form · From about $300 for injections
Commercial insurance means a plan from your employer or one you buy yourself. Compounded semaglutide is not Wegovy. It is the same active ingredient, mixed by a pharmacy for one patient. It is not FDA-approved. Mochi's price includes its membership and rises with your dose.
Can you stay on a lower dose of Wegovy instead of going all the way up?
You don't have to reach 2.4mg, let alone 7.2mg. The label lists 1.7mg as a maintenance dose too, not just a step on the way up. The lower steps, 0.25mg to 1mg, are only meant for getting started. Staying on one of them long term is off-label, meaning outside the label's directions. Your prescriber can still judge that it suits you. The ladder sets a ceiling, not a target everyone must hit.
Whether a lower dose suits you long term depends on how you feel and what you see. Cost can be part of it too. On some routes, the price changes with the dose.
What if you miss a dose of Wegovy, or can't tolerate a step?
For the injection, the rule is a 2-day window. That is shorter than Ozempic's 5-day window or tirzepatide's 4-day rule. Mixing them up can mean a dose taken too late.
- Next dose more than 2 days away: take the missed dose as soon as you remember.
- Next dose less than 2 days away: skip it and take your next dose on your usual day.
- Missed 2 weeks or more in a row: either pick up on schedule, or ask your prescriber about restarting the ladder from a lower step.
The pill's rule is simpler because you take it every day. Skip the missed pill and take your next one the following day. Never take two at once. If a step doesn't agree with you, the answer is the same for both formats. Stay on your current dose longer, or go back to the last one that worked.
Does the Wegovy dose or schedule differ in perimenopause or menopause?
No. There is no separate FDA schedule based on menopause stage, for the pill or the pen. But newer research looks at results by stage. It is a post-hoc analysis, meaning researchers went back to existing trial data to look at a subgroup. It was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in May 2026.
- Before menopause: women on 7.2mg lost about 23% of their weight on average.
- In perimenopause: they lost close to 20%.
- After menopause: they also lost close to 20%.
- Heart health: in the SELECT trial, the drop in heart-event risk was similar in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with heart disease.
All of these women followed the same standard schedule. So this tells you how well Wegovy tends to work at each stage. It does not suggest any group should start or step up differently. For how GLP-1s and hormone therapy fit together in midlife, see GLP-1 and menopause.
Who sets and adjusts your Wegovy dose, and where to get prescribed
A prescriber decides where you start, when you step up, and whether to hold or drop back. That can be a doctor you already see or a telehealth clinician. Bring this chart as a way to check what they propose.
Telehealth is now a common way to get a Wegovy or compounded semaglutide prescription. Many women in their forties and fifties use it while dealing with menopause weight changes. Each service below follows the same dosing logic. What differs is price, format and how closely a clinician follows you.
- [Henry Meds](/reviews/henry-meds/): oral and injectable compounded semaglutide, with a prescriber managing your steps.
- [Mochi Health](/reviews/mochi-health/): pricing by dose, with physicians certified in obesity medicine.
- [Willow](/reviews/willow/): a simple sign-up, in the states it covers.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Wegovy doses, in order?+–
For the injection: 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg, then 2.4mg as the usual maintenance dose. A stronger 7.2mg pen, Wegovy HD, is available after 2.4mg when more weight loss is needed. The pill has its own ladder: 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg and 25mg. The two ladders don't match by milligram.
What is the Wegovy starting dose?+–
For the injection, 0.25mg once a week, for at least four weeks. It is a get-used-to-it dose, not a treatment dose. The pill starts at 1.5mg once a day for 30 days.
What is the highest dose of Wegovy?+–
The highest is 7.2mg once a week by injection, sold as Wegovy HD. The FDA approved it in March 2026. You reach it only after 2.4mg, when more weight loss is medically needed. For the pill, the highest strength is 25mg once a day, which is also its maintenance dose.
What is the Wegovy pill dosing chart?+–
You take 1.5mg a day for the first 30 days. Then 4mg for the next 30 days, and 9mg for the 30 after that. From day 91, you take 25mg a day as the maintenance dose. It is a separate schedule from the injection, because the gut absorbs far less of a swallowed dose.
Can I stay on a lower dose of Wegovy instead of going higher?+–
Yes. The label lists 1.7mg as a maintenance dose too, not only a step toward 2.4mg. Doses below 1.7mg are meant for getting started, so staying on them long term is off-label. Your prescriber weighs that against your results and side effects.
What happens if I miss a dose of Wegovy?+–
For the injection, check how far away your next dose is. More than 2 days away: take the missed one as soon as you remember. Less than 2 days away: skip it and keep your usual day. That window is shorter than Ozempic's 5-day rule. If you miss 2 weeks or more in a row, pick up on schedule or ask your prescriber about restarting lower. For the pill, skip the missed day and take the next one the following day, never two at once.
Does the Wegovy dosing schedule change during perimenopause or menopause?+–
No. There is no separate FDA schedule based on menopause stage. A 2026 look back at the STEP UP and SELECT trials found strong weight loss and heart benefits before, during and after menopause. Everyone in it followed the standard schedule.
Does the price of Wegovy go up as the dose increases?+–
For the pill, yes. At NovoCare it runs about $150 a month at 1.5mg, about $200 at 4mg and about $300 at the two top doses. The pen is about $350 a month at every standard dose. The 7.2mg HD pen costs about $400. Compounded prices vary by provider, and some rise with the dose.
Who adjusts my Wegovy dose?+–
Your prescriber does, whether in person or through telehealth. They set your starting dose and decide when to step up. They can also hold or lower your dose if side effects don't settle.
This article is educational and not medical advice. Talk to a qualified clinician about your situation.