What Happens to Your Body on Wegovy? The Science Revealed

Wegovy is one of the most popular weight loss medications on the market. Containing semaglutide it has helped countless individuals get to their goal weight, when used alongside healthy lifestyle changes.

But what actually happens to the body when you take it? Here, we’ll get into the details of what changes to expect when you are on the treatment.

What is Wegovy and how does it affect appetite

Wegovy is a prescription-only (POM) medication containing semaglutide. It is known as GLP-1 agonist which helps with weight loss and appetite control by:

1. Targeting hunger centers in the brain.

The brain contains GLP-1 receptors. Wegovy activates these receptors for much longer than the natural hormone would and reduces food noise and signals fullness. In doing so, the brain tells you you’re full without eating whilst stopping the intrusive thoughts about your next meal.

2. Delaying gastric emptying.

By slowing digestion, Wegoy tells the stomach to release food into the small intestine much slower. Because of this, you feel physically fuller for longer, preventing the urge to snack in between meals

3. Stabilising blood sugar

By stimulating insulin release, blood sugar levels are maintained within a tighter window. Without the ‘spikes and crashes’ of blood sugar, Wegovy removes the sugar cravings and intense hunger associated with a sugar crash.

Available in dose strengths from 0.25mg to the recently approved 7.2mg dose, for optimum results, Wegovy should be used alongside lifestyle changes: a reduced-calorie diet and increased exercise.

Eligibility

To be eligible for weight loss medication, you must meet the entry criteria. Wegovy is licensed for adults over 18 with a:

• BMI of 30 or above or

• BMI of 27 and above in the presence of a weight related health condition.

If you meet the BMI criteria, your healthcare professional will additionally take into account your current health, medical history and if you take any other medication, to ensure individual eligibility.

Patients who are not suitable are those who have:

• A personal or family history of thyroid cancer - including medullary thyroid carcinoma

• A history of pancreatitis

• Allergy to the active ingredient or any of the excipients

• Severe kidney problems

• Taking certain diabetic medication

• Taking medication which interacts with Wegovy

• Pregnant women

• Breastfeeding women - as drug may pass into breast milk

What happens in the First Few Days?

The first 1-3 days after injecting your first dose is a time of adjustment. The body has just encountered a new chemical for the first time which is crawling the body for GLP-1 receptors, mainly in the pancreas and brain.

Once the receptors are activated, this can result in:

• Reduced food noise - acting in the brain, Wegovy will start to cut out those intrusive thoughts about going for the chocolate bar in the cupboard.

• Early fullness - you may find you cannot finish a meal which you normally would be able to, instead stopping halfway

• Side effects. Digestion is slowing and with it, you can expect to feel nausea or other mild side effects. This is normal and a sign your digestive rhythm is slowing.

How Wegovy reduces weight

Wegovy helps with weight loss by creating a managed ‘loop’ that makes it easier to maintain a calorie deficit. This works in three main stages
reduces weight through a tightly managed loop of appetite suppression, prolonged fullness and regulated blood sugar levels.

1. Appetite suppression leads to consumption of less calories

2. These less calories now take longer to digest, keeping you fuller for longer, preventing further calorie intake.

3. During this process, as you’re less likely to experience drastic blood sugar drops, you’re reducing food cravings, further reducing food intake.

What Happens Week by Week?

Weeks 1 to 4, Getting Started

Wegovy is initiated at the 0.25mg dose, administered once weekly. The first few weeks are when side effects are most likely, as the body is encountering a new chemical for the first time.

This is the optimum time to incorporate lifestyle changes, if not already done:

• Listen to hunger cues, only eat when hunger strikes, stop when full. Resist the temptation to clean the place

• Sensible food choices - Foods high in protein and fibre but low in carbs can help work alongside treatment, managing fullness and blood sugar levels

• Hydration - there's a higher risk of dehydration whilst on Wegovy. Ensure adequate hydration to reduce side effects.

• Exercise - a staple to any weight loss journey. Light exercise can help improve treatment outcomes and improve overall health.

Whilst not a therapeutic dose, 0.25mg is beneficial to help get used to treatment, without coming on ‘too strong’. Side effects at this dose, whilst expected are usually mild, allowing you to transition to higher doses with ease.

STEP-1 clinical trials show an average weight loss of 2% by week 4.

Weeks 5 to 12, Momentum

In the next four weeks, the dose is increased to 0.5mg. Once at this dose, you can expect to see a greater reduction in food noise and appetite as you are finally at a therapeutic dose.

Side effects may occur initially as the body adjusts to a higher dose though many find they do not notice any.

Work alongside your prescriber to determine your dose escalation from here. If 0.5mg remains beneficial, you may be advised to continue at this dose for longer, though some may need to increase to 1mg.

By week 12, clinical trials show an average weight loss of 6%. This can vary between individuals based on adherence to lifestyle changes.

Months 4 to 6, Consolidation

Continuing through the doses, some patients may increase to 1.7mg then to the maintenance dose of 2.4mg from week 17 onwards.

Beyond this, some patients may need to increase further, to the recently approved 7.2mg dose.

Once at the higher doses, you're likely to experience significant weight loss if you stick to your diet and exercise routine. After 20 weeks, one study found that people taking 2.4mg of Wegovy ate 35% fewer calories at each meal.

Side effects upon increasing the dose are more noticeable at higher doses. This is due to the greater impact on gastric emptying and food noise.

Long Term Maintenance

To achieve and maintain the best results, Wegovy should be used as a long-term weight management treatment. Additionally, it's important to keep up with all the healthy lifestyle modifications you have made.

Long-term results for Wegovy are significant. In a 68-week study, over 80% of patients lost at least 5% of their initial body weight. Nearly 30% of patients achieved a weight loss of over 20%, considerably more than the placebo group.

Side Effects. What to Expect and When to Get Help

As with all medicines, Wegovy can cause side effects, though not everyone gets them. These are more likely upon initiation and at dose increases and occur as a direct result of how the treatment works on the body.

Common side effects

As Wegovy slows down digestion, the most common side effects affect the digestive tract and include nausea and vomiting.

Perhaps the most common side effect is nausea and/or vomiting. This happens because the stomach processes food much slower compared to what the brain is used to.

Additionally, by not listening to food noise, you can ‘overload’ the digestive system which may already be slowly digesting food from an earlier meal.

A meal high in carbohydrates can raise blood sugars, interrupting the sugar regulation Wegovy is responsible for.

Ensure to listen to your body, only eat when hungry and stop as soon as you feel full. Remember, you don’t need to clean the plate. Meals high in protein and fibre, but low in carbohydrates can work in tandem with treatment, to regulate blood sugar levels.

Constipation and Diarrhoea

Constipation and diarrhoea can occur as the body is adjusting to a new digestion speed and speed of muscle contractions.

Speak to a clinician for gentle over the counter remedies to help ease symptoms as you adjust to treatment.

Headaches

Wegovy can reduce thirst levels. Side effects like nausea can make hydration challenging, further reducing water intake. This dehydration can cause headaches.

Ensure to regularly sip water throughout the day. Add sugar free squash if you struggle with drinking plain water.

Less Common side effects

Less common side effects include low blood glucose, an increased heart rate, acute pancreatitis and gallstones (particularly with rapid weight loss).

Serious Side Effects, Seek Urgent Care

Serious side effects are rare, affecting 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 people and include:

• Hypoglycemia-(low blood sugar). Signs include (sweating, going pale, feeling hungry, dizziness, blurred vision, shaking)

• Acute pancreatitis - Severe stomach pain spreading to the back/chest, with fever, vomiting.

• Kidney stones - severe back/groin pain, fever, blood in the urine, smelly urine

• Gallstones - Severe abdominal pain, increasing rapidly, yellowing of the eyes/skin

If you experience any of these side effects, you should seek immediate medical attention, by calling 999 or going to the nearest A&E immediately.

How Quick Meds Can Help

Quick Meds is a GPhC-registered online pharmacy. Our team of pharmacists have over 40 years' experience and are committed to providing professional, attentive care.

Our weight loss service offers a range of clinically approved treatments and support tailored to your individual needs to help you safely attain a healthy weight.

After an online consultation, our team reviews your information to check you're getting a safe and effective weight loss treatment that's suitable for your unique circumstances.

Once approved by a healthcare professional, your medication will be shipped in plain, discreet packaging straight to your door. Our pharmacists are always available to provide weight loss support and answer any questions you have about your treatment.