A once-weekly semaglutide injection like Wegovy can help you reach your weight loss goals. But, like any medication, weight loss injections need to be administered correctly to reduce pain and make sure you receive the right dose. In this guide our MedExpress experts unpack everything from choosing and rotating Wegovy injection sites to how to correctly inject your treatment. 

How does Wegovy work?

Weogvy contains the active ingredient semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 medications mimic a natural hormone in your gut, helping to regulate your blood sugar levels, reduce food cravings and slow gastric emptying, which helps you feel fuller for longer. 

Clinical trials show Wegovy can help you lose 15% of your body weight, in combination with a healthy diet and physical activity. [1]

Where to inject Wegovy

Your weekly dose of Wegovy is administered via subcutaneous injection, which means you inject it into the fatty tissue just under your skin.  

Choose from the following areas (also referred to as injection sites) to inject your medication:

• Stomach — At least two inches away from your belly button. Don’t inject into scar tissue.   
• Upper arm — Inject into the back or side of your arm. You may need someone to help you.
• Thigh — Inject into the front or side of your thigh.

Remember the injection site that you pick should be easily accessible and you should be able to see the dose window while you are injecting your medication so that you can check that the whole dose has been administered before removing the needle.

When should you rotate injection sites?

You should rotate injection sites every time you take a dose of Wegovy (each week) to reduce the risk of hard lumps and injection site reactions, like redness, swelling and bruising. 

If you do experience injection site reactions using non-drowsy antihistamines or local antihistamine creams can help alleviate symptoms.

How and where to inject Wegovy

Below we’ve outlined how and where to inject your Wegovy. [2] It’s important you administer your weekly injections correctly to reduce discomfort, make sure you get the full dose and ultimately achieve your weight loss goal. Wegovy comes in a pre-filled pen and most people find that the injection process quickly becomes just another part of their routine.

1. Make sure your pen hasn’t expired and that the medicine is clear. 
2. Wash your hands to reduce the risk of infection. 
3. Wipe your chosen injection site with an alcohol swab or hot water and soap. Remember to pick a different spot from your last dose. 
4. Remove the pen cap. 
5. Select a new pen needle, remove the paper tab and push the needle onto the pen and twist until it’s secure.
6. Remove both of the needle caps.
7. Check the Wegovy flow before your first injection with each new pen by turning the dose selector until you see the flow check symbol.
8. Then with the needle pointing upwards press the dose button until a small drop of medication appears at the tip of the needle. This means the needle is ready for use.
9. To inject your dose, turn the dose selector until the dose counter stops, and it shows your prescribed dose. The dashed line in the dose counter will guide you to your dose.
10. Position the pen at the injection site, ensuring you can see the pen window.
11. Insert the needle into your skin and inject the medication by holding down the dose knob while you count to 6. The ‘0’ icon should be visible in the dose window before removing the needle from the skin.
12. Remove the needle from your skin. If blood appears at the injection site, press on it lightly with a clean tissue, but do not rub the area.
13. Dispose of the injection pen in a sharps container.

The patient information leaflet you receive with your treatment will include more detailed injection instructions and we recommend familiarising yourself with these before attempting to inject your medication for the first time.

We’re here to support you

If you have any concerns about where to inject Wegovy — or anything else to do with your treatment plan, such as common side effects, medical conditions or your weight loss progress — we’re happy to help. So, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our clinical team. 

Not started your weight loss journey yet? At MedExpress we have a variety of weight loss medications which you can learn more about here.

References: 

1. Chronic Weight Results | Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg [Internet]. novoMEDLINK. 2023 [cited 2024 Aug 16]. Available from: https://www.novomedlink.com/obesity/products/treatments/wegovy/efficacy-safety/chronic-weight-management.html#wegovy-and-significant-weight-loss

2. GB -Wegovy PIL-Version 7 [Internet]. [cited 2024 Aug 19]. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.13799.pdf