Dr. Ahmed
Ozempic injections are being increasingly used in the management of diabetes. Its weight loss effects can not be underestimated. Today we’ll specifically discuss Ozempic dosing for weight loss and diabetes.
Ozempic dosing for Diabetes:
If you have been prescribed Ozempic for diabetes, your maximum weekly dose is 1 mg. Depending on your blood glucose, you may either be using the usual maintenance dose of 0.5 mg weekly or 1 mg weekly which is the maximum dose.
In that case, you have to order an Ozempic injection of 2 mg per pen.
How to calculate Ozempic Dose?
Each Ozempic injection pen contains Semaglutide in a dose of 2 mg per 1.5 ml.
One Ozempic Injection = 1.5 ml Semaglutide = 2 mg Semaglutide
So, if you are on a 0.25 mg per week dose for four weeks followed by 0.5 mg per week, your first pen will last for six weeks (0.25 mg x 4 weeks = 1 mg + 0.5 mg x 2 weeks = 1 mg)
Six weeks is the maximum shelf-life of one injection. The manufacturer does not recommend continuing the 0.25 mg dose weekly for 8 weeks because the drug disintegrates after six weeks.
So, although 0.25 mg is only recommended for the first four weeks, you can extend the 0.25 mg dose to a maximum of six weeks. After six weeks, the manufacturer recommends discarding the pen.
The usual maintenance dose of Ozempic is 0.5 mg per week. So, one Ozempic pen will last for four weeks maximum.
One Ozempic pen = 2 mg = 0.5 mg per week x 4
If you are on the maximum dose of 1 mg, you should buy the two-pen carton which will last for four weeks.
One Ozempic pen = 2 mg = 1 mg per week x 2
One Ozempic pen will last for 2 weeks only.
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Ozempic dosing for Weight Loss:
Ozempic is not recommended for weight loss. Wegovy, another formulation of Semaglutide, is recommended for weight loss.
Ozempic and Wegovy are the same drugs but the strengths of the drug are different. Both are Semaglutide injections administered weekly.
If you have been prescribed Semaglutide for weight loss, you have to initiate treatment as per the following schedule:
Number of weeks | Weekly Dose | Treatment |
| Week 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg per week for 4 weeks | Dose Escalation period |
| Week 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg per week for 4 weeks | |
| Week 9 to 12 | 1 mg per week for 4 weeks | |
| Week 13 to 16 | 1.7 mg per week for 4 weeks | |
| Week 17 and onwards | 2.4 mg per week – to continue | Maintenance Dose |
Wegovy is provided in different formulations and strengths. Since the dose required for weight loss is high, each carton provided by Novo Nordisk contains 4 pens.
Unlike Ozempic, which is available in a single dosage strength of 2 mg/1.5 mg, Wegovy is provided in different concentrations as tabulated below:
Total Strength per Total Volume | Dose per Pen | Number of Pens Provided | Total Duration of Treatment |
| 0.25 mg/0.5 mL | 1 dose of 0.25 mg | 4 pens | 4 weeks |
| 0.5 mg/0.5 mL | 1 dose of 0.5 mg | 4 pens | 4 weeks |
| 1 mg/0.5 mL | 1 dose of 1 mg | 4 pens | 4 weeks |
| 1.7 mg/0.75 mL | 1 dose of 1.7 mg | 4 pens | 4 weeks |
| 2.4 mg/0.75 mL | 1 dose of 2.4 mg | 4 pens | 4 weeks and continued |
The maximum dose of Semaglutide, Wegovy, for Obesity, is 2.4 mg weekly. One should also keep an eye on the blood glucose and side effects of Semaglutide while on high-dose Semaglutide.
