How long can you take semaglutide for weight loss?

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the brand-name drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. It’s designed for long-term use to support weight loss and help manage chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. As for how long you can take semaglutide? Well, that depends on various factors and varies from person to person. 

For some people, semaglutide may be a lifelong treatment for chronic health conditions. For others, it may be something they take for a shorter period of time (think: a few months to a few years). 

Keep reading to learn what the science says about how long you can take semaglutide for weight loss, type 2 diabetes, and other health conditions — plus, how long it takes to work and potential long-term effects. 

There is no official timeline for how long you can take semaglutide for weight loss. Since it’s typically prescribed for managing chronic conditions like obesity and overweight-related health conditions, semaglutide is usually taken long-term. 

A chronic condition is one that lasts a long time — often for years or even a lifetime. Because stopping semaglutide typically leads to some degree of weight regain, many people continue treatment to maintain their results and protect against weight-related health risks.

While older weight loss drugs are only safe short-term, semaglutide is designed for long-term use. Studies show that it’s generally well-tolerated and effective for at least four years. 

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop taking it once you reach that four-year mark. As long as semaglutide continues to help you lose weight (or keep it off), you and your healthcare provider may decide you should keep taking it. 

It’s worth noting that semaglutide is still a relatively new drug. It was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. So, we still don’t know all the possible long-term effects of taking the drug.

That said, semaglutide was initially developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, which is a chronic condition that may require taking medication for life. Studies are ongoing to see the effects of taking semaglutide for up to 10 years.

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Wegovy is the higher-strength version of semaglutide that is FDA-approved for weight loss. (While Ozempic may be prescribed off-label for weight loss, it’s not specifically approved for it.) 

Studies of long-term use of Wegovy can give us an idea of how long you can take semaglutide for weight loss. These studies, ranging from 1.5 to 4 years, show that semaglutide remains safe and effective to take long-term. 

For example:

• After one and a half years of taking semaglutide, people lost nearly 15% of their body weight, or nearly 34 pounds. They also reported better physical functioning and saw more improvement in cardiometabolic health (e.g. lower waist size, blood pressure, and cholesterol) compared with those taking a placebo.

• After two years of taking semaglutide, people lost 15% of their body weight. More than half of the participants lost even more weight than that, and 77% lost at least 5% of their starting body weight. 

• After three+ years of taking semaglutide, people lost about 10% of their body weight. They also experienced significant reductions in their blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall cardiovascular risk. 

• After four years of taking semaglutide, people lost 10% of their body weight and shaved 3 inches off their waistlines. The majority of the weight loss occurred in the first year and a half. After that, the drug helped people keep the weight off.

For type 2 diabetes, semaglutide may be prescribed as a long-term or lifelong medication. That’s because type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that generally requires ongoing treatment. 

Ozempic (injectable semaglutide) and Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) are FDA-approved for managing type 2 diabetes, along with healthy lifestyle changes.

Stopping semaglutide would mean losing its blood sugar–lowering effects, which is key for preventing complications from diabetes. Semaglutide is safe and effective at lowering blood sugar levels on a long-term basis, according to studies lasting between 0.5–2 years. 

Some reasons you might stop taking semaglutide include:

• Your tolerance for side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain are common side effects of semaglutide, especially in the first 8–12 weeks. While they usually improve with time, about 1 in 10 people ultimately stop taking semaglutide due to side effects.

• How well the drug is working for you: Some people are “non-responders” to semaglutide, meaning that the drug doesn’t adequately lower their body weight or blood sugar levels. If you’re not losing weight in the first few months of taking semaglutide, your healthcare provider may suggest switching to another GLP-1.

• You want to get pregnant: Semaglutide should not be taken while pregnant or breastfeeding. It should be stopped at least two months before trying to conceive.

• You’ve developed some new health conditions: If you develop certain health conditions, such as thyroid cancer, your provider may recommend you stop taking semaglutide, since it’s not recommended for people with those conditions.

• Your budget or insurance coverage: Semaglutide can be expensive, and not all insurance plans cover it. Some people stop taking semaglutide due to financial reasons. (That said, you can get Wegovy for just $499/month when paying with cash through Ro.) 

• You’ve reached your health goals: If you’ve hit your target body weight, you and your healthcare provider may agree that it’s safe for you to stop taking semaglutide. But studies show that some of the body weight tends to return within a year after stopping. Talk with your provider to create a plan for maintaining your results with healthy habits and regular follow-up. 

Point being: While the current research suggests that semaglutide is safe to take on a long-term basis, not everyone will need — or want — to take it forever. 

According to research and before and after stories, most people notice changes within the first few weeks to months of taking semaglutide. 

While semaglutide starts working soon after you take it, you won’t see results immediately. That’s because it takes time to ramp up to your maintenance dosage of semaglutide: at least 1 month with Rybelsus and up to 4-5 months with Ozempic and Wegovy. 

People usually lose about 2% of their body weight in the first month of taking semaglutide. By three months, their blood sugar levels tend to be significantly lower, and they’ve lost an average of about 11 pounds. By that time, they're also usually eating significantly less, feel less hungry, and have fewer cravings for junky or fatty foods.

Both the injectable and oral forms of semaglutide have a half-life of about one week. This means it takes about 5–7 weeks after your last dose of semaglutide for the drug to fully leave your system. 

So far, studies show semaglutide is generally safe for long-term use. Still, there are some risks to be aware of when taking semaglutide long-term. Namely, research suggests a link between the risk of gallbladder issues, including gallstones, and longer treatment durations (over 26 weeks). 

Also, serious side effects can occur on semaglutide, regardless of how long you’re taking it. Be sure to share your full personal and family medical history with your healthcare provider so they can determine if semaglutide may be safe for you.

You don’t have to take semaglutide forever. Whether or not you continue to take semaglutide is a decision you’ll make with your healthcare provider based on factors such as your tolerance of the medication and results. 

If you take semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, obesity, or weight-related health conditions, the drug may be a lifelong therapy. Because these conditions tend to be long-term, the treatments used to control them are often long-term too.

For weight loss, some people may stop treatment once they reach their target weight, and others may continue taking it to help keep the weight off. Studies show that people may regain up to two-thirds of the weight they lost after stopping semaglutide. 

Again, you and your provider can decide how long you continue to take semaglutide, if at all. 

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How long you take semaglutide depends on your health goals and your response to the medication, among other factors. Remember: There’s no official time limit for how long you can stay on the medication. 

• According to research, semaglutide is typically safe to take for at least four years for weight loss. 

• For chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes or obesity, semaglutide may be a lifelong treatment. 

• Many people tend to regain some weight after stopping semaglutide, which is why some continue to take it long-term. 

• Studies thus far suggest semaglutide is generally safe for long-term use, though it’s been linked to a higher risk of gallbladder issues with longer use. 

• How long you stay on semaglutide is a decision you can make with your healthcare provider.