How long does Wegovy stay in your system?

If you’re considering Wegovy for weight loss, you’ve probably asked your prescriber how long it takes for Wegovy to work. But there’s a natural follow-up question: How long does Wegovy stay in your system? 

The short answer is that small amounts of Wegovy can stay in your system for several weeks, but noticeable effects of the drug typically wear off sooner. 

Keep reading to learn more about how long Wegovy stays in your system, Wegovy’s half-life, and how (if at all) to get Wegovy out of your system faster.

Wegovy stays in your system for 5–7 weeks after your last dose, says Cynthia Odogwu, MD, a board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician. 

But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel it in your body for that long. As the drug is gradually eliminated, the effects taper off, too.

The active ingredient in Wegovy, semaglutide, has a relatively long half-life of approximately one week. This means half the dose remains in your bloodstream after one week. After two weeks, half of the remaining dose — 25% of the original amount — remains, and so on. 

Wegovy is intended to be taken once per week to keep the drug at a relatively steady level in your system. Once you stop taking this weight loss medication, the drug’s concentration — and thus, its effects — generally diminish by 50% every week.

An important note: Wegovy is not considered safe to use while pregnant. Though the medication is cleared from your system 5–7 weeks after dosing, the prescribing information recommends stopping it two months before trying to get pregnant, just to be safe. 

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How long does 0.25 Wegovy stay in your system?

A 0.25 mg dose of Wegovy takes 5-7 weeks to fully clear from your system, just like any other dose of the drug. 

“I tell patients that how long Wegovy lasts in the body does not change so much by dosage — it is metabolized by the body the same way,” says Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified general surgeon and bariatric surgeon.

In a way, yes, Wegovy can build up in your system since it’s not eliminated immediately. 

According to Dr. Odogwu, the goal is for Wegovy to build up to a steady level in your body. After each dose, your body gradually eliminates semaglutide, and the next full dose “tops it up.” So, the overall amount of Wegovy increases over several weeks before stabilizing. 

That being said, there’s no evidence that Wegovy accumulates and gets stored for later. As soon as you stop taking Wegovy, your body begins a sustained, week-by-week process of eliminating it completely. 

Every body eliminates Wegovy 5–7 weeks after the last dose. But exactly how long Wegovy stays in your system may depend on your body mass index (BMI) and other health conditions.

• Your body mass index (BMI). Research shows that body composition — specifically, the ratio of fat mass to lean body weight — can impact how a drug is absorbed and eliminated from the body. In some cases, people with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more) eliminate drugs a bit more slowly than people with a lower BMI. Meaning, Wegovy might stick around just a little bit longer in people with obesity.

• Age. Older age can slightly slow down how your body processes drugs, so Wegovy may take slightly longer to clear from the bodies of older adults. This difference is usually small and not significant enough to adjust dosing.

• Kidney or liver function. Since the body clears semaglutide through the kidneys and liver, impaired function of these organs could slow the process. One study showed that people with severe kidney dysfunction who took semaglutide had a higher exposure to the medication, possibly because the drug stayed in their systems for longer.

It’s a good idea to speak with your healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about how long Wegovy stays in your system to get guidance tailored to your personal situation.

If you want to stop taking Wegovy because of unpleasant side effects, you’re probably wondering how to get Wegovy out of your system faster. Unfortunately, the experts interviewed say there’s no way to speed up how fast your body flushes out Wegovy. But there are ways to alleviate side effects like nausea and constipation while you wait. 

“Some things that I have seen help patients deal with the side effects of Wegovy are anti-nausea medicines, increasing fiber intake, maintaining adequate hydration, and modifying their diet to include nutrient-rich foods,” Dr. Odogwu says.

How long does it take for side effects to go away after stopping Wegovy?

Most people notice side effects fading one week after their last Wegovy dose, says Dr. Ali. Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects could go away even sooner since they tend to be strongest in the first couple of days after your injection. 

Your dose may have a slight impact on how many days it takes for side effects to disappear after stopping Wegovy. If you’re on a higher dose of Wegovy —  1.7 mg or 2.4 mg doses, for instance — it might take longer for side effects to fade. But that’s because you had more in your system to begin with, not because the drug is clearing at a slower pace. 

First, don’t stop taking Wegovy without consulting your healthcare provider. If together you decide that getting Wegovy out of your system is right for you, follow their instructions and check in if you experience any new or worsening side effects.

Once you stop Wegovy, you can expect the medication’s effects to taper off over several weeks, says Dr. Odogwu. 

You’ll probably notice returning food cravings and “food noise” (persistent and intrusive thoughts about food). Wegovy works by slowing the rate at which food moves through your gut and suppressing appetite. 

Stopping treatment may be like a return to your baseline appetite. Weight regain is not a guarantee, but it is common: One study found that after one year off Wegovy, participants had regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost while taking the medication. 

Of course, Wegovy side effects also fade when you stop the medication. That’s good news if you’ve struggled with nausea, constipation, or diarrhea since starting this GLP-1.

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Whether you’re considering starting Wegovy or talking to your healthcare provider about quitting it, it’s normal to wonder, “Exactly how long does Wegovy stay in your system?” The answer: weeks. As for how long until you stop feeling the effects of Wegovy? That’s a gradual process, and it may depend on factors like your BMI, your age, and other underlying conditions.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Wegovy has a half-life of one week. It takes seven days for just 50% of your dose to be eliminated from your system. It will take 5–7 weeks for the medication to dissipate completely. 

• Most people notice Wegovy’s effects (both therapeutic effects and side effects) fading a week or two after their last dose. Even if there’s still some Wegovy in your system, it might not be enough to reduce cravings and suppress appetite — and it probably won’t cause nausea, constipation, or other side effects.

• Other factors may impact how long Wegovy stays in your system. Your BMI, age, and health conditions like kidney or liver impairment may play a role in how long it takes for Wegovy to be fully eliminated from your body.

• If you want to quit Wegovy, talk to your prescriber. A healthcare provider can offer personalized medical advice, help rule out underlying conditions, and potentially identify a better weight loss treatment for you. When in doubt or if you are experiencing severe side effects, never hesitate to seek emergency medical attention.