GLP-1 receptor agonist · studied for weight loss, type 2 diabetes blood sugar, cardiovascular risk reduction, fatty liver (MASH)

Semaglutide dosage

Semaglutide is the GLP-1 agonist sold as Wegovy and Ozempic. The FDA label starts everyone at 0.25 mg once a week and steps up every 4 weeks: 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, then 2.4 mg. Ozempic tops out at 2 mg, Wegovy at 2.4 mg, and the Wegovy label now allows 7.2 mg for people who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks. Research vials follow the same milligram ladder, so the only new skill is turning mg into syringe units for your vial.

By the Peptide Calculations editors · Updated 2026-10-19

0.25 mg to 2.4 mgper week

Basis: FDA label. Wegovy: 0.25 mg start, escalate every 4 weeks, maintenance 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (2.4 mg recommended)

How often: once weekly
When: same day each week, any time of day, with or without food; the day can be moved if at least 2 days separate doses
How long: continuous while in use; the pivotal trials ran 68 weeks and weight returns when it is stopped
Route: subcutaneous, abdomen, thigh, or upper arm; rotate sites
Storage: pens: refrigerate at 2 to 8 C before first use, then 56 days at room temperature or in the fridge (FDA label); lyophilized research vials: fridge or freezer; reconstituted: fridge, commonly used within 4 weeks (commonly reported)

Dose ranges by source

Range	Per	Basis	Note
0.25 mg to 2.4 mg	week	FDA label	Wegovy: 0.25 mg start, escalate every 4 weeks, maintenance 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (2.4 mg recommended)
0.25 mg to 2 mg	week	FDA label	Ozempic: 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; maintenance 0.5, 1 or 2 mg; 2 mg is the maximum
7.2 mg	week	FDA label	Wegovy HD maximum, only after tolerating 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks and when more weight reduction is clinically indicated
0.25 mg to 2.5 mg	week	commonly reported	compounded and research-vial users typically copy the label ladder; most settle between 1 mg and 2.4 mg

Titration schedule

Step up on this schedule; stay a step longer if side effects are rough.

Weeks	Dose
1-4	0.25 mg
5-8	0.5 mg
9-12	1 mg
13-16	1.7 mg
17 onward	2.4 mg maintenance (1.7 mg if 2.4 mg is not tolerated; 7.2 mg only after 4+ weeks at 2.4 mg)

Semaglutide dose to units chart

5 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water = 2.5 mg/mL (25 mcg per unit on a U-100 insulin syringe). 5 mg + 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL, so 0.25 mg = 0.1 mL = 10 units; 0.5 mg = 20 units, 1 mg = 40 units, 2.4 mg = 96 units. A 10 mg vial with 4 mL gives the same numbers.

Dose	mL	Units (U-100)	Doses per vial
250 mcg	0.1	10	20
500 mcg	0.2	20	10
1 mg	0.4	40	5
1.7 mg	0.68	68	2
2 mg	0.8	80	2
2.4 mg	0.96	96	2
2.5 mg	1	100	2

Different vial or water? Full 5 mg + 2 mL table or set your own numbers below.

Commonly stacked with

Cagrilintide 0.3 mg to 4.5 mg

Side effects

nausea
diarrhea
vomiting
constipation
abdominal pain
headache
fatigue
dyspepsia
dizziness
bloating
burping
reflux
hair loss
hypoglycemia when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas

Before you start. The label carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, so anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 should not use it. It is also flagged for pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney injury from dehydration, and should be stopped before a planned pregnancy. The FDA has logged overdoses of 5 to 20 times the intended dose from people confusing units, mL and mg on compounded vials, so check your vial concentration before every draw. Not medical advice; start at 0.25 mg and talk to a clinician.

Semaglutide dosage questions

How many units of semaglutide should I take?

Units depend on your vial concentration, not on the drug. With a 5 mg vial reconstituted in 2 mL you have 2.5 mg/mL, so the 0.25 mg starting dose is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe and 1 mg is 40 units. If your vial is 10 mg in 2 mL the same 0.25 mg is 5 units. Work it out for your vial before you draw.

What is the semaglutide dosing schedule?

The FDA label is 0.25 mg weekly for weeks 1 to 4, 0.5 mg for weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg for weeks 9 to 12, 1.7 mg for weeks 13 to 16, then 2.4 mg from week 17 for Wegovy. Ozempic stops at 0.5, 1 or 2 mg. If a step is rough, the label says to hold at the current dose another 4 weeks.

Can I start semaglutide at 0.5 mg?

The label says no. Both Wegovy and Ozempic start at 0.25 mg for 4 weeks because that step is there to cut nausea and vomiting, not to lose weight. Skipping it is the most common reason people quit in the first month.

What is the max dose of semaglutide?

Ozempic is capped at 2 mg weekly. Wegovy maintenance is 2.4 mg, and the 2026 label allows 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD) only for adults who tolerated 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks and need more weight reduction. Nobody should jump to 7.2 mg from a research vial on their own.

How long does a 5 mg vial of semaglutide last?

At the 0.25 mg starting dose a 5 mg vial holds 20 doses, about 5 months. At 1 mg it is 5 weeks, and at 2.4 mg it is 2 weeks. Reconstituted vials are commonly kept in the fridge and used within about 4 weeks, so a 5 mg vial is a poor fit for the starting weeks unless you reconstitute a smaller amount.

Sources

Brands we recommend for Semaglutide. We are independent and have no affiliation with any brand: no affiliate links, no referral codes, no paid placements. These are the suppliers whose testing and certificates hold up when we check them.

Licensed Peptides two accredited labs on every lot, certificates public, card and Apple Pay checkout
Core Peptides long track record, public certificates, wide catalog
Ascension Peptides public third-party testing, clear pricing

This page is an educational summary of published labels, trials and commonly reported use. It is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician.