Semaglutide dosages generally range from 0.25 mg to 1.0 mg per week via injection into subcutaneous tissue (e.g., belly fat). If you aren’t a fan of needles, oral semaglutide also exists.

I know it’s easy to think “I’ll get better/quicker results if I inject more!” However, this is flawed logic that doesn’t work with androgenic-anabolic steroids and certainly not with peptides. My general advice is to use the least amount necessary to stimulate results. Taking too little of a peptide will result in you wasting money, but taking too much often results in the exacerbation of negative side effects.

I urge higher caution when dosing Semaglutide, as it has a half-life of 7 days. This means that if you take too much, you may find yourself in a rough situation for the next week due to worsened side effects.

I created the Peptide Dosage Calculator to help calculate your dose.

Semaglutide offers substantial benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, providing superior glycemic control through its action as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Clinical trials have demonstrated that it significantly reduces HbA1c levels, with many patients achieving target levels below 7%. Beyond improving blood sugar control, semaglutide promotes significant weight loss, with patients typically losing 5-15% of their body weight depending on the dosage and formulation. This dual action addresses two critical aspects of metabolic health simultaneously. Additionally, semaglutide has shown cardiovascular benefits, reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in people with established cardiovascular disease. Its once-weekly dosing (for injectable forms) represents a significant convenience advantage over medications requiring daily administration, potentially improving treatment adherence.

The benefits of semaglutide extend beyond glycemic control and weight management. The medication has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve lipid profiles, contributing to overall cardiometabolic health improvement. For patients with obesity, the substantial weight loss achieved with semaglutide treatment is associated with improvements in obesity-related complications, including sleep apnea, joint pain, and mobility limitations. Research suggests semaglutide may have beneficial effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), which frequently co-occurs with obesity and diabetes. While gastrointestinal side effects can occur, particularly during initial treatment and dose escalation, these typically diminish over time for most patients. The development of both injectable and oral formulations has expanded treatment options, allowing healthcare providers to tailor therapy to individual patient preferences and needs. For many patients, the comprehensive health benefits and convenience of semaglutide make it a valuable treatment option for managing complex metabolic disorders.

As with any medication, Semaglutide does come with certain risks and potential side effects. Some of these include injection site reactions such as redness, swelling, or itching at the site where the medication is administered. Additionally, there have been rare reports of pancreatitis and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) associated with the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Semaglutide.

In clinical trials, patients treated with Semaglutide reported a relatively low rate of adverse events compared to placebo. In most cases, the benefits of using this medication for diabetes management or weight loss outweigh the risks when used under medical supervision and in accordance with prescribed guidelines. However, it is important for individuals considering the use of Semaglutide to discuss their options with healthcare professionals and weigh the potential risks and benefits based on their personal state of health.

Research can teach us a lot about the benefits and safety profile of a peptide. I encourage you to thoroughly research any peptide you are interested in exploring, and semaglutide is no different. That said, sometimes you have to rely on anecdotal evidence, as research for certain peptides is extremely scarce. Luckily for you, ample research has been performed on semaglutide (and every other GLP peptide)!

Research on semaglutide has been extensive across two major domains: weight management through the STEP program and diabetes treatment through the SUSTAIN trials. For obesity, the landmark STEP 1 trial demonstrated a mean weight reduction of 14.9% compared to 2.4% with placebo over 68 weeks, while recent STEP UP trials have shown even higher doses (7.2 mg) achieving 20.7% average weight reduction. For diabetes management, the comprehensive SUSTAIN clinical trial program evaluated semaglutide in over 8,000 patients across the diabetes care spectrum, consistently demonstrating superior glycemic control with HbA1c reductions of approximately 1.5% and weight loss of around 4.5 kg compared to various active comparators, including sitagliptin, exenatide, and insulin glargine. Importantly, the SUSTAIN-6 cardiovascular outcomes trial confirmed not only cardiovascular safety but also demonstrated significant reductions in major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke) in high-risk diabetes patients. Recent meta-analyses of 17 trials with 14,940 diabetes patients have confirmed semaglutide's consistent efficacy in HbA1c reduction and weight loss across diverse populations, establishing it as a leading treatment for both diabetes management and obesity.

The reality is that both diabetes and obesity significantly increase the likelihood of cardiac events, such as heart attack or stroke. Managing your blood sugar and blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight are vital to longevity.

If you have a qualifying condition, such as diabetes, your insurance may cover an auto-injector of Semaglutide in the form of Wegovy or Ozempic. Your second best option would be to purchase Semaglutide from a compounding pharmacy. Otherwise, you can purchase Semaglutide online at a peptides provider.