Who can consider a semaglutide treatment?

In the EU it is indicated as an adjunct in adults with BMI ≥ 30, or ≥ 27 with metabolic comorbidities. It is not a cosmetic treatment: the licensed doctor reviews your history, current medication and goals before deciding whether it is safe for you.

What are the most common side effects?

Mild nausea, bloating and constipation, especially when starting or increasing the dose. Most settle within 1–2 weeks. Serious effects are uncommon; your doctor explains red flags and how to reach them through the private in-app chat.

How long does it take to work and how is it monitored?

The dose is escalated over 16 weeks. Appetite changes typically appear in 2–4 weeks; clinically meaningful weight loss is assessed at 3 months. Our doctors follow up quarterly before renewing the prescription.

What happens if I stop taking semaglutide?

Weight tends to come back. This was measured directly in the STEP 4 trial. Everyone in it spent 20 weeks building up to the 2.4 mg dose, then half continued and half were switched to a dummy injection. Over the following 48 weeks the group who continued lost a further 7.9% of body weight on average, while the group who stopped regained 6.9%. That is a gap of 14.8 percentage points. Semaglutide is therefore used as a long-term treatment rather than a short course, and any decision to stop should be discussed with the prescribing doctor.

How long does semaglutide take to work?

The full dose is not reached until week 17. The product information sets out a deliberate 16-week build-up, starting at 0.25 mg and stepping up every four weeks, purely to reduce nausea and other stomach side effects. Some people notice reduced appetite during those early weeks, but the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg only begins afterwards. The pivotal STEP 1 trial measured its main result at 68 weeks, which is around 16 months, so this is measured in months rather than weeks. Your prescriber may slow the build-up further if side effects are troublesome.

Can I drink alcohol while taking semaglutide?

NHS guidance advises avoiding alcohol, because it can worsen side effects such as feeling or being sick. Nausea is the most frequently reported side effect of semaglutide, affecting more than one in ten people, and it is most noticeable during the dose build-up when the stomach is already adjusting. Alcohol also adds calories that work against a reduced-calorie diet, and it can affect blood sugar, which matters more if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea. If you drink regularly, raise it with the prescribing doctor rather than deciding alone.

Can I get a consultation for Wegovy from Gijón?

Yes. Hi-Doctor runs 100 % online across the EU, so if you live in Gijón you can fill in the questionnaire and receive the medical review without travelling. The electronic prescription issued by the licensed doctor is valid in any EU pharmacy under Directive 2011/24/EU; in Spain it is dispensed directly from the prescription QR.

Who is a candidate for a medical weight-management programme?

Adults with BMI ≥ 30, or ≥ 27 with comorbidities (hypertension, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia). The doctor reviews your history, current medication and goals before proposing any treatment. It is not a cosmetic programme.

What is the private electronic prescription and why is it valid across the EU?

The private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Privada Electrónica) is issued by a licensed doctor in Spain. It is a PDF carrying every field required by EU Directive 2011/24/EU (patient, prescriber with country of registration, active ingredient, dose), which makes it legally recognised across all 27 EU member states. In Spanish pharmacies it is dispensed from the QR; outside Spain, the pharmacist dispenses the locally marketed equivalent of the same active ingredient.

How does Hi-Doctor work step by step?

1) Fill in an online medical questionnaire in about 4 minutes. 2) The plan is €25/month for weight loss or €15/month (billed €45 every 90 days) for hair growth; sexual health is €35 per consultation and a skin consultation is €40. 3) An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and, if appropriate, issues an electronic prescription. 4) Collect it at any EU pharmacy. If the review is not approved, the applicable fee is refunded in full.

How much does it cost and what does the price include?

The plan is €25/month for weight loss or €15/month (billed €45 every 90 days) for hair growth; a one-off sexual-health consultation is €35 and a skin consultation — acne, rosacea, melasma, ageing skin — is €40. Each includes a licensed doctor's review and an electronic prescription if approved. If the review is not approved, the applicable fee is refunded in full. Medication is paid for separately at the pharmacy at the price it sets.

Wegovy · GijónPrescription only

Online medical consultation for Wegovy in Gijón.

An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and, if eligible, issues an electronic prescription valid in any pharmacy in Spain. Consultation €25/month, refunded if the doctor decides it is not safe to prescribe.

Wegovy pack shot — a prescription medicine an EU-licensed doctor can prescribe online after a Hi-Doctor consultation in Gijón.

Taken just once a week
Curbs appetite and cravings
Studied in large clinical trials for weight loss

Start consultationStart consultation · €25/month

Full refund if a review is not approved · Medication, if prescribed, is dispensed and paid for separately at a pharmacy.

IN PLAIN TERMS

What Wegovy is, and how to get treatment

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a once-weekly injection for weight management. It copies GLP-1, a gut hormone that signals fullness to your brain and slows how quickly your stomach empties. It is authorised across the EU and is prescribed by licensed doctors when clinically appropriate.

Wegovy has been authorised for use in the EU since 6 January 2022, so a licensed doctor can prescribe it when it is clinically appropriate for you.

Learn more about peptides at Peptidepedia.

Can I get it?

Yes, if a doctor decides it is right for you. Wegovy is authorised in the EU and can be prescribed after a medical review.

What can I take instead?

Our doctors review every Weight loss option and recommend what fits your history and goals.

See all Weight loss options

What do the studies show?

Every trial behind Wegovy is listed below with its registry number, how many people took part, and whether the results are peer-reviewed or a company announcement.

Jump to the studies

Local consultation facts

Can I get Wegovy in Gijón?

Yes. People in Gijón, Spain, can request an online doctor consultation about Wegovy with Hi-Doctor. A licensed EU doctor reviews the case and issues a prescription only when clinically appropriate. If approved, the electronic prescription arrives as a QR code that can be dispensed directly in Spain.

Availability

Wegovy is available to residents of Spain through the online consultation. A prescription follows only if the doctor approves it.

Country: Spain
Language of service: Spanish and English
Prescription turnaround: In less than 4 hours on average, only if the doctor approves
Honoured locally: QR electronic prescription, dispensed directly in Spain

How the EU prescription works where you are: In Spain, an approved prescription arrives electronically with a QR code for direct dispensing.

VERIFIED EVIDENCE

Wegovy: evidence and regulatory guide.

Wegovy contains semaglutide, an EU-authorised prescription medicine. The data below separate its regulatory status from the pivotal trial result.

WHAT IT IS

How it works

Semaglutide is a once-weekly agonist that activates the GLP-1 receptor.

GLP-1

DEVELOPMENT STAGE

EU-authorised medicine

The EMA marketing authorisation has been valid across the EU since 6 January 2022 under EMEA/H/C/005422.

Trial register1 registered trials

Every NCT identifier links to its ClinicalTrials.gov record. A readout is not the same as peer-reviewed publication.

Registered trials for Wegovy
TRIAL / NCT	POPULATION	PARTICIPANTS	STATUS	READOUT / COMPLETION
STEP 1NCT03548935	Obesity or overweight without diabetes	1,961	Read out	2021

What the studies reported

Results are grouped by source and evidence grade so journal data and manufacturer announcements cannot be confused.

Peer-reviewed

STEP 1, NEJM 2021;384(11):989-1002 · DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

STEP 1, NEJM 2021;384(11):989-1002 · DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
DOSE OR GROUP	MEAN WEIGHT CHANGE	WEEKS
Semaglutide 2.4 mg	−14.9%	68
Placebo	−2.4%	68

Peer-reviewed STEP 1, N=1,961, 68 weeks. Adults with type 2 diabetes were excluded.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-27

FormPre-filled injection pen

FrequencyOnce a week

ResultsGradual, over ~16 weeks

StatusPrescription only

About

What is Wegovy?

Active ingredient: Semaglutide · Dosages: 0.25 – 2.4 mg / week

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist — a medication that mimics a natural hormone your gut releases after eating. It reduces appetite, slows gastric emptying and helps maintain sustained weight loss when combined with supervised nutrition and activity changes.

It's prescribed alongside changes to diet and activity, as part of a medically supervised plan — not on its own, and not as a shortcut. A licensed EU doctor decides whether it's appropriate and safe for you.

How it works in the body

Semaglutide may reduce appetite and slow how quickly your stomach empties, so you tend to feel full sooner and eat less. Effects build gradually and vary from person to person.

How it helps

Three ways it supports weight loss.

Eases appetite

Acts on hunger signals, so many people feel satisfied with less food.

Slows digestion

Food stays in your stomach longer, so you tend to feel full for longer.

Part of a plan

Prescribed alongside support for diet and activity — never as a standalone fix.

What to expect

A gradual, supervised start.

The dose is increased slowly over 16 weeks to help your body adjust and to ease side effects. Your doctor sets your exact schedule.

Weeks 1–4 · Lowest dose
Weeks 5–16 · Step up gradually
Month 4+ · Maintenance dose
Ongoing · Regular check-ins

Typical escalation

Weeks 1–40.25 mg / week
Weeks 5–80.5 mg / week
Weeks 9–121 mg / week
Weeks 13–161.7 mg / week
Maintenanceup to 2.4 mg / week

Your schedule is personal

These are typical steps only. Your doctor adjusts the plan to how you respond and tolerate it — and you can message them at any point.

Safety first

Safety, in full.

Wegovy is an effective medicine — and like any medicine it carries risks. Your doctor screens for all of this before prescribing. Here's the honest picture, not just reassurance.

Adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) or with overweight (BMI ≥27) plus at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidaemia.

Once-weekly self-injection in the thigh, abdomen or upper arm.
Dose is escalated gradually (0.25 mg → 0.5 → 1.0 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg) over 16 weeks to limit gastrointestinal side effects.
Combined with diet and physical activity — semaglutide is not a substitute for lifestyle change.

Who should not take it

Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2).
Pregnancy, planned pregnancy in the next 2 months, or breastfeeding.
History of pancreatitis or active pancreatic disease.
Type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis — semaglutide is not approved here.
Severe gastroparesis or chronic severe gastrointestinal disease.

When to seek urgent care

For severe, sudden or unexpected symptoms, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department. Then let your doctor know through your account chat.

Read the full Wegovy safety summary

PRICING

You only pay if treatment is approved.

€25/month for weight loss or €15/month (billed €45 every 90 days) for hair growth. One-off consultations are €35 for sexual health and €40 for dermatology.