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Semaglutide maintenance dose: the label’s dose, going lower, and stopping
Medically reviewed by the NexLife clinical team, led by Adam Kennah, MD · Updated
Wegovy’s label sets maintenance at 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg weekly, up to 7.2 mg; nothing lower is labeled for after your goal. Your provider sets your plan; at NexLife, every dose costs the same: $119 a month on the 12-month plan, or $139 month to month.
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- Label maintenance: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, once a week
- Nothing lower is labeled for keeping weight off
- Holding, adjusting or stopping: a provider decision
$119/mo on a 12-month plan, all-inclusive, same price at every dose
Or $139/mo month to month
Lower dose or higher: your price stays the same
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See all 4 plans and what a year costs
| Plan | Per month | 12 months at this rate |
|---|---|---|
| 12-month Lowest monthly price | $119 | $1,428 |
| 6-month | $125 | $1,500 |
| 3-month | $132 | $1,584 |
| Month to month | $139 | $1,668 |
Month to month costs $240 more over 12 months than the 12-month plan. Plans renew until you cancel. Longer plans bill the way you choose at checkout.
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Key takeaways
- Two meanings, one label. The label’s maintenance dose is the long-term dose you reach after the steps: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg a week, 2.4 mg recommended. A lower “keep it off” dose isn’t on Wegovy’s label.
- More is possible on the brand label. If 2.4 mg has been tolerated for at least 4 weeks and more loss is clinically indicated, the dose may go up to 7.2 mg a week, sold as Wegovy HD.
- Weekly means weekly. Every Wegovy shot dose is once a week, and the pill is once a day. Spacing doses out isn’t in the label; ask your provider before changing anything.
- Stopping is a decision to plan. Wegovy is approved to keep weight off long term, and the label sets no schedule for stopping. If you’re thinking about it, talk it through with your provider first.
- At NexLife, your dose doesn’t set your price: $119 a month on the 12-month plan, or $139 month to month. Twelve months on the 12-month plan come to $1,428, whatever your dose.
Two meanings
What does “maintenance dose” mean?
People use it for two different things, and only one of them is on the label.
The label’s maintenance dose
The dose you stay on after the starting steps, from week 17: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once a week for weight, with 2.4 mg recommended. Your provider picks it by how you respond and how well you tolerate it.
A lower “keep it off” dose
A smaller dose after you reach your goal, to hold your weight there. No FDA label sets one for semaglutide, and none of the trials in Wegovy’s label tested one.
Why the difference matters. The label’s doses come with trial results behind them. A dose below them after your goal is a judgment call without that evidence, so it needs a clear plan for watching your weight.
The label
What Wegovy’s label says, dose by dose
The shot steps up every 4 weeks, then holds. Here’s the schedule for adults using it for weight.
| Weeks | Weekly dose | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg | The starting dose |
| 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg | A step up |
| 9 to 12 | 1 mg | A step up |
| 13 to 16 | 1.7 mg | A step up |
| 17 on | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg | Maintenance, 2.4 mg recommended |
| After 4 or more weeks at 2.4 mgif more loss is clinically indicated | Up to 7.2 mg | The maximum (Wegovy HD) |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
From the Wegovy prescribing information (revised June 2026), Table 1 and section 2.2, read October 27, 2026. If a step isn’t tolerated, the label says to consider waiting 4 weeks before the next one.
How the dose is chosen. The label says to consider your response and how you tolerate the dose when choosing between 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg.
Other uses, other lines. For ages 12 and up, the maintenance dose is 2.4 mg, or 1.7 mg, and 7.2 mg isn’t established for them. To lower heart risk in adults, it’s 2.4 mg, or 1.7 mg.
The Wegovy pill steps up every 30 days: 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg, then 25 mg once a day from day 91, its maintenance dose. If 25 mg doesn’t agree with you, the label suggests the 1.7 mg shot instead.
Ozempic is different. For blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, its label lists 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg once a week as maintenance doses. It isn’t approved for weight loss.
On compounded semaglutide, your prescription sets your dose and schedule, and your vial’s strength sets the units: see our semaglutide dosage chart.
Stopping
What happens if you stop?
On average, people regained a large share of what they’d lost. Two Wegovy trials measured it.
| STEP 4, after 20 weeks on semaglutide | Weight change, week 20 to week 68 |
|---|---|
| Switched to placebo268 people | +6.9% |
| Stayed on semaglutide 2.4 mg535 people | −7.9% |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Study 5 (STEP 4) in the Wegovy prescribing information (revised June 2026): 902 adults took semaglutide in a 20-week run-in, and the 803 who reached 2.4 mg were split at random, two to one, between staying on it and placebo for 48 weeks. The label notes that people who stopped during the run-in weren’t included, so the results may not reflect people just starting. This trial studied FDA-approved Wegovy; compounded semaglutide wasn’t studied.
A year off treatment, in STEP 1. At week 68, everyone in the trial stopped the shots and the lifestyle program, and its extension followed 327 people from both groups, semaglutide and placebo, for another year. Those who had taken semaglutide had lost 17.3% on average. By week 120 they had regained 11.6 percentage points, about two-thirds of the loss, and were 5.6% below where they started.
The authors’ reading: their findings “suggest ongoing treatment is required to maintain improvements in weight and health.”
An average isn’t a forecast. Some people keep more of the weight off than others. If you plan to stop, make the plan with your provider.
STEP 1 extension figures from its published abstract (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022). These trials studied FDA-approved Wegovy; compounded semaglutide wasn’t studied.
Going lower
Can you go lower after your goal?
Not by the label. Its lowest maintenance dose is 1.7 mg; below that, the doses are starting steps.
- 1 mg, 0.5 mg and 0.25 mg are steps on the way up in Wegovy’s label, not maintenance doses.
- No trial in the label tested stepping down after a goal to hold weight there.
- Microdosing isn’t on the label either.
- If your provider suggests a lower dose, agree on how you’ll track your weight and when you’ll check back in.
- Don’t lower or stop on your own. If side effects are the reason, say so: the label has your provider weigh tolerability when choosing a maintenance dose.
Tirzepatide has a step-down trial. In SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN (2026), people stepped down to a lower labeled dose of tirzepatide. Our tirzepatide maintenance dose guide covers what happened.
Spacing doses
Can you space out doses?
Not by the label: every Wegovy shot is once a week. Spacing doses further apart isn’t in the label, and its trials didn’t test it.
No data either way. Because no trial tested longer gaps, nobody can say how well they keep weight off, or what side effects are like when doses come further apart.
Longer gaps meet the restart rule. After 2 or more missed weekly doses in a row, the label says to restart the dose steps at a lower dose. Here’s how restarting works.
Asking because of cost or side effects? Tell your provider; there may be a better option.
Cost
What does maintenance cost?
It depends on the product. Brand-name Wegovy is priced by form and dose; compounded semaglutide at NexLife is one price at every dose.
| Option | Dose | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy shotbrand-name, self-pay | 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg | $349 |
| Wegovy HD shotbrand-name, self-pay | 7.2 mg | $399 |
| Wegovy pillbrand-name, self-pay | 25 mg or 9 mg | $299 |
| Wegovy pillbrand-name, self-pay | 4 mg | $199 |
| Wegovy pillbrand-name, self-pay | 1.5 mg | $149 |
| Compounded semaglutide at NexLifenot FDA-approved; care and shipping included | Every dose | $119 on the 12-month plan; $139 month to month |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Novo Nordisk’s self-pay prices (wegovy.com), checked October 27, 2026: a month is a box of 4 pens or a bottle of 30 tablets. People new to the Wegovy Savings Offer or NovoCare Pharmacy pay $199 for each of their first 2 fills at 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, through December 31, 2026. Compounded semaglutide isn’t FDA-approved; Wegovy is.
2.4 mg or 1.7 mg? On Novo Nordisk’s list, the shot costs $349 a month either way. On the pill, lower doses cost less: $149 at 1.5 mg against $299 at 25 mg.
On Medicare Part D? If you qualify for Medicare’s
At NexLife, a lower dose doesn’t cost less, and a higher one doesn’t cost more: $119 a month on the 12-month plan, $125 on 6 months, $132 on 3 months or $139 month to month. Over a year on the 12-month plan, that’s $1,428.
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Compounded semaglutide isn’t FDA-approved. A licensed provider prescribes it only when it offers a significant difference for you.
At NexLife
Keeping it off, with NexLife
A licensed provider keeps reviewing your dose, and your monthly price doesn’t change with it.
Dose decisions, made with you
Tell us how it’s going, and a licensed provider decides whether to keep your dose, change it or stop.
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Your plan includes a nutrition plan and a 1:1 coaching call. In Wegovy’s trials, diet and activity support ran alongside the medicine the whole time.
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Semaglutide
Weekly
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Staying on semaglutide: your questions
What is the maintenance dose of semaglutide?
Wegovy’s label sets maintenance at 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg weekly, up to 7.2 mg; nothing lower is labeled for after your goal. For weight, 2.4 mg is the recommended one, and 7.2 mg is an option once 2.4 mg has been tolerated for at least 4 weeks and more loss is clinically indicated. Your provider chooses based on your response and side effects.
Can I go down to 1 mg after reaching my goal?
Not on the label: 1 mg is one of Wegovy’s starting steps, and its lowest maintenance dose is 1.7 mg. No trial in the label tested stepping down to hold weight. If your provider suggests a lower dose, agree on how you’ll watch your weight; don’t lower or stop on your own.
What happens if I stop semaglutide?
On average, weight comes back. In STEP 4, weight rose 6.9% over 48 weeks for people switched to placebo after reaching 2.4 mg, while those who stayed on lost another 7.9%. In STEP 1’s extension, people regained about two-thirds of their loss within a year of stopping. These trials studied FDA-approved Wegovy; compounded semaglutide wasn’t studied.
Do I have to take semaglutide forever?
Not necessarily. Wegovy’s approval covers keeping weight off long term, and the STEP 1 extension’s authors concluded that ongoing treatment is needed to keep the gains. Whether you stay on, step down or stop is a decision to make with your provider, weighing cost, results and side effects.
Can I take semaglutide every other week?
No. Wegovy’s label is weekly only, and no trial in it tested every-other-week dosing. Spacing doses out on your own isn’t a good idea. If cost or side effects are why you’re asking, tell your provider; there may be a better option.
Is 0.5 mg a maintenance dose?
Not on Wegovy’s label: 0.5 mg is a starting step, used in weeks 5 to 8, and the maintenance doses are 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Ozempic, semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, does list 0.5 mg as a maintenance dose for blood sugar. For weight, your provider decides what fits you.
Does a lower dose cost less at NexLife?
No, and a higher dose doesn’t cost more. Compounded semaglutide at NexLife is $119 a month on the 12-month plan, $125 on 6 months, $132 on 3 months and $139 month to month, at every dose, with provider care and shipping included.
Can I switch to the Wegovy pill for maintenance?
Possibly, with your prescriber. The pill is approved to help adults lose weight and keep it off, at a maintenance dose of 25 mg once a day; the label’s switch is from 2.4 mg shots to 25 mg tablets, a week after the last shot. Novo Nordisk lists it at $299 a month self-pay at 25 mg.
Important safety information
Compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide are not FDA-approved, and the FDA hasn’t reviewed them for safety, effectiveness or quality. A provider prescribes them only when they offer a significant difference for you compared with an FDA-approved product. Both medicines may cause thyroid tumors, including cancer: don’t use either if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Read the full safety information
In studies with rodents, both medicines caused thyroid tumors; it isn’t known whether they cause them in people. Tell your provider if you notice a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath. Serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), gallbladder problems, low blood sugar (especially with insulin or sulfonylureas), kidney problems from dehydration, severe stomach problems, serious allergic reactions, vision changes in people with type 2 diabetes, and a faster heart rate. Tell your care team before any surgery or procedure that uses anesthesia or deep sedation. Don’t combine either medicine with other
Tirzepatide can make birth control pills less effective: switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method such as condoms, for 4 weeks after you start and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. Both medicines may harm an unborn baby. Semaglutide should be stopped at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. Tell your provider right away if you’re pregnant, planning to be, or breastfeeding.
This is a summary, not the complete safety information. Read the full Prescribing Information for FDA-approved tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Wegovy), and talk with your provider. You can report side effects to the FDA at
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Who checked this page
Leads the NexLife clinical team, which medically reviews each of NexLife’s guides, including this one.
Labels, trials and prices read October 27, 2026.
- How we checked. Doses, schedules and the switching rule come from the Wegovy prescribing information (revised June 2026) and the Ozempic prescribing information (revised May 2026), read October 27, 2026. The stopping results come from the label’s Study 5 (STEP 4) and the STEP 1 extension’s published abstract, read the same day. Wegovy prices are Novo Nordisk’s, checked October 27, 2026, and Medicare’s from Medicare.gov. This page doesn’t recommend a dose for you; that’s your provider’s call.
- Every fact, sourced. Each price and rule links to the page it comes from.
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A 3-minute online check starts it. A licensed provider decides your dose, and every dose costs $119 a month on the 12-month plan, or $139 month to month.
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Sources
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets, prescribing information, Novo Nordisk (revised June 2026). Read October 27, 2026.
- Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, prescribing information, Novo Nordisk (revised May 2026). Read October 27, 2026.
- Rubino D, et al. Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2021;325:1414-1425. Record read October 27, 2026.
- Wilding JPH, et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab 2022;24:1553-1564, abstract. Read October 27, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk: What to pay for Wegovy (self-pay prices). Checked October 27, 2026.
- Medicare.gov: Weight loss drugs (the Medicare
GLP-1 Bridge). Read October 27, 2026. - NexLife: pricing, every plan.