Wegovy Headache: How Common, How Long It Lasts, What Helps
Yes. In the Wegovy trials, 17% of people on 2.4 mg had headache, against 16% on placebo: a little above placebo.
- In the Wegovy label
- Yes, with a rate
- On Wegovy 2.4 mg
- 17%
- On placebo
- 16%
Wegovy in brief
Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and after five half-lives (35 d), about 3% remains.
In STEP 1 over 68 weeks, the figure was 14.9% of body weight, compared with 2.4% on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars cover the list price and offers for self-pay. Each amount comes from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
How often it happens with Wegovy vs placebo
Wegovy headache rates from label trials are shown for each dose group. That trial used placebo as its comparison group.
| Medicine and dose | Headache | Placebo | More than placebo | People in the trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy 2.4 mg | 14% | 10% | +4 points | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg | 8% | 7% | +1 points | Adults with obesity (7.2 mg dose trials) |
| Wegovy 7.2 mg | 9% | 7% | +2 points | Adults with obesity (7.2 mg dose trials) |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg | 17% | 16% | +1 points | Children 12 and older with obesity |
Source: Wegovy label (DailyMed).
Headache: Wegovy compared with other GLP-1s
Each label describes its own trials, which involved different groups of people. Treat it as a rough guide.
The table also lists the pill forms: Foundayo.
| Medicine | Highest rate in the label | Dose group | Placebo | People in the trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy | 14% | 2.4 mg | 10% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
 Saxenda | 13.6% | all doses | 12.6% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
 Victoza | 11% | 1.2 mg | 7% | Adults with type 2 diabetes |
 Foundayo | 9% | 9 mg | 7% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
| Byetta | 9% | all doses | 6% | Adults with type 2 diabetes |
 Ozempic | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Rybelsus | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Mounjaro | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Zepbound | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Trulicity | Not listed | – | – | – |
Sources: Wegovy label (DailyMed), Foundayo label (DailyMed), Saxenda label (DailyMed), Victoza label (DailyMed), Byetta label (DailyMed).
Source: FDA DailyMed label.