Wegovy pill side effects: every figure the FDA label prints from its 204-patient trial
6.9 percent of adults on the Wegovy 25 mg tablet stopped it over a side effect, against 5.9 percent on placebo, in a trial of 204 people. The label prints no reaction table for the tablet. It says the common reactions looked like the injection's. GLP Chart read the FDA label on DailyMed, revised June 2026.
The 5 figures the label prints for the tablet
They come from one trial the label calls Study 7, where neither the patients nor their doctors knew who was on the drug. It treated 204 adults with obesity or overweight for up to 64 weeks, with a 7 week follow-up after the drug stopped. Patients with type 2 diabetes were excluded.
| What it counts | Tablet | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| stopped the drug for good because of a side effect | 6.9% | 5.9% |
| stopped because of a gut reaction, the most common reason either arm quit | 3.4% | 2% |
| had a gut reaction the label calls severe | 2% | 0% |
| reported altered skin sensation, which the label says climbs with the dose | 5% | 0% |
| reported gallstones (against a placebo tablet) | 2.5% | 1% |
The placebo column is the one to read first. 5.9 percent of the placebo arm also quit over a side effect. The gap between the two arms is 1 percentage point, not 6.9.
Why there is no table for the pill
A drug label normally prints a table of reactions with a rate on every row. This one does not, for the tablet. Where that table would sit, it writes a single sentence: In the clinical trial with WEGOVY 25 mg tablets, the types and frequency of common adverse reactions were similar to those listed in Table 3.
Table 3 is the injection's table, from a different clinical trial in 3,377 people.It is below, under the injection's name. The label says the tablet looked similar to it. It does not say the rates match, and it reports no trial that put the two forms head to head.
| Reaction | Placebo (n=1,261) | 2.4 mg (n=2,116) |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 16% | 44% |
| Diarrhea | 16% | 30% |
| Vomiting | 6% | 24% |
| Constipation | 11% | 24% |
| Abdominal pain (stomach pain) | 10% | 20% |
| Headache | 10% | 14% |
| Fatigue | 5% | 11% |
| Dyspepsia (indigestion) | 3% | 9% |
| Dizziness | 4% | 8% |
| Abdominal distension (bloating) | 5% | 7% |
| Eructation (burping) | <1% | 7% |
| Hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes (low blood sugar) | 2% | 6% |
| Flatulence (gas) | 4% | 6% |
| Gastroenteritis (a stomach bug) | 4% | 6% |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease (acid reflux) | 3% | 5% |
| Gastritis (an inflamed stomach lining) | 1% | 4% |
| Gastroenteritis, viral (a stomach bug from a virus) | 3% | 4% |
| Hair loss | 1% | 3% |
| Dysesthesia (altered skin sensation) | 1% | 2% |
- Abdominal pain. The label counts stomach pain, tenderness and discomfort in this row, anywhere from the ribs down.
- Fatigue. The label counts asthenia, fatigue, lethargy and malaise in this row.
- Hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose under 54 mg/dL, in the trial patients who had type 2 diabetes and were not on insulin.
- Gastritis. The label counts long-running, eroded and reflux-driven stomach lining trouble in this row.
- Dysesthesia. The label groups eight skin-sensation terms in this row, including burning, tingling, numbness and sensitive skin.
The dose ladder, and the rule that comes with it
The tablet climbs on a 30 day clock, not the injection's four week one. 1.5 mg, days 1 to 30, then 4 mg days 31 to 60, 9 mg days 61 to 90, then maintenance. Maintenance is 25 mg daily.
The part people get wrong is not the ladder. It is the swallowing rule, and no injectable GLP-1 has anything like it. Swallowed whole once daily on an empty stomach in the morning, with no more than 4 ounces of water and no other liquid. Do not split, crush or chew. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else or taking other oral medicines.
Miss one and the label is brief. Skip the missed dose and take the next one the following day.
What the dose does to your bill
NovoCare prices the tablet by dose. Here is every step it publishes.
| Dose | Cost |
|---|---|
| starter dose (1.5mg) | $149/mo |
| 4mg | $199/mo |
| maintenance dose (9mg/25mg) | $299/mo |
A program advertising the tablet at $149/mo is quoting the 1.5 mg starter dose. It reaches $299/mo at the 9 mg step and stays there.
Compare every Wegovy route at its maintenance price →
The two rows that belong to the tablet, and when to call
Two of the five figures name a reaction of their own. Altered skin sensation reached 5 percent on the tablet and 0 percent on placebo, and the label says the rate climbs with the dose and with the drug level in the blood. Gallstones reached 2.5 percent against 1 percent on a placebo tablet.
The gut warning is the same one the injection carries. Dehydration from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea has led to kidney injury, so fluids are what to watch, and the label tells prescribers to check kidney function in anyone reporting those reactions. Call the same day for severe stomach pain reaching your back, vomiting that stops you drinking for a day, or yellow skin or eyes. The triage list on the pillar page carries the full split between call today, call this week and manage at home.
Frequently asked questions
What are the side effects of the Wegovy pill?
The label does not publish a table for the tablet. It publishes one sentence: in the tablet trial, the types and frequency of common adverse reactions were similar to those listed in Table 3, which is the injection's table. On that table nausea reads 44 percent against 16 percent on placebo. The tablet's own figures are the four the label prints for it: 6.9 percent stopped the drug, 3.4 percent stopped over a gut reaction, 2 percent had a gut reaction the label calls severe and 5 percent reported altered skin sensation.
Is the pill easier on the stomach than the shot?
The label gives no ground for saying so. It compares nothing. What it does print is that 6.9 percent stopped the tablet over a side effect and 6.8 percent stopped the injection, in two separate clinical trials of different sizes with different placebo arms. That is not a head to head comparison, and the label reports none.
How do you take the Wegovy tablet?
Swallowed whole once daily on an empty stomach in the morning, with no more than 4 ounces of water and no other liquid. Do not split, crush or chew. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else or taking other oral medicines.
What is the Wegovy pill dosing schedule?
1.5 mg, days 1 to 30, then 4 mg days 31 to 60, 9 mg days 61 to 90, then maintenance. The maintenance dose is 25 mg daily, which is also the maximum.
What if I miss a dose of the Wegovy tablet?
Skip the missed dose and take the next one the following day. That is the whole instruction. The label's restart sentence for a longer gap is written for the injection and says nothing about the tablet.
What does the label say if I cannot tolerate 25 mg?
If patients do not tolerate the 25 mg once daily maintenance dosage, consider switching to WEGOVY injection 1.7 mg once weekly. That is the label's only tolerability instruction for the tablet, and it points off the tablet entirely.
Does the Wegovy pill cost less than the shot?
Yes, and not by much. NovoCare sells the tablet at $299/mo at maintenance and the ongoing injection at $349/mo. The tablet starts at $149/mo, which is the 1.5 mg starter dose, not the price you stay on.
Every dosage sentence on this page is written to a prescriber, not to you. Holding a dose, dropping back or switching forms changes what the drug is doing. Take the label language to the appointment.
Sources
Evidence checked August 31, 2026
Every figure above is taken from the document beside it, the FDA label or the trial that produced it, so you can read the source instead of trusting us. No clinician reviews these pages. What that means.
- The 204 patient tablet trial, the 6.9 percent discontinuation figure, the 2 percent severe-reaction figure, the 5 percent skin-sensation figure, the gallstone figures and the sentence pointing at Table 3FDA prescribing information for Wegovy, injection and tablets (DailyMed, revised June 2026)
- The tablet dose ladder, the empty-stomach and water rule, the 30 minute wait and the missed-dose sentenceFDA prescribing information for Wegovy, injection and tablets (DailyMed, revised June 2026)
- Published cash price of the Wegovy tablet at each dose it is sold atNovoCare pricing for Wegovy, Novo Nordisk
