GLP-1 Dose Escalation Calendar
Pick your medicine, your first injection date and the dose your prescriber is aiming for. You get a week-by-week calendar of the step-ups as the FDA label writes them, plus the label's missed-dose rule. Not medical advice: your prescription wins.
Target reached, at the earliest
—
| Week | Date | Dose |
|---|
What each label says
| Medicine | Escalation (label section 2) | Missed dose |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic semaglutide · type 2 diabetes | Start 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. If more glycemic control is needed, step to 1 mg after at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg, then to 2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 1 mg. Maximum 2 mg weekly. | Take a missed dose as soon as possible within 5 days. If more than 5 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the usual day. |
| Wegovy semaglutide · weight reduction and cardiovascular risk reduction | Weeks 1–4: 0.25 mg; 5–8: 0.5 mg; 9–12: 1 mg; 13–16: 1.7 mg; week 17 onward: maintenance, 2.4 mg (recommended) or 1.7 mg. For weight reduction in adults who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks, it may be increased to a maximum of 7.2 mg. If a dose isn't tolerated during escalation, the label says to consider delaying the next step by 4 weeks. | One missed dose: take it as soon as possible if the next dose is more than 2 days away; skip it if less than 2 days away. Two or more missed in a row: the label says to restart escalation at a lower dose. |
| Mounjaro tirzepatide · type 2 diabetes | Start 2.5 mg once weekly. If more glycemic control is needed, increase in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. Maximum 15 mg weekly in adults. | Take a missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the usual day. |
| Zepbound tirzepatide · weight reduction and obstructive sleep apnea | Start 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then 5 mg. The dose may be increased in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. Maintenance: 5, 10 or 15 mg for weight reduction; 10 or 15 mg for obstructive sleep apnea. Maximum 15 mg weekly. | Take a missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the usual day. |
Common questions
How fast does Ozempic go up?
Per the label: 0.25 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. Further steps to 1 mg and 2 mg are optional, each after at least 4 weeks on the previous dose, if more glycemic control is needed.
What is the Wegovy dose schedule?
Label Table 1: 0.25 mg in weeks 1–4, 0.5 mg in weeks 5–8, 1 mg in weeks 9–12, 1.7 mg in weeks 13–16, then maintenance from week 17 (2.4 mg recommended, or 1.7 mg). The current label adds an optional 7.2 mg maximum for adults on 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks who need more weight reduction.
How do Mounjaro and Zepbound step up?
Both start at 2.5 mg weekly and go up in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose, to a maximum of 15 mg. Zepbound's maintenance doses are 5, 10 or 15 mg.
Do I have to go up every 4 weeks?
No. For Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound, 4 weeks is the minimum time on a dose — the calendar shows the earliest dates. Your prescriber may hold a dose longer, especially if side effects are bothering you.
Is this medical advice?
No. It restates the FDA-approved labels as a calendar. Your prescription and your prescriber's instructions come first.
How the calendar is built
Week 1 is your first injection; each later week is 7 days on. Each dose is held for 4 weeks before the next step: for Wegovy that's the label's fixed Table 1 through week 16; for Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound the labels say "at least 4 weeks", so the dates are the earliest possible, not a plan. The calendar stops 4 weeks after the target dose begins. Wegovy's 7.2 mg step needs at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg first. Adult schedules only; the oral tablets (Rybelsus, Ozempic tablets, Wegovy tablets) follow different daily schedules and are not shown.
Sources
- Ozempic (semaglutide) injection prescribing information, Novo Nordisk — DailyMed, version of Jun 10, 2026, section 2. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets prescribing information, Novo Nordisk — DailyMed, version of Jun 30, 2026, sections 2.2 and 2.4. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) prescribing information, Eli Lilly — DailyMed, version of Sep 2, 2026, section 2.1. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information, Eli Lilly — DailyMed, version of Sep 2, 2026, sections 2.1–2.3. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
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