What you should know about microdosing Ozempic®

Medically reviewed by: Kristin Baier, MD

Ozempic® (semaglutide), a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication originally developed for type 2 diabetes, has proven highly effective for weight loss. It works by mimicking a natural hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite, helping to reduce hunger and improve metabolic function. 

However, a recent trend involves "microdosing" Ozempic®—taking smaller-than-prescribed doses—to achieve weight loss with fewer side effects or to extend medication supply. While it can be beneficial under certain circumstances—importantly, with clinical supervision—this practice raises a few important questions about safety and efficacy.

The important takeaway is this: Sustainable results are best achieved through programs like Calibrate’s Metabolic Reset, which pairs GLP-1 medications with personalized coaching, support from a licensed clinician, and evidence-based habits for long-term success. 

Read on to learn more about what microdosing Ozempic® means, some of the risks associated, and how it’s risen in popularity. 

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What is microdosing Ozempic®?

Microdosing typically refers to consuming subtherapeutic doses (an amount that is lower than what’s needed to produce the intended medical benefit) of a medication. This is done to harness perceived benefits while, in some cases, minimizing side effects. 

The term is most often used in reference to psychedelic substances like psilosybin but, in this social media era, might now be used to describe the consumption of small portions of anything from alcohol to certain foods and supplements.  

In the context of Ozempic® or other prescription GLP-1 medications, a microdose could be any amount lower than the manufacturer-recommended therapeutic dose. For Ozempic® (semaglutide) specifically, the starting dose is 0.25 mg once a week and titrates up to 2 mg once a week. 

Ozempic® comes in a pre-filled pen, with three pen types: The starting pen delivers doses of 0.25 or 0.5 mg, the middle pen delivers 1 mg, and the highest dose pen delivers 2 mg. 

Taking smaller quantities than these might be considered a “microdose” but it is, of course, highly individual. For example, a 0.25 mg dose might be a microdose for someone who has previously been taking 2 mg, but a normal dose for someone who is just starting the medication. 

Why are some people microdosing Ozempic® and other GLP-1 medications?

The rationale for microdosing Ozempic varies from person to person. Typically, microdosing is seen as an attractive option for one of the following three reasons:

1. Cost of GLP-1 medication: For some, microdosing becomes a necessity due to the financial burden of Ozempic®, particularly in the US. If an individual’s health insurance does not cover, or insufficiently covers, the cost of a GLP-1 medication, it can become prohibitively expensive to consume the full dose. 
2. Medication shortages: GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and Mounjaro®, have undergone periodic shortages due to demand and supply chain difficulties over the past several years. During these shortages, some individuals prescribed these medications have turned to microdosing to stretch their remaining supply longer in between prescription refills. 
3. Perceived benefit with fewer side effects: For some, microdosing is a way to mitigate side effects such as nausea while still gaining some imagined benefit such as weight loss via appetite reduction. This is often the motivation for social media influencers you hear speaking positively about the trend—but note that what they claim to be experiencing may be a placebo effect. 

How does microdosing Ozempic® work?

Click counting with Ozempic®

You may have heard of the "counting clicks" method for microdosing Ozempic®, which involves using the injection pen to administer smaller amounts than prescribed. 

When dosing an Ozempic® pen normally, you turn the selector on the device until the counter displays either 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg on the 1.5mL pen, or 1 mg on the 3mL pen. A “click” sound is audible each time the dose selector on the pen is turned. Some individuals are counting these clicks to more finely tune their doses beyond the standard increments. 

For example, a 0.25 mg dose corresponds to roughly 18 clicks, a 0.50 mg dose to 36 clicks, a 0.75 mg to 54 clicks, and a 1.00 mg dose to 72 clicks. However, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic®, strongly discourages using the click counting method due to the risk of inaccurate or inconsistent dosing. Novo Nordisk notes that unmarked doses could lead to product waste and dosing errors, as the number of clicks does not correspond to an exact dose. 

Similar click counting methods might be used by patients prescribed Wegovy® (a different brand name for semaglutide, indicated for weight loss). The amount of medication roughly corresponding with a single click will vary for each of these given the different pen types and dosages. 

If patients choose to proceed with click counting, they should work closely with a licensed clinician and understand and accept full responsibility for potential dosing inaccuracies outside the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Breaking open pre-filled pens

For individuals in the US, click counting will not work with other GLP-1 class medications like Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) and Zepbound® (tirzepatide), which are only available in single-dose pens.  

Therefore, microdosing Mounjaro® or Zepbound® involves manually extracting smaller doses by tampering with and breaking open pre-filled pens to access the medication inside, and then injecting it manually. This practice bypasses the device’s design and precision, leading to risks such as inaccurate dosing, bacterial contamination, and reduced efficacy.

Microdosing using vials of compounded or brand-name medication

Microdosing GLP-1 medications using vials—small glass containers that hold liquid medication for use with a syringe—allows patients to draw doses of any size manually. 

Compounded GLP-1 medications are custom-made by specialty pharmacies and may combine semaglutide or tirzepatide with other ingredients. Unlike brand-name options like Mounjaro® or Ozempic®, compounded versions are not FDA-approved, meaning their quality, potency, and safety can vary.

While vials (like the recently available Zepbound® single-dose vials) offer more dosing flexibility compared to pre-filled pens, using a vial does not eliminate risks associated with microdosing—including dosing errors, contamination, or inconsistent results. 

Administering an injectable medication with a needle and vial has a learning curve. Always consult your clinician before using vials, adjusting doses, or using compounded medications to ensure safe and effective treatment.

The risks and lack of clinical support for microdosing Ozempic®

While microdosing may seem like a practical solution, it is not yet supported by clinical guidelines or scientific evidence. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves medications like Ozempic® at specific doses based on rigorous clinical trials that establish their safety and efficacy. 

Deviating from these prescribed doses without supervision from a prescribing doctor can lead to unpredictable outcomes, including suboptimal therapeutic effects or unforeseen side effects. Therefore, manufacturers caution against manipulating the dosing mechanisms of injection pens.

Potential health implications of microdosing Ozempic®

It’s important to keep in mind that microdosing Ozempic® or another GLP-1 medication can pose several health risks:

• Reduced efficacy: Administering lower-than-recommended doses may diminish the medication's effectiveness in managing blood glucose levels and facilitating weight loss.
• Unintended side effects: Improper dosing can lead to adverse effects, including gastrointestinal issues, and may increase the risk of serious complications such as pancreatitis.
• Lack of medical oversight: Self-adjusting medication without clinician supervision eliminates the opportunity for professional monitoring and timely intervention if complications arise.
• Pontential for contamination: For individuals who are breaking open pre-filled pens of medication run the risk of cross-contamination or bacterial exposure to the medication, which can only be guaranteed sterile if it has not been tampered with. 

Calibrate clinicians may, in some circumstances, recommend a microdose in order to help mitigate side effects of a member’s medication—but in these cases, they will closely monitor and provide support to ensure safety and dose accuracy. 

The importance of a comprehensive approach

Weight management and metabolic health are complex and multifaceted. While your social media feed might try to convince you otherwise, medication like Ozempic®—particularly when taken in subtherapeutic microdoses—is not a quick fix. 

In fact, relying solely on medication is unlikely to yield sustainable weight loss results. It’s critical to pair medication with lifestyle changes, along with education around those changes to better understand what your body needs to maintain your weight loss. Otherwise, you may regain the weight you lost as soon as you stop your medication. 

Calibrate's Metabolic Reset program offers a holistic approach that combines FDA-approved medications with personalized lifestyle interventions, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and emotional health support. In addition, you’ll benefit from 1:1 accountability coaching and support from a licensed clinician with a background in obesity medicine. 

This comprehensive program is designed to address the underlying biological and behavioral factors contributing to weight gain, promoting long-term success. Calibrate members experience sustained 19% weight loss on average after 36 months in the program.

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Conclusion

While it might be the buzziest fad on wellness TikTok and across other social media platforms, microdosing Ozempic® is a practice that has not yet been thoroughly studied. Therefore, choosing to take microdoses without the guidance and oversight from a licensed clinician poses potential health risks—including the risk of gaining no benefit from the medication whatsoever.  

For those seeking effective weight loss solutions, it's crucial to follow evidence-based practices under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Calibrate's Metabolic Reset program provides a safe, structured, and sustainable approach to improving your metabolic health and achieving your weight loss goals. 

Calibrate members achieve 19% weight loss on average after 3 years. See more in the 2025 Results Report.

Sources:

• Australian Diabetes Educators Association. (2024, April 29). Reminder for CDEs: Advice about ‘counting clicks’ as a method of dose calculation for the 1mg Ozempic® pen. Retrieved from https://www.adea.com.au/news/2024/04/29/reminder-for-cdes-advice-about-counting-clicks-as-a-method-of-dose-calculation-for-the-1mg-ozempic-pen/
• Blakely, R. (2024, December 13). Could Ozempic ‘microdosing’ boost brain health and fight cancer? The Times. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/ozempic-weight-loss-injections-microdosing-g7gf9zwj5?region=global
• Calibrate Health, Inc. (2025). Calibrate 2025 results report: Real-world outcomes with sustained weight loss and metabolic health improvements. Calibrate Health, Inc. Retrieved from https://calibrate.cdn.prismic.io/calibrate/Z4VCK5bqstJ99ZFD_2025ResultsReportWhitePaper-1-.pdf
• Laurindo, L. F., Barbalho, S. M., Guiguer, E. L., da Silva Soares de Souza, M., de Souza, G. A., Fidalgo, T. M., Araújo, A. C., de Souza Gonzaga, H. F., de Bortoli Teixeira, D., de Oliveira Silva Ullmann, T., Sloan, K. P., & Sloan, L. A. (2022). GLP-1a: Going beyond Traditional Use. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(2), 739. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020739 
• Lines, J., & Henderson, C. (2024, November 22). Microdosing GLP-1 RAs: Fad or forever? PCCA. Retrieved from https://www.pccarx.com.au/Blog/microdosing-glp-1-ras-fad-or-forever
• Zhang, S. (2024, August 15). Why people are breaking open their Mounjaro pens. The Atlantic. Retrieved fromhttps://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/08/ozempic-hackers/679464/