Short answer: Yes, and it is most common at the highest Wegovy dose. Labels call it dysesthesia: altered skin sensations such as burning, tingling, pain of the skin or sensitive skin. It was reported in 22% on Wegovy 7.2 mg against 6% on 2.4 mg, and in under 1% on Zepbound and Mounjaro. Most people on Wegovy 7.2 mg who paused or lowered the dose recovered, the label says.
The Wegovy label groups several reported terms under dysesthesia: paresthesia (pins and needles), hyperesthesia (extra sensitivity), burning sensation, allodynia (pain from a light touch), pain of the skin and sensitive skin (section 6.1). It says the incidence went up with higher doses and higher drug levels in the blood, and Wegovy lists dysesthesia among its most common side effects. Zepbound, Mounjaro and Foundayo describe it in the same section, separately from changes in taste.
| Medicine and dose | Medicine | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy 7.2 mg injection | 22% | 6% on Wegovy 2.4 mg; 0.3% on placebo |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg injection | 2% | 1% on placebo |
| Wegovy 25 mg tablets | 5% | None on placebo |
| Zepbound 5, 10, 15 mg | 0.2%, 0.2%, 0.4% | 0.1% on placebo |
| Mounjaro 5, 10, 15 mg | 0.4% each | None on placebo; 0.7% in a heart outcomes trial |
| Foundayo 9 mg and 17.2 mg | 0.3% and 1% | 0.1% on placebo; none on 5.5 mg |
The Wegovy 7.2 mg figures come from two 72-week trials: Study 8 enrolled 1,407 people with obesity and no diabetes, and Study 9 enrolled 512 people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The Mounjaro heart outcomes trial compared tirzepatide with dulaglutide, another GLP-1 medicine, rather than placebo. Trials differ in length and in who took part, so the rates are not a head-to-head ranking.
Of 288 people who had dysesthesia on Wegovy 7.2 mg, 2% stopped the medicine for good, 8% paused it and 23% had the dose lowered. Most of those whose dose was changed recovered, and recovery was faster than when nothing was changed. 18% had not recovered by the end of the trial, mostly people whose dose stayed the same.
Of 38 people who went back up to 7.2 mg after recovering, 17 (45%) had it again. See the Wegovy dosing guide for how the 7.2 mg dose is reached.
Burning or tingling skin can have other causes, so a new symptom is worth describing to the prescriber, including where it is and when it started relative to a dose increase. The Wegovy trials show that dose changes were part of how it was handled, which is the prescriber's call. Dose Track can log the dose and date of each injection with a note on skin symptoms, so the timing is clear.
Read more on Dose Track: Wegovy side effects · Wegovy dosing guide · Zepbound side effects · GLP-1 side effects week by week