> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# A missed or late dose

> The four-day rule for weekly injection pens, what to do about a missed daily tablet or scalp application, and why doubling up is never the answer.

Missing a dose is common and rarely a crisis. The rule that applies depends
entirely on how often the medicine is taken — weekly, daily, or only before
activity — so find your case below.

<Warning>
  One rule holds everywhere: **never take two doses to catch up.** Doubling a dose
  raises side effects without recovering the missed benefit.
</Warning>

## Weekly injection pens

For [Wegovy](/library/guides/how-to-inject-wegovy) and
[Mounjaro](/library/guides/how-to-inject-mounjaro), the published guides give
the same rule.

Only one of these two applies to you — check how long ago the dose was due.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Within 4 days of the missed dose" icon="clock-rotate-left">
    Take it, then carry on with your regular scheduled day.
  </Card>

  <Card title="More than 4 days have passed" icon="calendar-xmark">
    Skip that dose. Take the next one on the regular scheduled day.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

This is why the guides ask you to pick a fixed day that works for you and inject
on the same day each week. If you want to move your weekly dosing day
permanently, raise it in your account chat rather than shifting it yourself.

<Warning>
  The patient information leaflet that came with **your own pen** takes precedence
  over this page, as does anything your doctor told you directly. If you are
  uncertain, message the medical team rather than guessing.
</Warning>

## Daily injection pens

[Saxenda](/library/guides/how-to-inject-saxenda) is injected once daily, any
time of day, with or without food, at a time that fits your routine. The
four-day rule above belongs to the weekly pens and does not transfer to a daily
medicine.

For a missed day, follow the instruction in your pen's leaflet and tell your
doctor through your message thread. Do not inject twice in one day to
compensate.

## Daily tablets and capsules

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Finasteride" icon="pill">
    Take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose,
    skip the missed one. Do not take two doses at once. Hair-growth treatments
    take time — take the tablet every day without skipping, and set a daily
    reminder if that helps.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Dutasteride" icon="pill">
    Take a missed dose when remembered unless the next is near; do not take two
    together. Do not add finasteride or another dutasteride product without
    medical review.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Low-dose oral minoxidil" icon="pill">
    If you miss a dose, do not double the next one. Take the prescribed dose at
    the same time each day, and do not increase it without review.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tadalafil, taken as a daily low dose" icon="pill">
    The daily regimen is taken at the same time each day. There is no published
    catch-up rule here, so follow your leaflet and ask your doctor. Never take
    more than one dose in 24 hours.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Missed scalp applications

Topical minoxidil is applied morning and evening, at roughly 12-hour intervals.
If a dose is missed, resume the next scheduled application. **Do not apply extra
solution**, and do not exceed a total of 2 mL per day regardless of the area,
unless your supplied product says otherwise.

Missing applications for several days can reduce effectiveness — consistency
matters more than making up a single gap.

## On-demand tablets

Sildenafil, tadalafil taken on demand, vardenafil, avanafil and dapoxetine are
not scheduled medicines. They are taken before anticipated sexual activity, so
there is no dose to miss and nothing to make up.

What does apply is the ceiling: never more than one dose in any 24-hour period.
If an attempt does not work, do not take a second tablet, and do not increase
the dose yourself after one unsuccessful attempt — record what happened and
raise it with your doctor.

## When a gap turns into a stop

Long gaps are worth mentioning to your doctor rather than absorbing quietly.

* On a weight-management pen, do not resume at a higher step to catch up. The
  escalation schedule is set by the doctor and reviewed every 3 months.
* On hair treatment, the effect depends on continuous use — finasteride's
  benefit fades over 6–12 months if it is stopped, and hair loss returns within
  3–6 months after stopping minoxidil.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What should I do if I miss my Wegovy or Mounjaro dose by more than 4 days?">
    Skip that dose. Take the next one on the regular scheduled day. Never take two doses to catch up — doubling a dose raises side effects without recovering the missed benefit.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I miss a dose of Saxenda for a day?">
    Saxenda is injected once daily. For a missed day, follow the instruction in your pen's leaflet and tell your doctor through your message thread. Do not inject twice in one day to compensate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I take two doses of finasteride if I missed yesterday's?">
    No. Take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one. Do not take two doses at once.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to my weight loss if I stop my injection for a long gap?">
    Do not resume at a higher step to catch up. The escalation schedule is set by the doctor and reviewed every 3 months. Message the medical team through the private chat inside your account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I take sildenafil or tadalafil if I missed a dose?">
    Sildenafil, tadalafil taken on demand, vardenafil, avanafil and dapoxetine are not scheduled medicines. They are taken before anticipated sexual activity, so there is no dose to miss and nothing to make up. Never more than one dose in any 24-hour period.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Message the medical team through the private chat inside your account. See
[how Hi-Doctor works](/essentials/how-it-works) and
[Safety](/essentials/safety).

Related: [your first month on treatment](/library/guides/what-to-expect-first-month) ·
[injection sites and sharps](/library/guides/injection-sites) ·
[side effects of weight-loss medicines](/library/guides/side-effects-weight-loss)

## Start a consultation

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Weight loss" icon="weight-scale" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/weight-loss/1">
    Weekly pens and daily tablets for weight management.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hair growth" icon="user" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/hair-growth/1">
    Daily tablets and scalp applications.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Sexual health" icon="heart-pulse" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/sexual-health/1">
    On-demand and daily tablets.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Warning>
  This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
  Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
  after reviewing your consultation.
</Warning>
