Saxenda Weight Loss Injections

Saxenda is a once daily, self-injectable medication that can help with weight loss.

It is prescribed as one part of a weight management plan that includes increased physical activity and a reduced calorie diet. It contains the active ingredient liraglutide.

It comes in a pre-filled pen so that you can self-inject it at home.

Saxenda is the brand name for a drug called Liraglutide, that is used to help in the management of weight loss.

Your body produces a hormone called Glucagon-Like-Peptide (GLP-1), which is released from the gut in response to food. This plays an important role in regulating blood glucose levels, slowing the emptying of your stomach and suppressing your appetite.

Liraglutide is a synthetic version of GLP-1.

Please note: Liraglutide can also be used to treat diabetes in the form of Victoza. The dosing regime is different and it is not interchangeable with Saxenda. These medications should NOT be used together.

Saxenda acts on part of the brain that controls appetite, causing you to feel more satisfied after you eat and fuller for longer. Therefore, you eat less.

When you stop using Saxenda, appetite regulation returns to the pre-treatment pattern. Most people will start to eat more again and regain weight. In some cases, patients will regain more weight than they lost (they will weigh more than before treatment started). For this reason, Saxenda often needs to be continued life long, or until another suitable treatment is arranged.

It is very important to be aware of this before agreeing to commence this treatment as part of your weight management plan.

Saxenda is an injectable medication. If Saxenda is prescribed, you will have to self administer the injections. You will likely find this easier than you think! We will provide training for this to ensure you are safe and comfortable with the self-injection technique.

Saxenda is injected under the skin every day. This is called a subcutaneous injection. The medication is injected via a short needle into the tissue just below the skin. It should not be injected into a muscle or a vein).

The best places to inject are

• Your upper arms
• The front of your thighs
• Your abdomen (stomach)

You should inject a different place each day.

Saxenda comes as a pre-filled pen with 3ml of medication (18mg of liraglutide). It has a measurement gauge so you can set and check the dose to be administered. You will need to connect a new, clean needle each time you use it, and dispose of each needle into a sharps box after every injection.

You should never reuse needles, and never share needles or Saxenda medication with anyone.

It should be given at the same time every day. It doesn’t matter if you take it with or without food. You should choose a time that suits you and works for your daily routine.

The dose of Saxenda will change over the first 4 weeks of treatment. You will start off on a low dose (0.6mg once daily) and gradually increase to the target dose (3mg once daily). This is to minimise any potential side effects, particularly nausea.

If you do experience side effects, do not increase the dose as planned. This can be done more gradually to allow the side effects to settle. If you do increase the dose, the side effects are likely to become more troublesome and potentially very serious. We can provide you with advice on how to manage this ,if necessary.

When you reach the maximum dose of 3mg daily, you will remain on this dose ongoing as maintenance treatment.

It is important that you DO NOT use more than the maximum dose each day. This will increase the possibility of potentially serious side effects but will not have any effect on weight loss.

Some people do not reach the max dose, as they have side effects, but you can still lose weight.

If you are starting Saxenda treatment, the dose of Saxenda that you take will change every week for 4 weeks as you gradually build up to the maintenance dose.

The first pen you use will last 17 days, and the first full packet of 5 pens will last 6 weeks.

Once you are established on the target dose of 3 mg, each pen will last 6 days and a full box of 5 pens will last 30 days.

(This may vary depending on what dose of treatment you are able to tolerate).

Saxenda starts to work immediately, but it can take up to 2 weeks before you notice any weight loss.

This will vary from person to person, and will depend on what dose of Saxenda you are using. You can expect to lose 0.5-1kg per week when you reach the target dose of 3mg per day.

It is normal for your weight (and weight loss) to fluctuate from week to week.

You may not reach a ‘normal’ BMI (25 or less). That is OK! It is important to be aware of this and set a realistic mind-set. The focus of weight management should be health gain, and not the numbers on your scales.

Approximately 20% of patients do not respond to Saxenda treatment, even if they make the required lifestyle changes.

Once you have been using the target dose of Saxenda (3mg per day) every day for 12 weeks, you will need to attend your pharmacy for a weight check.

If you have not lost at least 5% of your initial body weight you will be advised to stop using Saxenda, as you have not responded.
This is not a failure on your part, the treatment is just not effective for you.

This is usually after 16 weeks of treatment (4 weeks to reach target dose of 3mg and then 12 weeks using this dose daily). It may take longer in some patients if they have to increase the dose more slowly to cope with side effects.

Saxenda is suitable for men and women over 18 years of age, who have an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more.

Check your BMI with our BMI calculator HERE.

It is not safe to use Saxenda if you have some medical conditions. We will check for these during your consultation.

Saxenda should not be used if you are actively trying to conceive. It should be stopped at least one month before trying to get pregnant, or starting IVF treatment.

Ideally, you should use a reliable form of contraception when using this medication. If you do become pregnant when using Saxenda, you should stop it immediately.

It should not be used if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are not breastfeeding and you have recently had a baby, we advise that you wait at least 3 months before using Saxenda.

As with all medications, there is a possibility that you will experience some side effects when using Saxenda, but not everyone will experience these.

The most common side effects are related to gastric disturbance and include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Stomach pain/ cramps

These symptoms are the most problematic and approximately 65% of all patients report some (not all!) of these symptoms. They are usually mild and settle with time, hence the gradual increase in dose over 4 weeks. Some people can take a little longer to settle on this medication than others. We can provide you with useful hints and tips on how to manage these and when to seek advice.

Other side effects include:

• Localised reaction at injection sites
  • Bruising, pain, redness, itch
• Difficulty sleeping (usually within the first 3 months of treatment)
• Altered sense of taste
• Dizziness
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Headaches
• Increased heat rate (palpitations)
• Gallbladder problems such as gallstones
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

If you are concerned that you are developing these side effects, we advise that you stop the medication and seek medical advice.

Potentially serious side effects are uncommon but include:

• Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
  • Seek URGENT medical advice if you experience lip/ tongue swelling, breathing problems, rapid heart rate.
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreatitis)
  • This is a serious, potentially life threatening condition
  • Seek URGENT medical advice if you develop nausea/ vomiting AND severe persistent pain in your upper tummy (this may move through to your back).

For full details of the potential side effects of Saxenda, please ensure that you read the patient information leaflet here that comes with your medication before you start to use it.

• Saxenda pens:
  • If you are starting treatment: 18 Saxenda pens
  • Repeat prescription: 30 Saxenda pens
• A sharps box
• Needles for the Saxenda pen

Please note: the price of Saxenda medication can vary between pharmacies. This should be checked directly with your chosen pharmacy.