What is Saxenda?
Saxenda is a well-regarded weight-loss treatment produced by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Saxenda is an injection provided in pre-measured pens, designed to be easy to use. This daily injection can be delivered in either your upper arm, abdomen or thigh. It should not be injected into a vein or muscle.
Saxenda (liraglutide) mimics a hormone produced in your body that helps control your digestion, insulin levels and blood sugar. This allows it to act as an appetite suppressant to make you feel fuller, allowing for weight loss in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and exercise.
How long does a Saxenda pen last?
The amount of Saxenda you use will change over the first few weeks of treatment. Each Saxenda injection pen comes pre-loaded with 3ml of Saxenda. During the first stage of treatment, your first pen will last for 17 days.
The Saxenda treatment plan involves a gradual increase in strength over the course of five weeks, meaning each pen will last different amounts of time. The following table breaks down the treatment plan;
| Week 1 | 0.6mg |
| Week 2 | 1.2mg |
| Week 3 | 1.8mg |
| Week 4 | 2.4mg |
| Week 5 | 3.0mg |
Once you reach 3mg per day, you will be using this “maintenance dose” going forward. This gently increasing dose allows your body time to get used to the medication.
Each pen will last for 6 days when using the 3mg dose. A full box of five pens will last for 30 days. The following infographic breaks down the lengths of use for each pen at different points in the treatment;
Do I need to increase the dose?
Gradually increasing the dose over the first five weeks helps to reduce any stomach side effects you may experience by giving your body time to get used to the medicine. However, you should aim to increase the dose until you are using the full dose of 3.0mg once daily. Saxenda is most effective for weight loss when used at this dose.
If you try to increase the dose but find the side effects are too strong for more than a week or two, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
How long does Saxenda treatment last?
You can continue to use Saxenda for as long as your doctor tells you. In one clinical trial, Saxenda was given to patients for 56 weeks.
You may need to complete an assessment after 12 or 16 weeks; this will allow our doctors to determine if continuing treatment is suitable for you. Usually, you will be able to continue treatment if you have lost at least 5% of your body weight over the first 16 weeks. If it doesn’t help you lose weight, your doctor will stop treatment after 16 weeks.
Does Saxenda have side effects?
As with any medication, Saxenda can have side effects – though not everyone experiences them. The most common side effects of Saxenda are nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea. These effects are more likely to happen at the start of treatment.
Some people may also experience reactions at the injections sites like bruising or irritation. Before ordering any medication, read the Patient Information Leaflet for a full list of possible side effects.
Who can’t use Saxenda?
Saxenda is intended for those who are obese (have a BMI above 30), or for those with weight-related medical problems and a BMI above 27 (with medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes).
People with certain conditions, such as high blood pressure, liver problems, or heart failure sound speak to their doctor before using Saxenda and may find it is not suitable for them. Please read the Patient Information Leaflet for a full list of warnings and precautions.
How do I get Saxenda?
You can buy Saxenda online from our online doctor weight loss service. To order Saxenda in the UK, you will need to fill out a brief assessment form, which will allow our team of doctors to gauge how suitable Saxenda is for you. If our doctors decide that Saxenda is suitable for you, we can arrange delivery within the UK with options for next-day delivery.
You can also order Saxenda through an NHS prescription. Here at Simple Online Pharmacy, we also deal with NHS prescriptions, allowing them to be ordered online and delivered to your door. Please note, you will need to speak to your doctor to acquire the prescription before you can use our service. For more information, see our blog post detailing when the NHS will prescribe Saxenda.
