How Long Does Saxenda Stay in your System?
Saxenda, brand name for liraglutide, is a weight loss treatment created by Novo Nordisk. Surprisingly, it was initially created to treat Type 2 diabetes but now it is used as a losing weight. The active ingredient Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor antagonist which binds to our body’s hunger hormone Ghrelin. This mechanism tricks our body to feel fuller and satisfied with less food intake. The added benefit of Saxenda is that it manages your blood sugars on top of managing your weight.
Saxenda is not an oral medication. Instead it needs to be injected once a day into the fat layer of the skin (subcutaneously). Places recommended for injection are fat rich areas like your tummy, thigh or upper arms. It is recommended to rotate injection sites on the body as it can reduce damage to the area by repetitive use.
To make things easier for us, the Saxenda pens come as prefilled syringes so you don’t have to measure the medication on your own. The medication also needs to be stored in the fridge as it is sensitive to high temperatures. The dosing schedule for saxenda changes by week. It increases to max dose by week 5. Week 1 0.6mg, Week 2 1.2mg, Week 3 1.8mg, Week 4 2.4mg and Week 5 3.0 mg.
Sometimes, you might notice an injection site reaction. Things to look out for are swelling, pain or a rash. If this happens, why don’t you try another site of the body. If you notice the reaction again, you should speak to a doctor or pharmacist about this as they might recommend switching to another weight loss medication.
How effective is Saxenda?
With a combination of a reduced calorie diet and regular exercise, clinical trials have shown Saxenda to help over 60% of people lose 5% of their body weight or more (with diet and exercise).
In a 56-week randomised controlled trial, it was found that 92% of the patients in the liraglutide group taking a dose of 3.0mg, combined with diet and exercise, lost weight. This was compared to only 65% of patients taking the placebo medication.
At the highest dose of Saxenda (3.0mg), the medication remains in your system for an average of 3 days as it has a long half life. However, this does not mean it has lasting effects for 3 days.
If you are not reacting well to this medication due to side effects or the nature of its administration, there is another weight loss medication called Orlistat which is daily orally.
How to get Saxenda?
Saxenda injections are not available as prescriptions from the NHS unless you have a BMI of greater than 30, or a BMI greater than 27 and have weight related comorbidities.
At Simple Online Pharmacy, you can purchase Saxenda after completing an online assessment which will be reviewed by one of our doctors. Once confirmed by the doctors, they prescribe you Saxenda which we will post straight to your doorstep.
