Losing weight with Saxenda (Liraglutide)

What is Saxenda? 

Saxenda is an injectable medicine that is used to help people who are overweight or obese to lose weight. The active substance, liraglutide, helps you eat less by increasing your feeling of fullness. Saxenda is mainly prescribed to adults who struggle to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. You inject the medicine once a day. In combination with a healthy lifestyle, it may help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss results. 


How does Saxenda work?  


The Saxenda weight loss medicine works by mimicking the body’s own hormone GLP-1, which is involved in regulating appetite. By letting your brain think that you feel full sooner during a meal, Saxenda causes you to eat less. Furthermore, it slows down the emptying of your stomach, which means that you feel full for longer after having eaten and have a reduced appetite. These two mechanisms may help you to structurally take in fewer calories and, consequently, lose weight.



Who is Saxenda suitable for?  


Saxenda is intended for adults who are obese (BMI ≥ 30), or people who are overweight (BMI ≥ 27) and also have weight-related health issues, such as high blood pressure or sleep apnoea. The weight management medicine can help to achieve demonstrable health benefits, such as reduced blood pressure and improved blood glucose levels. However, Saxenda is not suitable for everyone. A doctor from NOK Clinics will always determine whether Saxenda is the right option in your situation to support you with losing weight by means of injections. 



How is Saxenda used?  


You administer Saxenda daily via an injection under the skin, for example on your abdomen, thigh or upper arm. You use an injection pen to do this. You start on a starting dosage of 0.6 mg per day and this is gradually increased to the maximum dosage of 3.0 mg per day. Our NOK Clinics doctor will, always together with you, search for the optimum dosage and evaluate this at set times. It is important to administer the Saxenda injections at the same time every day. Have you missed a dose? In that case, skip the missed dose and administer the next injection at the usual time. The treatment is always combined with dietary advice and coaching to maximise weight loss. This increases the chance of successfully losing weight and of maintaining your weight.



What is the active substance in Saxenda?  


Saxenda contains the active substance liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist that reduces appetite, improves the feeling of fullness and regulates blood glucose levels. Liraglutide has been used to treat type 2 diabetes (with the medicine Victoza) for some time, but in higher dosages it also helps with losing weight (Saxenda). The active ingredient is responsible for your brain receiving signals that you are full sooner and for longer. You also have a reduced appetite and think less about food. This help you to eat less and, consequently, lose weight. In addition to liraglutide, Saxenda also contains inactive substances such as sodium chloride and water for injection.



Does Saxenda have any side effects?  


As with other medicines, Saxenda may also cause side effects. The most common side effects of this weight loss medicine are nausea, intestinal problems, fatigue and headache. These side effects often disappear as your body gets used to the treatment. Rarer side effects may include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) or problems with the gall bladder. Contact your doctor if you develop severe abdominal pain or other unusual symptoms after using Saxenda.



How should Saxenda be stored?


Saxenda must be stored in the fridge at a temperature of 2 °C to 8 °C. If necessary, the injection pen can be stored outside the fridge for a maximum of 30 days, as long as the temperature does not exceed 30 °C. It is important to keep the injection pens away from direct light; therefore, always store them in the original packaging. Check before each use whether the liquid is clear and colourless. Is the liquid cloudy or has it changed colour? Then do not use this pen.



Are there any other types of weight loss medicines?   


In addition to Saxenda, there are other medicines available that may help with weight loss, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy and Mysimba. Each of these medicines works in a unique way and may be considered by your doctor. Which weight loss medication is suitable for you depends on your specific needs and health status. You can find more detailed information on our website about the various weight loss medicines that are administered by means of injections or tablets. You and your NOK Clinics doctor together choose the medication that best suits you.   



Disclaimer  


This information provides a general overview of Saxenda. For personal medical advice or further details about side effects and dosages, we refer you to the official package leaflet and recommend contacting NOK Clinics.