Saxenda Before and After

Saxenda is a weight loss medicine that contains the active substance liraglutide.

Here are a few considerations about Saxenda before and after taking the medication.

It is similar to a natural occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 ) that is released from the intestine after a meal. 

Saxenda® works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry.

This may help you eat less food and reduce your body weight.

If you need to lose a little weight and you've read about 'the skinny injection pen' then you may have been sucked into hype and need to be very, very careful.

Saxenda injections are unlikely the best option for you if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is less than 27. Speak to your doctor if your BMI is over 27 and you have a weight related medical condition OR you're living with obesity (have a BMI over 30) and have tried and failed at calorie controlled diets before… then this weight loss supporting injection may be the right next step for you (2).

Saxenda UK injections are not a miracle cure (though we wish it was). Saxenda injection pens are a tool which should be used alongside a calorie deficit diet and a doctor approved exercise program.

This is why we'll send you an access code to the Liva Healthcare app when you buy from us so you can track and monitor your health and lifestyle goals. You'll also have access to a Liva health coach to ask questions within the app.

What you need to know before you use Saxenda

Do not use Saxenda®

• if you are allergic to liraglutide or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions 

- Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using Saxenda®.

- The use of Saxenda® is not recommended if you have severe heart failure.  

- There is little experience with this medicine in patients of 75 years and older. It is not recommended if you are 75 years or older.

- There is little experience with this medicine in patients with kidney problems. If you have kidney disease or are on dialysis, consult your doctor. 

- There is little experience with this medicine in patients with liver problems. If you have liver problems, consult your doctor.

- This medicine is not recommended if you have a severe stomach or gut problem which results in delayed stomach emptying (called gastroparesis), or if you have an inflammatory bowel disease.

People with diabetes  

- If you have diabetes, do not use Saxenda® as a replacement for insulin.

Inflammation of the pancreas

- Talk to your doctor if you have or have had a disease of the pancreas.  

Inflamed gall bladder and gallstones

- If you lose substantial weight, you are at a risk of gallstones and thereby inflamed gall bladder. Stop taking Saxenda® and contact a doctor immediately if you experience severe pain in your upper abdomen, usually worst on the right side under the ribs. The pain may be felt through to your back or right shoulder. See section 4.

Thyroid disease

- If you have thyroid disease, including thyroid nodules and enlargement of the thyroid gland, consult your doctor.

Heart rate

- Talk to your doctor if you have palpitations (you feel aware of your heartbeat) or if you have feelings of a racing heartbeat while at rest during Saxenda® treatment. 

Loss of fluid and dehydration

- When starting treatment with Saxenda®, you may lose body fluid or become dehydrated. This may be due to feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoea. It is important to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you have any questions or concerns. See section 4.

Children and adolescents

- The safety and efficacy of Saxenda® in children below 12 years of age has not been studied. 

Other medicines and Saxenda

- Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

- In particular, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if: 

• you are taking medicines for diabetes called ‘sulfonylurea’ (such as glimepiride or glibenclamide) or if you are taking insulin – you may get low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) when you use these medicines with Saxenda. Your doctor may adjust the dose of your diabetes medicine to prevent you from getting low blood sugar. See section 4 for the warning signs of low blood sugar. If you adjust your insulin dose your doctor may recommend you to monitor your blood sugar more frequently.
•  you are taking warfarin or other medicines by mouth that reduce your blood clotting (anticoagulants). More frequent blood testing to determine the ability of your blood to clot may be required.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

Do not use Saxenda if you are pregnant, think that you might be pregnant or are planning to have a baby. This is because it is not known if Saxenda® may affect the baby. 

Do not breast-feed if you are using Saxenda. This is because it is not known if Saxenda® passes into breast milk. 

Driving and using machines

Saxenda® is unlikely to affect your ability to drive and use machines.  Some patients may feel dizziness when taking Saxenda® mainly during the first 3 months of treatment (see section ‘Possible side effects’). If you feel dizziness be extra careful while driving or using machines. If you need any further information, talk to your doctor.

Important information about some of the ingredients of Saxenda®

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that it is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.

After you start taking Saxenda

Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Serious side effects

- Some severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have been reported rarely in patients using Saxenda®. You should see your doctor straight away if you get symptoms such as breathing problems, swelling of face and throat and a fast heartbeat.

- Cases of inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) have been reported uncommonly in patients using Saxenda®. Pancreatitis is a serious, potentially life-threatening medical condition.

- Stop taking Saxenda® and contact a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following serious side effects:

- Severe and persistent pain in the abdomen (stomach area) which might reach through to your back, as well as nausea and vomiting, as it could be a sign of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis).

Other side effects in Adults

Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people

Feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea, constipation, headache – these usually go away after a few days or weeks.
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people

- Problems affecting the stomach and intestines, such as indigestion (dyspepsia), inflammation in the lining of the stomach (gastritis), stomach discomfort, upper stomach pain, heartburn, feeling bloated, wind (flatulence), belching and dry mouth
- Feeling weak or tired
- Changed sense of taste
- Dizziness
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia). This usually occurs during the first 3 months of treatment
- Gallstones
- Injection site reactions (such as bruising, pain, irritation, itching and rash)
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). The warning signs of low blood sugar may come on suddenly and can include: cold sweat, cool pale skin, headache, fast heartbeat, feeling sick, feeling very hungry, changes in vision, feeling sleepy, feeling weak, being nervous, being anxious, confusion, difficulty concentrating and shaking (tremor). Your doctor will tell you how to treat low blood sugar and what to do if you notice these warning signs
- Increase of pancreatic enzymes, such as lipase and amylase.

Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people

- Loss of fluids (dehydration). This is more likely to occur at the start of treatment and may be due to being sick (vomiting), feeling sick (nausea) and diarrhoea
- Delay in the emptying of the stomach
- Inflamed gall bladder
- Allergic reactions including skin rash
- Feeling generally unwell
- Faster pulse.

Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people

- Reduced kidney function
- Acute kidney failure. Signs may include reduction in urine volume, metallic taste in mouth and easily bruising.
- Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

You can also report side effects directly via

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store

Ireland:

HPRA Pharmacovigilance Website: www.hpra.ie

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Recommended Saxenda UK injection dosage.

The recommended Saxenda UK injection dosage when you start is 0.6mg once a day, which increases by 0.6mg each week (2)

A typical injection dosing schedule works like this:

Week 1 - 0.6mg injection once daily for 7 days
Week 2 - 1.2mg injection once daily for 7 days
Week 3 - 1.8mg injection once daily for 7 days
Week 4 - 2.4mg injection once daily for 7 days
Week 5 - 3.0mg injection once daily ( this is the full dose and you will stay at this dose for as long as you need to.)

When you're starting out, a single Saxenda injection pen will last you 17 days

If you buy a pack of 5 Saxenda injection pens, then they'll last you 44 days...so a 5 Saxenda injection pen pack will take you through to week 6.

Once you are at the optimum injection dosage (3mg/day), the 5 Saxenda injection pen pack should last you 30 days.

What needles do I use?

The Saxenda pen can be used with NovoFine 32G Tip, one of the thinnest and shortest needles available from Novo Nordisk. NovoFine 32G Tip needles are single-use, disposable injection needles.

We will supply the pen with the needles and a yellow sharps box to dispose of used needles.

When the sharps bin is full, it should be returned to your nearest local Household Waste Recycling Centre where it will be disposed of properly. Only fill the bin up to where it says "Do not fill above this line". You can find your local council here https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.

You must not put used needles or other sharps in any of your household waste bins.

References

1. Benefits of Saxenda [cited 12/08/21] Available at: https://www.saxenda.com/about-saxenda/benefits-of-saxenda.html

Download Patient Information Sheet

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