Saxenda

What is Saxenda?

Saxenda is an effective treatment for weight loss, that works by mimicking the hormone that’s released in the body after you’ve eaten a meal. It’s a ‘subcut’ (subcutaneous) injection pen you do through the skin (not the kind you inject into a vein). You'll inject it once a day, starting off on a low dose and gradually increasing it over the first month of use.

Saxenda is recommended if you have a BMI of 30 or above, or if you have a BMI of 27 or 28 and have other specific health conditions where losing weight could make a significant difference (such as diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnoea).

How does Saxenda work?

Saxenda basically works by convincing you that you’re full. The active ingredient in Saxenda mimics the naturally occurring substance in the body that’s released after having a large meal called GLP-1. It interacts with receptors in the brain that relate to appetite, controlling hunger and making you feel fuller. This in turn can lead to a lower intake of calories and weight loss.

How well does Saxenda work?

Saxenda has performed well in clinical studies, and proven to be an effective weight loss medication. In one analysis, people using it for four or more months lost 6.3% of body weight, and people using it for six or more months lost 7.1% . And a meta-analysis also found that patients using Saxenda in conjunction with diet and physical activity achieved between 5 and 10% weight loss compared with placebo .

As effective as Saxenda has shown to be, it’s important to remember that you’ll need to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly for it to work at its best.

How to use Saxenda

Technically you can inject Saxenda at any time of the day, but it’s important to use it at the same time each day. For this reason, you should choose a time that will be easiest to remember, such as with breakfast in the morning. It can be taken with or without food or drink.

Saxenda uses an injection pen to administer the medication.

• You’ll need to remove the outer cap and the inner cap that covers the needle and then check that the medication is flowing correctly.
• Turning the dose selector will adjust the dosage to the strength you need.
• During week one you’ll inject 0.6mg each day.
• You’ll increase this to 1.2mg in week two, 1.8mg in week three, 2.4mg in week four and 3mg in week five (and then use 3mg for the remainder of taking it).
• You should inject Saxenda into the thigh, upper arm or abdomen and then remove the needle, which is replaced for the next dose.

With your medication, you’ll also receive a needle bin so you can safely discard your used needles.

How to take each Saxenda dose

You can select the dosage of the injection by twisting the top of the pen. The dose counter will clearly show the dose on the side of the pen.

You’ll start off on a low dose and gradually increase this over the course of the first month, before reaching a maintenance dose and continuing this for as long as you use the treatment.

On week one you take 0.6mg every day, week two 1.2 mg, week three 1.8mg, week four 2.4mg and finally, from week five onwards, 3mg. Do not increase the dosage above 3mg. We’ll check in with you regularly when you’re using Saxenda to see how it’s working for you.

What to do about Saxenda missed doses

It’s important to take Saxenda as instructed, but don't worry if you miss a dose. Just take it once you’ve remembered if it’s been less than 12 hours since your missed dose. If more than 12 hours has passed, skip the dose and carry on taking it as normal.

Don’t take double the dose of Saxenda to make up for a missed dose. It won’t help, and increases your risk of side effects.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on August 02, 2022.

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