Buy Saxenda weight loss injections online - UK Pharmacy

What is Saxenda?

Saxenda is a self-injectable weight loss medication only available on prescription. It reduces your appetite, helping you to eat fewer calories than you usually would. It is most effective when combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise.

How Saxenda works

Saxenda works by regulating your appetite. When you eat, your body releases a hormone called GLP-1. This helps to reduce your appetite as you eat, so you no longer feel hungry. Saxenda works like GLP-1, so it reduces your appetite, helping you to eat less. This can help you consume fewer calories and help you to lose weight.

When does Saxenda start to work?

You should start to experience a reduced appetite on the first day you take Saxenda. However, it can take a few weeks before you notice any weight loss. Saxenda is most effective when combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise.

What to expect when taking Saxenda

Saxenda can help you to lose weight. It does this by reducing your appetite. Therefore, you should not feel as hungry when taking Saxenda. This helps you to eat fewer calories and therefore, to lose weight. You can expect to notice the appetite-reducing effects of Saxenda on the first day you take it, however, it can take a few weeks before you notice any reduction in weight.

The amount of weight loss on Saxenda varies from person to person, so it is impossible to predict the outcome. However, you should combine Saxenda with a low-calorie diet and exercise to achieve the maximum benefit from Saxenda. 

When you first start taking Saxenda, the dose is increased over a period of 5 weeks, until you achieve the maximum dose. This helps to prevent side effects, but some people do still experience side effects on Saxenda. The most common side effect is nausea, but this should resolve over time as you get used to the medication.

How much weight loss can you expect on Saxenda?

The amount of weight you can lose on Saxenda depends upon a number of different factors. In one trial involving over 3000 participants studied over 56 weeks, 85% of people lost weight on Saxenda. Approximately 60% of people lost over 5% of their body weight, about 33% lost over 10% of their body weight and around 6% lost over 20% of their body weight. The weight loss experienced may be influenced by a lot of different factors, including initial body weight and genetics. Saxenda is most effective when combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise.

Who can take Saxenda?

Saxenda can be used by the following people:

• Adults with a BMI of 27 or more, who have weight-related medical problems
• Adults experiencing obesity with a BMI of 30 or more
• Children aged 12-17 years, with obesity and a body weight of 60kg (9.4stone) or more.

Saxenda should only be used if prescribed by a doctor. 

Saxenda summary

How to take Saxenda

Saxenda should be combined with a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercise. The starting dose of Saxenda is 0.6mg. It is usually increased to the full dose of 3.0mg over 5 weeks. Your doctor may alter this schedule if needed. Always take Saxenda as prescribed.

How to use your Saxenda pen:

1. Remove the pen cap
2. Check the liquid is clear and colourless
3. Attach a new needle and turn it until it is tight.
4. Remove both needle caps, but keep the outer cap, so you can replace it later.
5. If this is the first time you have used the pen, you will need to check the flow. To do this, select the check flow symbol (two dots) by turning the dose selector. Hold the pen with the needle pointing upwards and press and hold the button until the dose selector returns to 0. Check that a drop appears at the tip of the needle. If no drop appears, you can repeat this up to 6 times. If the drop still does not appear, change the needle and repeat this once more. If the drop still does not appear, the pen is faulty and should not be used.
6.  Select the dose by turning the dose selector at the top of the pen until you see the required dose in the dose selector window. 
7. Inject the dose into the skin of your abdomen, upper arm or front of your thigh. To do this, insert the needle into the skin, then press down on the button and hold it down. The dose selector will return to 0. You should continue to hold the button down for another 6 seconds to ensure you receive the full dose. You can then remove the needle from the skin and release the button. 
8. Remove the needle and dispose of it safely. Do not replace the needle cap, unless you do not have a sharps container. If you do not have a sharps container, you may carefully replace the outer needle cap onto the needle and store it in a hard plastic container until you can dispose of it safely. Do not reuse a needle. 
9. Replace the pen cap on the pen.

You can find a video on how to use your Saxenda pen here.

Where to inject Saxenda

Saxenda can be injected into your abdomen, upper arm or front of your thigh. Saxenda should be injected into the skin, not into a muscle or vein.

Which Saxenda dose do I need?

Your Saxenda dose will depend upon what your doctor has prescribed and how long you have been taking Saxenda. The usual doses of Saxenda are listed below:

• Week 1 = 0.6mg
• Week 2 = 1.2mg
• Week 3 = 1.8mg
• Week 4 = 2.4mg
• Week 5 - 3.0mg

Your doctor may have adjusted these doses to something more suitable for you. If that is the case, you should take Saxenda as instructed by your doctor. If you are unsure of which Saxenda dose to take, you should contact your doctor for advice.

How many doses are there in a Saxenda pen?

The number of doses in a Saxenda pen depends upon the dose you are taking. If you are taking the full 3.0mg dose, a Saxenda pen should last you 6 days.

When to take Saxenda

Saxenda can be taken at any time of day. It is not affected by your mealtimes. It is recommended that you try to take Saxenda at the same time every day.

What to eat on Saxenda

Saxenda works best with a low-calorie diet. Even though you’re cutting out calories, it is important to maintain a balanced diet, to ensure you get all the nutrition you need. If you experience nausea when taking Saxenda, you may find that it helps to eat bland, low-fat foods, like toast and rice, or foods with a high water content such as soup.

When to stop Saxenda

After taking the maximum 3.0mg dose of Saxenda for 12 weeks, it should become clear if it is an effective weight loss option for you. You should only continue to take Saxenda after this time if you have lost at least 5% of your initial body weight. Always speak to your doctor before you stop taking Saxenda.

Saxenda Side Effects

Like all medications, Saxenda has a risk of side effects. The most common side effects, affecting over 10% of people taking Saxenda are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. These side effects usually resolve within a few days or weeks of starting Saxenda. 

Other common side effects include dizziness, low blood sugar, pain at injection sites, fatigue, and heartburn.For a full list of side effects please see the patient information leaflet included with the medication. 

In rare cases, serious side effects have been reported from taking Saxenda. These include anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Therefore, if you experience any breathing difficulties, swelling of the face and throat, rapid heartbeat or severe and persistent abdominal pain, you should seek emergency medical attention.

Contraindications

Saxenda must not be used by anyone with an allergy to liraglutide or any of the other ingredients contained in Saxenda. You should also discuss the risks with your doctor if you:

• Have heart failure
• Are over 75 years of age
• Have problems with your liver or kidneys
• Have gastroparesis or an inflammatory bowel disease
• Are diabetic or have a history of any other problems with your pancreas
• Have thyroid disease

Always inform the prescribing doctor of any health pre-existing conditions, so they can help you assess the safety of the medication.

Drug interactions

Saxenda can interact with various medications including diabetes medications and blood-thinners such as warfarin. Always tell the prescribing doctor about any medications, supplements or herbal remedies you are taking and ensure you read the patient information leaflet before use.

Saxenda and alcohol

You should avoid drinking alcohol whilst taking Saxenda as it may negatively affect your blood sugar levels. Alcohol also has a high calorie content, so is best avoided when trying to lose weight.

Saxenda and diabetes

If you have diabetes, your doctor may adjust the doses of your diabetes medications, to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

Saxenda and pregnancy

Do not use Saxenda if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding. It is not currently known if Saxenda could have harmful effects upon your child, therefore, you should avoid using Saxenda during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Saxenda vs Orlistat

Saxenda and Orlistat are both prescription weight loss drugs, but they work in completely different ways. Orlistat works by preventing the digestion of fat, whereas Saxenda reduces your appetite, to help you reduce your calorie intake. 

There are currently no studies available that directly compare the efficacy of Orlistat and Saxenda. However, a 24-week study on Orlistat found that patients lost an average of 4.65kg, whereas a 56-week study on Saxenda found that patients lost an average of 7.8kg. 

One of the key differences that will affect your decision is that Saxenda is a self-injectable drug, whereas Orlistat is a tablet. In addition, Orlistat is intended for patients with a BMI of 30 or more, whilst Saxenda can be taken by patients with a BMI of 27 or more. If you are not sure which treatment is best for you, you should discuss your options with your doctor.

Can I take Saxenda with other weight loss treatments?

When you take multiple medications, they have the potential to interact with each other. Interactions can cause medications to become less effective, their effects may be increased too much, or, they may have more significant side effects. So, combining different medications can be dangerous.

The safety of taking Saxenda with other weight loss treatments has not yet been fully assessed. Therefore, if you wish to combine Saxenda with other weight loss medications, supplements or herbal remedies, you should consult your doctor first, to assess the safety implications.

Which needles should I use with Saxenda?

Saxenda should only be used with Novo Nordisk disposable needles. These need to be purchased separately. These needles are available from Dr Felix along with a sharps bin for safe disposal.

Who makes Saxenda?

Saxenda is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

Will Saxenda work for me?

It is impossible to predict whether Saxenda will work for you, however, in a study of over 3000 participants, approximately 85% of them did achieve some weight loss on Saxenda over 56 weeks of use. In the same trial, 60% of people had lost over 5% of their bodyweight, 33% had lost over 10% of their body weight and 6% had lost over 20% of their body weight. The amount of weight loss can vary on numerous factors including adherence to a low-calorie diet and exercise, initial body weight before taking Saxenda and other genetic and physiological factors. Saxenda should be taken in combination with a low-calorie diet and exercise to be effective.

Will Saxenda cause diabetes?

There is no evidence to suggest that Saxenda causes diabetes. In fact, the active ingredient in Saxenda is a diabetes treatment, so it may reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Some people can experience low blood sugar when using Saxenda, but this is different from diabetes.

Who gives Saxenda injections?

How should I store Saxenda?

A new Saxenda pen should be stored in the fridge. After using it for the first time, you can store Saxenda in a fridge or at room temperature, providing that it is between 15-30°C.