What is Saxenda®?
Saxenda®, dubbed the “The Skinny Pen”, is an FDA and MHRA approved prescription injectable medicine, that when supplemented with a well balanced diet and exercise, will help some adults lose excess weight. The active drug in Saxenda® is liraglutide.
How Does Saxenda® Work?
Saxenda® (liraglutide) belongs to a group of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 agonist). Saxenda® works by increasing the release of insulin from the pancreas and decreasing too much glucagon release. This mimics hormones already present in the body and tricks your brain into thinking your are full or satiated.
Can I Use Saxenda®?
You can use Saxenda® if:
- You are an adult, aged 18 and above and understand that Saxenda® is used adjunct to a balanced diet with exercise.
- You have a BMI* of 30 kg/m² or greater (obese)
- You have a BMI of 27 kg/m² and less than 30 kg/m² (overweight) and weight-related health problems such as high blood pressure (hypertension), abnormal levels of fat in the blood (hyperlipidemia) or breathing problems during sleep due to excess weight (obstructive apnoea).
*Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. There are many BMI Calculators available online
Do NOT use Saxenda® if:
- You are allergic to liraglutide or any of the other ingredients in Saxenda®
- You have severe heart failure
- There is little experience with this medication in patients whom are 75 and over, it is therefore not recommended to use this medication if you are aged 75 or over.
- There is little experience in this medication with patients with kidney failure or liver problems. If you have kidney or liver disease you must consult your doctor or prescriber.
- You or your family have or have a history of Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC)
- You have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type-2 (MEN-2), a disease where people have a problem with more than one gland in their body.
- You have severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food.
- You cannot take or substitute insulin with Saxenda® if you have diabetes. You cannot take them in conjunction with one another. You cannot take Victoza with Saxenda® either.
Saxenda® Dosage
The starting dosage is 0.6 mg per day for 1 week. You should increase the dose each week until the dose of 3 mg is reached, as prescribed. Each pen contains 3ml at 6mg/ml
The dosing schedule is designed to help minimise gastrointestinal side effects. Each pen contains 3ml of liraglutide, meaning your first pen will be enough to complete the initial dose, 0.6mg per day, for one week, with 13.8mg remaining remaining in the pen, for all of the week 2 dosing regimen and part of the week 3 dosing regimen.
How Long Does Saxenda® Take to Work?
The time taken for Saxenda® to start working is largely dependent on the individual. If you supplement your dosage with moderate to intense daily exercise (30-6o minutes) and a well balanced lower calorie diet, then you will likely see results quicker than if you did no exercise and continued on a similar diet.
You should only continue using Saxenda® if you have lost at least 5% of your initial body weightafter 12 weeks on the 3 mg/day dose. Consult your doctor before you continue if you have not lost as much weight.
Side Effects & Precautions
Like all medicines, Saxenda® can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Serious Side Effects of Saxenda®
Some severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have been reported rarely in patients using Saxenda®. You should see your prescriber straight away if you get symptoms such as breathing problems, swelling of face and throat and
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 of Saxenda®
Very Common: May affect more than 1 in 10 people
- Feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea, constipation – 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, tired or dizzy.
- Change in sense of taste.
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia). This usually occurs the first 3 months of treatment.
- 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 prescriber 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 heart rate.
Rare: May affect up to 1 in 100o people
- Reduced kidney function.
- Acute kidney failure. Signs may include reduction in urine volume, metallic taste in mouth and easily bruising.
Can You Buy Saxenda® Online?
You can buy Saxenda® online safely from a registered online pharmacy. CloudPharmacy.co.uk is a GPhC and MHRA registered online pharmacy which provides various treatments.
To buy Saxenda® online from Cloud Pharmacy you must first complete an online consultation with a registered prescriber before your order will be supplied. This is to ensure that this treatment is the right one for you and that you are eligible for treatment.
Before you consider buying Saxenda® you must ensure to have read and studied all the details available to you on this page and that you believe you meet the criteria for Saxenda® to be prescribed for you.
