No matter what stage of your weight loss journey you’re at, there’s no harm in knowing exactly how a medication works.

Whether you’re learning more about your options before talking to a prescriber or want to know how your medication works in your body, we’re here to explain what happens with every injection you take.

So, let’s put our learning caps on and get into the nitty-gritty of what Saxenda injections do to help you lose weight.

What is Saxenda (liraglutide)? 

Saxenda (which contains the active ingredient liraglutide) was the first weight loss injection licensed in the UK. It’s proven to be a very effective treatment for those with a BMI of 30 and above or with a BMI of 27 and above and a weight-related health problem.

The injection comes in a pre-filled pen and is administered once daily. It’s used alongside a low-calorie diet, which helps patients achieve their weight loss goals.

How does Saxenda work? 

Does Saxenda work immediately? 

Saxenda starts working immediately after your first injection. Some people begin to feel the effects of the medicine within a few days of taking it. However, weight loss isn’t usually noticeable for a little while yet.

Weight loss always takes time, and Saxenda is there to help you lose weight and develop habits that will help you maintain weight loss after your treatment.

To lose weight, you must eat in a calorie deficit and continue to do so for a long time. Eating at a deficit of 500 calories daily will lead to a sensible and sustainable loss of around 1-2 pounds weekly.

How long is Saxenda in your system? 

The medicine in Saxenda (liraglutide) is incredibly similar to the GLP-1 we already produce. Still, it lasts much longer because liraglutide has been structurally modified to resist being broken down as easily. This means it can work longer in the body, causing the appetite-reducing effects that often lead to weight loss.

Liraglutide’s half-life is 13 hours, meaning it would take 13 hours for the drug to reduce by half in the body.

For example, let’s say you injected 3.0mg of liraglutide at 8 o’clock in the morning. That dose would have reduced by 9 o’clock at night to around 1.5mg. Because of this, it would take at least 3 days for your body to eliminate Saxenda.

How effective is Saxenda 

Saxenda has been clinically proven to help patients lose at least 5% of their starting body weight within 12 weeks of treatment at its highest dose. This means that when you’ve titrated (gradually increased) your dose up to 3mg of liraglutide daily, you should lose at least 5% of your starting weight in around three months.

If your prescriber has you following a standard dosage plan, you should have increased your daily dose from 0.6mg a day to 3mg a day after 4 weeks of treatment, and you will usually have started to lose weight within this time, too.

Of course, the Saxenda dosage plan can differ from person to person, and you may increase your dose more slowly if you’re suffering from side effects as your body gets used to the medication.

If you don’t lose the expected amount of weight within 12 weeks of taking the highest dose of Saxenda, your prescriber may end your treatment, as this may not be the right medication for you.

The side effects of Saxenda 

Like all medicines, Saxenda may cause side effects in some people, although not everybody will experience these side effects.

Common side effects of Saxenda can include:

• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Diarrhoea 
• Constipation
• Indigestion
• Gastritis 
• Stomach discomfort 
• Upper stomach pain
• Heartburn and acid reflux 
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar – more common in people who take medicines for diabetes)
• Bloating 
• Wind
• Belching 
• Dry mouth
• Feeling weak 
• Feeling tired
• Changes in your sense of taste
• Dizziness
• Insomnia 
• Gallstones 
• Local reactions
• Hair loss

Does Saxenda have to be refrigerated? 

Your Saxenda pens should be stored in the fridge between 2-8°C.

Although the pens must be kept cool, they should not be frozen and kept away from the freezer compartment if you have a fridge-freezer.

When you start using the pen, you can keep it at room temperature, under 30°C, for one month (until you finish).
Remember to keep the pens out of direct sunlight and keep their caps on when they’re not in use to protect the liraglutide solution inside from light.

Saxenda in pill form

Unfortunately, Saxenda doesn’t come in pill form, and the only way to take this medication is an injection. If you don’t like needles, this probably isn’t the news you want to hear. However, there are alternative weight loss medications that do come in pill form!

Semaglutide, sold under Rybelsus, can be taken without injections. However, at the time of writing, it’s only licenced in the UK to treat type 2 diabetes.

Orlistat, the active ingredient in Alli, Orlos, and Xenical, is a clinically proven weight loss medication in pill form. Unlike other weight loss medications, you won’t need a prescription for orlistat, and pharmacists will provide it to suitable patients.

However, you must answer some questions before a prescriber gives you orlistat to ensure it suits you.

How long does a Saxenda pen last? 

How long your Saxenda pen will last depends on what stage of treatment you’re at.

When you begin taking Saxenda, you’ll take a lower dose of liraglutide than you would later in your treatment.

This naturally means that one injection pen will last longer at the start of your treatment than when you take a larger dose later.

How long each pen lasts:

Pen 1: 17 days

Pen 2: 8.5 days

Pen 3: 6.5 days

Pen 4: 6 days

If you follow the standard dosage schedule, your first five Saxenda pens will last 44 days of treatment (about a month and a half).

When you hit the highest daily dose of Saxenda, each pen lasts six days, so five pens last 30 days.

Is Saxenda still available? 

Unfortunately, Saxenda has been discontinued long-term on myBMI. Even though you can no longer get Saxenda, there are other weight loss medications available that might be able to help you.

Wegovy and Mounjaro are the two current injectable weight-loss medications on the market. 

Alternatively, as mentioned above, if the idea of injecting yourself worries you, then there are medications available in pill form.