How Does Saxenda Work? Ashcroft Pharmacy
How Does Saxenda Work?
According to a CDC report, in the United Kingdom, 60% of adults are battling obesity and weight-related health issues such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
Many of these individuals seek to lose weight, often requiring pharmaceutical interventions. Among the numerous weight management drugs available, Saxenda is considered one of the most effective options.
Saxenda is an injectable prescribed medicine that is best for adults with a BMI (body mass index) of 27 or higher and children of 12-17 years with or above 60 kg weight.
Saxenda is an effective weight loss drug that helps people fight obesity with reduced calories and increased exercise. But how does Saxenda work? Scroll down to this guide and explore amazing facts about this drug!
Important Facts About Saxenda Weight Loss Pen
Some amazing facts about Saxenda are:
- It mimics the GLP-1 hormone and helps you lose weight by reducing appetite and giving feelings of being full.
- With a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity, Saxenda helps you lose about 5-10% weight within 3-6 months.
- You must inject a Saxenda pen once per day for best results.
- When you lose weight with Saxenda, you can easily maintain your new weight for a long time with regular exercise and a balanced diet.
What Is the Active Component of Saxenda?
Saxenda contains an active component called liraglutide, making the medicine work effectively. Liraglutide is used for diabetes and weight management and is also an essential part of Victoza and Saxenda drugs.
Saxenda (liraglutide) is a daily medicine and you must inject it at the same time every day for effective results. So, consult your doctor to figure out whether this medication is best for you, and go ahead with your weight loss journey.
How Does Saxenda Work? Let’s Indulge In It!
Saxenda (liraglutide) mimics the GLP-1 receptor and acts similarly to the GLP-1 receptor which is naturally produced in your body (intestines) and regulates appetite.
You can inject Saxenda under the skin in your abdomen, upper arm, or upper thigh. Saxenda helps you eat less and lose weight efficiently.
Saxenda also controls your blood sugar levels and interacts with your hunger hormones which include glucagon and insulin.
By interacting with these hunger hormones, Saxenda injections slow down the emptying process of your stomach, offering a feeling of fullness for longer and letting you achieve your weight loss goals in less time.
What Are Other GLP-1 Receptor Agonists?
GLP-1 receptor agonists are insulin mimetics. These medications work similarly to this receptor, liraglutide is one of them. Other GLP-1 receptor agonists are:
- Semaglutide: It is used for diabetes & weight management.
- Dulaglutide: It is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
These agonists interact with this hormone produced in your intestine and show effective results against certain diseases. These drugs can be taken as injections or engulfed as a tablet.
What Are the Effects of Saxenda Injections on Your Body?
Saxenda (liraglutide) mimics GLP-1 hormone which is released from your intestine after eating food. Saxenda makes you feel the same as your body feels naturally after eating.
Once you inject Saxenda into your body, it travels to your brain via the bloodstream, gives signals of fullness, and regulates your food intake and appetite.
Saxenda slows down the digestion process, giving feelings of fullness after meals for longer.
What Are the Effects of Saxenda Injections on Your Brain?
Saxenda pens target the specific parts of your brain, reducing hunger and helping you lose weight. Its complete mechanism of action is:
Act on neurons or nerve cells of the brainstem and hypothalamus, activating parts that signal “I am full”.
Inhibit neurons and do not let them create hunger signals in the brain. It suppresses hunger centers and does not let you eat more frequently.
Target satiety hormones and release leptin, PYY (pancreatic peptide), and GLP-1 hormones, controlling food intake and signaling fullness to your brain.
Alter dopamine levels and affect reward-driven eating and cravings, ultimately reducing food intake.
So, Saxenda alters all the balance and gives such signals to the brain, promoting less hunger and supporting effective weight loss.
What Are the Effects of Saxenda Injections on Your Metabolism?
Saxenda shows minor effects on your body’s energy-burning process and metabolism. However, it increases resting energy expenditure and daily calorie-burning rate, causing significant weight loss.
Saxenda injections manipulate your body’s hormones and alter their way of processing metabolism or food consumption.
It enhances metabolic activity and fat-burning process, reducing appetite, improving your physical performance, and facilitating weight loss.
How Does Saxenda Injection Help With Weight Loss?
When regular exercise and a balanced diet do not yield the desired results, Saxenda (liraglutide) acts as an extra boost in your weight loss journey.
Saxenda works well with physical activity, behavioral therapy, and nutrition activity. It lets you lose 5-10% of your initial weight within 3-6 months along with improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Many users claim that Saxenda (liraglutide) is more effective than other anti-obesity medicines. Its effectiveness depends on the dose, higher dose (3 mg daily) means increased weight loss.
However, you must take Saxenda according to your doctor’s advice and prescription guidelines.
On the other hand, if you discontinue Saxenda pens, you will regain your weight over time. So, if you want to stop using Saxenda, you must focus on your diet and lifestyle changes to maintain your new weight.
How Should You Use a Saxenda Pen?
Saxenda pen is a prefilled injection and you must administer your dose/injection daily by yourself. You must use Saxenda injections in such a way that:
- Carefully read the instructions on the patient leaflet about Saxenda.
- Prepare your pen
- Add a new needle
- Select the right dose
- Inject your desired Saxenda dose under your skin in your upper leg, stomach area, or upper arm according to your doctor’s instructions
- Never inject Saxenda into your muscles or veins
- Make sure to change the skin area each time to avoid lumps formation or irritation. Never inject Saxenda on the same skin’s site daily and do not share your Saxenda (liraglutide) pen with anyone to avoid the risk of spreading infections.
- Always use new Saxenda needles for injection, preventing leakage, blocked needles, infection, and contamination.
- For an effective output, use a Saxenda pen at the same time each day.
Where Do You Inject Saxenda (Liraglutide) Pen?
You must inject the Saxenda dose under your skin in your stomach area (abdomen), upper arm, or upper leg (thigh). However, the abdomen area is recommended as you will not feel it and have a wider area to vary (rotate) the injection site daily.
Who Can Use Saxenda Injections?
Saxenda (liraglutide) injections are best for:
- Obese individuals with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 kg or higher.
- Overweight adults with a BMI of 27 kg or higher who have weight-related conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level (hyperlipidemia), or obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Children under the age of 18 should not use Saxenda injections.
- Saxenda (liraglutide) pens are not best for breastfeeding or pregnant women as their effects are unknown on the fetus/newborn.
What is the Dose Strength for Saxenda?
At the start of the treatment, the initial dose for Saxenda is 0.6 mg once per day. The dose gradually increases every week and reaches its maximum dose i.e. 3 mg per day.
The slow increase improved tolerability and mild side effects. However, if you are still intolerable after 14 days of Saxenda treatment, you must cease the treatment.
How Long Does a Saxenda Pen Last?
At the start of treatment when your dose is 0.6 mg, a Saxenda pen lasts for 17 days while a pack of five pens lasts for 6 weeks.
As you reach your maximum or maintenance dose of 3 mg, one Saxenda pen lasts 6 days while five pens last for 30 days.
How Does Saxenda Work for Diabetes?
Saxenda uses the same active ingredient (liraglutide) used in Victoza, a drug used to treat diabetes. Liraglutide helps patients with type 2 diabetes to reduce blood sugar levels, helping them to lose weight.
However, Saxenda is not approved for patients with type 2 diabetes, while Victoza is a licensed medicine for diabetes. Saxenda is a licensed medicine for weight loss only.
What Are the Possible Saxenda Side Effects?
As all medications show some side effects, the possible side effects of Saxenda pens are:
- Vomiting: Occurs in 15% of patients and a slow increase in the dose will minimize its effect.
- Nausea: Occurs in 40% of patients and resolves within 4-8 weeks.
- Constipation: 19% of patients experience it and fight against it by increasing fiber intake.
- Diarrhea: Occurs in 20% of patients, staying well hydrated will resolve it.
- Dizziness: Only 7% of patients experience dizziness which may resolve in less time.
- Headache: About 13% of patients face headache problems which may be mild and temporary.
However, Saxenda sometimes shows serious side effects which may include:
- Thyroid tumor development
- Low blood sugar
- Kidney problems
- Severe allergic reactions
If you have any family history of certain medical conditions, you should avoid Saxenda. Always take Saxenda according to your doctor's advice to avoid any serious condition developing.
What Are the Tips to Use Saxenda Medicine Effectively?
If you want to lose weight effectively and in less time with Saxenda injections, adhere to the following tips:
- Commit to your daily dose and take Saxenda injection once per day
- Start your treatment at a lower dose and gradually increase it to mitigate the side effects and improve tolerability
- Stay well hydrated to avoid constipation and nausea
- Follow proper injection guidelines
- Adhere to a low-calorie diet and regular physical exercise for effective results
- Track your progress daily and share the results with your doctor
- Comparing Effectiveness of Saxenda to other Weight Loss Medications
Although Saxenda is similar to some other weight loss drugs, their significant differences are:
Saxenda is an agonist of GLP-1 receptors like Wegovy but Wegovy contains semaglutide as an active agent and Saxenda has liraglutide. Saxenda shows significant weight loss with fewer side effects as compared to Wegovy.
Victoza and Saxenda contain the same active ingredient i.e. liraglutide and are injected once per day. Victoza is injected at a lower dose while Saxenda offers a higher dose. So, Saxenda shows more effective results in weight management than Victoza.
Saxenda is an injectable drug while Qsymia, Contrave, and Xenical are available in the form of tablets. These are older medications and not as effective as Saxenda in weight loss.
So, carefully choose the weight loss drug according to its cost, side effects, effectiveness, health benefits, and dosing strength. Discuss everything with your doctor and carefully make the right decision.
How Long Should You Use Saxenda?
There is no set limit for Saxenda treatment. You must use it until you reach your desired weight loss target. After this, you must commit to a balanced diet and physical exercise to maintain your new weight.
How Should You Store Your Saxenda Pen?
You must store your new Saxenda pens in a refrigerator at 2-8°C. Store your in-use pens at a room temperature of 15-30°C or in a refrigerator.
You must discard your Saxenda pens after 30 days. Do not freeze your Saxenda pen and never use frozen injections.
Where Can You Buy Saxenda Pen?
Saxenda injections are available in pharmacies or online. Buy Saxenda online from our UK-registered online pharmacy i.e. Ashcroft Pharmacy for better services and free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Gain Weight Back After Stopping Saxenda?
You can regain your weight once you stop using the Saxenda pen as it will lead you to increased hunger. However, if you commit to a low-calorie diet and increased physical exercise, you can maintain your new weight without Saxenda.
Is Saxenda the Best Weight Loss Injection?
Saxenda is the best weight loss drug than any other medications used for weight management. However, its response depends on your age, health conditions, and other medications you take. So consult with your doctor before taking Saxenda.
How Long Does Saxenda Take to Kick In?
Saxenda reduces your appetite within a few days and you can see significant weight loss within a few weeks of consistent use.
What Happens to Saxenda After 30 Days?
Saxenda pen expires after 30 days. So must discard the Saxenda pens after 30 days even if they have Saxenda left in them.
Can I Take Saxenda Every 2 Days?
You must take saxenda once per day. If you take it once every two days, it will result in low effectiveness. So, always take medications according to your doctor's instructions.
