In particular, Saxenda helps promote weight loss by slowing gastric emptying after meals. This means that food stays in your stomach longer, causing you to feel full.
Saxenda (liraglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It's similar to GLP-1, which is a hormone that your body makes to control appetite. Saxenda (liraglutide) works by acting like GLP-1 in your body. It helps with weight loss by slowing down your gut, thus causing you to feel less hungry.
You may lose about 2%—4% of your body weight. However, during clinical trials, people taking Saxenda saw a significant weight loss of at least 5% after eight weeks of treatment. After one year of using Saxenda, 85% of people lost an average of 21 pounds or 9.2% of their weight.
In the first month, patients typically lose anywhere from 4 to 11 pounds on average while using Saxenda as directed. Most of the initial lost weight occurs in the first 3 to 6 months, after which the rate of loss slows down. But body weight reduction can still continue for those adhering to the program.
Some people starting losing weight in the first 2 to 4 weeks after starting treatment with Saxenda. In studies, significant weight loss of at least 5% was seen after 8 weeks of treatment. After one year of treatment in adults, 85% of patients treated with Saxenda lost weight (an average of 21 lb.
Saxenda is a medication used for weight management, it contains the active ingredient liraglutide. It works by reducing your appetite and increasing feelings of fullness. Saxenda works by mimicking a hormone in your body called GLP-1, which regulates appetite and food intake.
When you first start using Saxenda®, the starting dose is 0.6 mg once a day, for at least one week. Your doctor will instruct you to gradually increase your dose by 0.6 mg usually each week until you reach the recommended dose of 3.0 mg once a day.
In a clinical study over 56 weeks, where patients received Saxenda® alongside a reduced calorie diet and exercise counselling: Three in five people lost more than 5% of their body weight (that was an average of 5kg) One in three people lost more than 10% of their body weight (that was an average of 10kg)
A Saxenda pen lasts for around 2 weeks when you first start using it. When you increase your dose to 3mg per day, each Saxenda pen will last 6 days.
To date, 3 good studies on anti-obesity medications (Belviq, Saxenda and Wegovy) have demonstrated rapid regain once the medication has stopped. In one of these studies, it was after weight loss had been maintained for 3 years – when the drug was discontinued, the weight returned rapidly towards baseline.
Another reason you may be gaining weight on Saxenda is you need more physical activity. Using medication alone is not enough, and getting enough exercise is essential to achieve weight loss results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests 150 minutes of physical activity each week.
Exercise—In addition to diet, increased physical activity is needed for Saxenda to be effective in helping people lose weight and keep it off. It's essential to maintain regular levels of activity to sustain weight loss. Medications—Certain medications can affect how well Saxenda works and vice versa.
If you have not lost 5% of your starting body weight after 12 weeks of taking Saxenda at the 3mg dose, you will need to stop taking it. A different weight loss treatment may be suitable for you, and a doctor or Asda Online Doctor can help.
Saxenda® can be prescribed on the NHS, but only through a specialist weight management service. Typically, it would only be prescribed if: Diet and exercise haven't made a change on their own. A treatment like Orlistat (Xenical) hasn't worked.
Once-daily Saxenda®, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, can be taken at any time, independent of meals. Saxenda® is administered by subcutaneously injecting into the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. The injection site and timing can be changed without dose adjustment.
Alcohol with Saxenda
There aren't any known interactions between alcohol and Saxenda. However, alcohol can cause many of the same side effects as Saxenda. This includes nausea, dizziness, and headache. If you have diabetes, alcohol can lower your blood sugar.
How long does it take for Saxenda to work? Saxenda reaches its maximum concentration in the body 11 hours after injection. It's recommended to follow up with your doctor 2 to 8 weeks after starting Saxenda to see if it's working.
Saxenda is non-addictive, but when you stop taking it, you may experience changes in appetite, and experience nausea and vomiting. This is due to your body adjusting to the change in hormones. Your doctor may suggest slowly reducing your dose in order to minimise the possibility of these side effects.
Some people will benefit from the medication right away while others may not notice any benefit until they are on a higher dose of the medication. People taking Saxenda report a reduction in their hunger and feel full sooner. Some also report an improvement in their cravings for certain foods.
The list price for Saxenda is $1,349.02 for a 30-day supply. Ultimately, the cost you'll pay for Saxenda will depend on your insurance coverage, the pharmacy you use, and whether you qualify for any savings or patient assistance programs. Novo Nordisk, the makers of Saxenda, offers an online cost estimator.
Foods to avoid while on Saxenda® to reduce side effects
Take these tips from the Calibrate medical team for a spin: Avoid fried, greasy, or fatty foods and foods high in sugar: These tend to be the toughest for your body to digest and the most likely to cause nausea while taking a GLP-1 medication.
Eating ultra-processed foods while taking Saxenda will not cause an adverse food-medication interaction, but it may increase the risk of gastrointestinal side effects of the medication, including nausea.
In general, you should cut down on or avoid these foods when taking Saxenda: foods high in sugar, like cakes, chocolates or biscuits.
In conclusion, if you're not losing weight on Saxenda, it's important to talk to a healthcare professional. There may be several reasons for this, including the medication not being the right fit for your needs, not following the recommended guidelines for diet and exercise or weight loss being a slow process.
If you've forgotten a dose of Saxenda®
If more then 12 hours from when you usually take Saxenda®, skip today's dose and resume your course of treatment as usual the following day. If you miss your dose of Saxenda® for three days or more, speak to a doctor about how to restart your treatment, as the dosage might change.