Saxenda® works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry. This may help you eat less food and reduce your body weight. Weight loss normally starts within 2 weeks and continues for 9 to 12 months on Saxenda® treatment.
In rare cases, people have experienced depression or suicidal thoughts during Saxenda treatment. This risk may be higher if you have a history of depression or another serious mental health condition. Due to this risk, your doctor will likely not prescribe Saxenda if you've previously experienced suicidal thoughts.
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.
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. [9.5 kg] weight loss, or 9.2% of their weight). Your results may be different.
They will decide if the medication is still the best option for you and is having the desired effect, however you should only continue over a period of 12 weeks if you demonstrate weight loss of 5% when used in conjunction with a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise.
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.
Serious side effects of Saxenda®
If you experience breathing difficulties or swelling of the face and throat call 999 or visit A&E immediately. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) is also a rare but serious side effect. Pancreatitis is a serious, potentially life threatening medical condition.
The concern with Saxenda is pancreatic cancer. Saxenda lawsuits were filed some years ago alleging the diet drug causes pancreatic cancer. This page was updated in January 2023.
The UK is reviewing diabetes medicine and weight-loss treatments Ozempic and Saxenda after some patients reported suicidal or self-harming thoughts. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it was reviewing safety data on a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Does Saxenda (liraglutide) burn fat? While the process of losing weight involves decreasing the size of fat cells, Saxenda® is not considered a “fat burner.” Saxenda is an FDA-approved weight loss medication that is categorized as a GLP1 receptor agonist.
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.
The ministry told Haaretz: “Several reports of depression and suicidal thoughts during use of the drug have been received, but the rate of reports is low compared to the extent of use.
tingling lips. feeling shaky or trembling. a fast or pounding heartbeat (palpitations) becoming easily irritated, tearful, anxious or moody.
But what effects does Saxenda have on the heart? In clinical trials, Saxenda was found to result in a small drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number) of approximately 2.8 millimeters of mercury. However, treatment with Saxenda was also shown to be associated with an increase in heart rate of 3 beats per minute.
Reduced body weight and improved metabolic control were found with once-daily subcutaneous Saxenda as an add-on to diet and exercise, according to recent study findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
This medication should not be used by people with a personal/family history of a certain type of cancer (medullary thyroid carcinoma) or by people with a certain inherited disease (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 or MEN 2).
The most commonly reported adverse events for this drug when used for weight management have included nausea, hypoglycemia, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, headache, decreased appetite, dyspepsia, fatigue, dizziness, abdominal pain, and increased lipase.
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.
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.
To get the best results out of Saxenda®, you'll need to be eating a reduced calorie diet and increase the amount of exercise you're getting. This will give you the best chance of losing weight and keeping weight off.
Interestingly, more recent studies have shown that semaglutide (Ozempic® and Wegovy®) is more effective at supporting weight loss and type 2 diabetes than liraglutide (Saxenda®). It's not recommended for pregnant women or individuals with a family history of thyroid cancer to take GLP-1s.
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.
Alcohol. Drinking alcohol when taking Saxenda is permitted, but it's important to be mindful of how much alcohol you drink when taking the medication. Drinking too much alcohol while on Saxenda can increase the risk of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.