Saxenda Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Saxenda Injection (liraglutide) is a prescription GLP-1 receptor agonist used for weight loss and weight management in adults and in children aged 12 and older with obesity or overweight. It is given as a once-daily injection under the skin using a pre-filled pen, along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Saxenda works by reducing appetite and slowing stomach emptying.

What is Saxenda Injection

Saxenda is a prescription injection medicine used for weight loss and weight management in adults and in children aged 12 and older who have obesity or are overweight. It is used along with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. It is given as a once-daily injection under the skin using a pre-filled injection pen. Its generic name is liraglutide, and it belongs to a drug class called GLP-1 receptor agonists (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists).

Saxenda Injection uses

• Long-term weight management in adults with obesity (BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater)
• Long-term weight management in adults who are overweight (BMI of 27 kg/m² or greater) with at least one weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol
• Weight management in children aged 12-17 with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg (132 pounds)

Benefits of Saxenda Injection

• Helps lower appetite so you feel less hungry
• Helps you feel full for longer by slowing stomach emptying
• Can help you lose weight and keep it off when combined with diet and exercise

How Saxenda Injection works

Saxenda copies a natural body hormone called GLP-1 that helps control hunger, blood sugar, and digestion. It reduces appetite and slows down how fast food leaves your stomach, so you eat less and feel full longer.

Saxenda Injection dosage

Saxenda is given as one injection under the skin, once a day, at any time of day, with or without food. Inject into the stomach area, upper thigh, or upper arm — do not inject into a vein or muscle. Change (rotate) the injection site each time within the chosen body area; do not use the exact same spot twice in a row.

Do not self-inject unless you have been shown how to do it and how to properly dispose of needles and syringes. Do not use Saxenda together with Victoza or any other medicine containing liraglutide, or with other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. Do not combine it with other weight-loss products, diet pills, or appetite suppressants without talking to your doctor. Never share your injection pen, cartridge, or needle with another person, even if the needle has been changed.

Do not use the pen if the liquid has changed color or has particles in it — contact your pharmacist for a replacement. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, then go back to your normal daily schedule the next day; do not double up. If you miss a dose for 3 days or more, contact your healthcare provider before restarting treatment. Saxenda is meant to be used together with a reduced-calorie diet, increased physical activity, and regular medical follow-up.

Available forms and strengths

• Injection

Side effects of Saxenda Injection

Common

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Indigestion (upset stomach)
• Abdominal pain or upper stomach pain
• Gastroenteritis (stomach bug), mainly in teens
• Headache
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Dizziness
• Fever, mainly in teens
• Injection site reactions such as redness, irritation, or bruising
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially if also taking insulin or a sulfonylurea
• Changes in a pancreatic enzyme called lipase, seen on blood tests

Serious

• Signs of a possible thyroid tumor: lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath
• Signs of pancreatitis: severe stomach pain that may spread to the back, with or without vomiting, fast heart rate
• Signs of gallbladder problems: pain in the upper right stomach area, fever, yellowing of skin or eyes, clay-colored stools
• Severe low blood sugar: extreme weakness, confusion, tremors, sweating, fast heart rate, trouble speaking, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, fainting, seizures
• Fast or pounding heartbeat at rest lasting several minutes
• Signs of kidney problems: little or no urination, swelling in feet or ankles, feeling very tired or short of breath, confusion
• Signs of a serious allergic reaction: swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, fainting, very rapid heartbeat, severe rash or itching, hives
• Signs of liver problems: nausea, stomach pain, fever, unusual tiredness, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, light-colored stools, yellowing of skin or eyes

Warnings and precautions

Saxenda has a boxed warning (the FDA's most serious type of warning) about a possible risk of thyroid tumors, including a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma. This was seen in animal studies, and it isn't known whether it happens in people. Do not use Saxenda if you or a family member has ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma, or if you have a condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

Saxenda can cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can be serious, and may raise the risk of gallstones or gallbladder inflammation. Low blood sugar can happen, especially if you also take insulin or certain diabetes medicines, and can occur in children even without diabetes. Saxenda can raise your resting heart rate, and your doctor should check this regularly.

Saxenda is not recommended for people with severe gastroparesis (very slow stomach emptying), because it further slows how food moves through the stomach. Serious allergic reactions, including severe whole-body reactions and severe swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue, have occurred with Saxenda.

Because Saxenda slows stomach emptying, it can raise the risk of inhaling stomach contents into the lungs during surgery or procedures using general anesthesia or deep sedation. Tell your surgical team you use Saxenda before any planned procedure. Pay attention to any new or worsening changes in mood, thoughts, or behavior, including depression or thoughts of suicide, and tell your doctor right away if these occur.

Do not use Saxenda if you are pregnant, as it may harm an unborn baby. If you become pregnant while using it, tell your doctor and stop the medicine. It isn't known whether Saxenda passes into breast milk; talk with your doctor about whether to use Saxenda or breastfeed.

Saxenda can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may lead to dehydration and, in some cases, kidney injury, even in people with no past kidney problems. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or notice signs of dehydration or reduced urination. Tell your doctor if you have liver problems, since liver damage has been reported with this medicine, and your doctor may recommend a different weight-loss treatment.

There is no specific warning against alcohol, but drinking may increase side effects like nausea or dizziness, and can affect blood sugar, so it's best discussed with your doctor. Saxenda can cause dizziness, so avoid driving or doing other tasks that need alertness or coordination until you know how this medicine affects you.

Storage

• Store unopened injection pens in the refrigerator, between 36°F and 46°F (2°C to 8°C)
• Do not freeze Saxenda; throw away the pen if it has become frozen
• Do not use an unopened pen after its expiration date
• Once you start using a pen, you may keep it in the refrigerator or at room temperature (59°F to 86°F)
• Use an in-use pen within 30 days, then throw it away even if medicine remains
• Remove the needle before storing the pen, and keep the cap on when not in use
• Protect the pen from direct heat, moisture, and sunlight
• Keep the pen, needles, and all medicines out of reach of children
• Dispose of used needles in a puncture-proof sharps container according to local rules, and keep the container away from children and pets

When to see a doctor

Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction: hives, fast heartbeat, dizziness or fainting, trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Saxenda and call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain that doesn't go away, with or without vomiting, which could mean pancreatitis.

Call your doctor if you notice a racing or pounding heartbeat, severe ongoing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, signs of a thyroid tumor (neck lump or swelling, trouble swallowing, hoarse voice, shortness of breath), signs of gallbladder problems (fever, upper stomach pain, clay-colored stools, yellowing skin or eyes), or signs of kidney problems (little or no urination, painful urination, swelling in feet or ankles, tiredness or shortness of breath).

Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of severely low blood sugar, such as extreme weakness, confusion, tremors, sweating, fast heart rate, trouble speaking, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, fainting, or seizures.

If you think you've taken too much Saxenda, get emergency medical help or contact a poison control center.

Tell your surgeon or anesthesiologist that you are taking Saxenda before any planned surgery or procedure that uses anesthesia or deep sedation.

Alternatives

• Trulicity Injection
• Mounjaro Injection
• Wegovy Injection