Saxenda reviews

Saxenda is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics your natural GLP-1 hormone to reduce appetite, increase the feeling of fullness and slow emptying of the stomach. This helps reduce body weight by acting on the brain’s hunger centres.

Adults over 18 with a BMI over 30 (obesity). Or a BMI over 27 (overweight) with a weight-related health condition like prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or sleep apnoea. It must be combined with lifestyle changes like diet and physical activity. You can not use Saxenda if you are pregnant or breastfeeding (as there is no current research) or if you are over the age of 75. Saxenda should be avoided if you have inflammatory bowel disease.

Saxenda is prescribed for weight loss by specialist weight loss clinics. The criteria to be referred to a weight loss clinic varies in each area of the UK. The usual NHS crtieria are a BMI over 35 or over 32.5 if you're Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean. OR a BMI over 30 or over 27.5 if you're of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean origin, and you have a weight related health condition. Weight related health conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease, and some areas may include severe asthma, PCOS and other conditions in their criteria. To be eligible for referral, you usually must have engaged with a local weight loss programme encouraging healthy eating and exercise.

Saxenda costs between £60 to £95 per pen.

Looking at the large studies on Saxenda, people lost 7.5% of their body weight over 40 weeks. Women lost more weight on average than men. However, 1 in 3 people didn't complete the study and stopped Saxenda so did not see any weight loss.

Studies show that if you lose Saxenda, you are more likely to lose weight than using a placebo drug.

As you lose wieght using Saxenda, you can lose belly fat. But it is important to also increase exercise and strength training to help lose belly fat and develop strong abdominal muscles.

How you feel on Saxenda is individual. Some people feel worse due to side effects, whereas other people feel much better due to the benefits of weight loss for their overall health or medical conditions.

There is no specific way to stop Saxenda, it is what works for you. Some people reduce the dose slowly, others stop it immediately.

If you stop taking Saxenda, the effects will wear off so you may feel more hungry or interested in food again. This is why it is so important to change your habits while using the medication. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, including strength training, while using Saxenda and after you stop it will help maintain your weight.

Studies showed that around 1 in 4 people maintain their weight loss over at least 3 years. Which means 3 in 4 people regain weight, which is why dietary changes and exercise is so important.

People lost the most weight over the first 40 weeks of using Saxenda. Saxenda affects people differently, so people may need to reach a higher dose before they start to see weight loss.

Saxenda is known to cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea alongside reducing appetite. This can lead to dehydration and kidney failure which is why it's so important to drink plenty of water while using the medication. Saxenda can also increase the risk of gallstones and pancreatitis, which can be very serious. If you are diabetic and use Saxenda, you may be at risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) and worsneing of diabetic retinopathy (an eye condition associated with diabetes). Saxenda increases the risk of aspiration (where stomach contents go into the lungs) during a general anaesthetic. Finally, in rat studies on GLP-1 medications, there was an increased risk of thyroid cancer in rats, which increased with long term use and higher doses of liraglutide.

If you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea as side effects with Saxenda, this can cause dehydration. If you have these symptoms and feel weak, thirsty or are passing little urine, seek medical advice. Abdominal pain can be caused by gallstones or pancreatitis which are risks associated with Saxenda and you should see a doctor with these symptoms. Some people experience mood change with Saxenda, so please speak to someone if you feel low. The Samaritans are available 24/7 365 days a year on 116 123 or call NHS 111, choosing option 2.

As Saxenda is a fairly new drug, there is limited research on the long-term effects. As it is a new drug, it is still being monitored for safety, and any issue will be flagged up by health safety authorities.