Where do you inject Saxenda?
Injecting Saxenda isn’t too complicated, but you should still see a clinician in person so they can show you exactly how to do it.
Saxenda must be injected subcutaneously (under the skin) on your stomach, thigh, or upper arm. And it must never be injected intravenously or intramuscularly, so it’s better if you have a healthcare professional direct you on how to do it, to make sure that you don’t make a mistake.
You can change the injection site if you like. But it’s only really necessary if you experience any reactions on your last used injection site, such as bruising, pain or irritation.
When should you use Saxenda?
There is no ‘best’ time of day to use Saxenda, simply use it when it’s most convenient for you. But once you’re set on a time you should use it at that same time each day. The time of day and timing of meals doesn’t affect how well it works. But the active ingredient is at its highest amount in your system for about 13 hours, so you should ideally take it in the morning so the effect stays strong all day.
How long does Saxenda stay in your system?
It usually takes about three days for all traces of Saxenda in your body to go away.
The half-life of Saxenda is about 13 hours. The half-life is the amount of time it takes the quantity of the active ingredient in your system to reduce by half. So if you take 3mg of Saxenda at 7am, by 8pm you should only have 1.5mg left in your body.
How long does a Saxenda pen last?
Usually, you’d start a lower dose and gradually increase it until you reach 3mg a day. There are some guidelines on how long this process should last, but it can vary from person to person so it’s better to speak to one of our clinicians and adjust as you go. Usually, you should progress to 3mg within four to five weeks.
So to start with your usage might go a little something like this:
Four pens, lasting for approximately 44 days (around six weeks),
- Pen 1 = 17 days
- Pen 2 = 8 days
- Pen 3 = 7 days
- Pen 4 = 6 days
For maintenance use where the maximum dose of 3.0 mg has been reached, one pen will last for six days, which means that a box of five pens will last 30 days.]
