Saxenda Weight Loss Injection Pen In Singapore
Lose weight by reducing your appetite and increasing your fullness hormones.
SaxendaⓇ is a medicine containing the drug Liraglutide. It is prescribed by our doctors as a once-a-day injectable medication to help overweight individuals lose weight and keep their weight off. Saxenda does this by controlling the hunger centres of your brain – it will be as if your appetite has become smaller. You will feel full easily and eat lesser. Gradually, with this reduced caloric intake, you begin to lose weight.
Originally created to treat diabetes, Saxenda has been approved by Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for weight loss.
Because this is a prescription medicine, though, it is important to consult a doctor to see if it fits your health profile.
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What Is Saxenda And How Does It Work?
Saxenda is an injection pen pre-filled with the Liraglutide weight loss medication. It is used as aweight loss treatment in Singapore. When used with appropriate lifestyle changes like increased exercise and healthier eating habits, it can help obese individuals or overweight patients with weight-related medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol lose and maintain their weight loss.
In turn, this can reduce obesity related complications such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, a shorter life span, and even sleep apnea.
Saxenda is a weight-loss medication that is legal in Singapore. Please contact us if you have any questions about the medicine. We’ll be pleased to assist you with any enquiries you might have.
Find out more about the science of how Saxenda works in our FAQs below.
Why Should I Get Saxenda At SL Aesthetic Clinic?
At SL Aesthetic Clinic, we will work with you to make appropriate lifestyle changes. A plan will be specifically designed to introduce micro-changes to your lifestyle – giving you and your body time to acclimatise and incorporate them as part of your daily habits.
This will help you achieve better weight loss results with Saxenda andmaintain and sustain those results.
How Effective Is Saxenda With Weight Loss?
Saxenda has been studied in multiple peer-reviewed journals.
In one particular research published in 2017, 3731 individuals were monitored for 56 weeks. The patients had a BMI of 30 or higher without diabetes, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related medical condition. Two groups of patients were created. Both groups were told to keep their diets and exercise routines in check.
Saxenda was administered to one group and a placebo to the other. One out of every three individuals who used Saxenda lost more than 10% of their body weight. Patients who completed the experiment and lost weight with Saxenda lost an average of 9.2% of their body weight and kept it off for a year. Patients’ cardiometabolic risk factors also improved in a number of ways.
Saxenda is also approved by Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for weight loss.
Is Saxenda Safe? Are There Any Side Effects?
Saxenda is a safe, U.S. FDA-approved weight loss drug. It has a long-term safety profile and isused by patients in over 58 countries, and has close to a 66.9% market share of the global obesity prescription drug market.
Most of Saxenda’s side effects are mild, dose-dependent, and typically gastrointestinal-related. They usually dissipate when the body gets used to the drug or with cessation.
About less 0.3% and 1.5% of liraglutide-treated patients developed acute pancreatitis and acute gallbladder disease respectively – these numbers are still being investigated and a causal link has not been confirmed.
Read the FAQ below to learn more about its side effects.
How Do I Use Saxenda?
Saxenda is a prescription-only injectable medication – you will be required to inject the medicine on your own at home. This is simple to perform and our doctors will show you how to do this safely.
Saxenda is usually injected daily on the skin surrounding the abdomen, thighs, or upper arms or as directed by our doctor. You should not inject this medication directly into your veins or muscles. And you should never share your Saxenda injection pen with another person.
Follow our doctor’s instructions carefully. We will start your Saxenda treatment with a low dose and gradually increase it over the coming weeks.
When you first start Saxenda, you may experience nausea, its most common side effect. This is normal and usually goes away as your body adjusts to the medication.
Learn more about our recommended Saxenda treatment schedule by reading the FAQ below.
Is It Painful Injecting With The Saxenda Pen?
Injecting with the Saxenda pen is generally not painful and well-tolerated by most patients. Patients liken the sensation to a light pinch on the skin. The nano 4mm 32 gauge needles on Saxenda injection pens are the smallest and finest available for injection pens, and about as thin as 2 strands of hair.
Will My Weight Rebound If I Stop Saxenda?
Adherence is key to managing your weight. The easier it is for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the better you will be at sticking to it.
That is why at SL Aesthetic Clinic, we will work with you on a plan to introduce a series of micro-changes to your lifestyle and eating habits – giving you and your body time to acclimatise and condition. Over time and with practice, these changes are eventually incorporated as part of your lifestyle habits that you can perform with ease.
Saxenda is used to make it easier for you to adhere to the plan. So if you’re already quite far down the plan and decide to stop taking Saxenda, you would have already changed your lifestyle and eating habits for the better and should not see your weight rebounding.
Am I A Suitable Candidate For Saxenda Weight Loss In Singapore?
In Singapore, the Saxenda weight loss injectable is recommended for use in individuals with the following BMI and health conditions:
- BMI of 30 or higher
- BMI of 27 or higher, as well as at least one weight-related ailment, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure
Our free calculator can help you figure out your BMI.
Find out if Saxenda is for you. Contact us now!
Important Safety Information
Use a brand new needle straight from its original packaging each time you inject with the pen. You MUST NOT share the Saxenda injection pen with anyone else, even if they are family. This is to prevent cross-contamination or transfer of diseases. Always seek medical advice if you are unsure.
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FAQ
Want to geek out and find out how Saxenda works? Take a deep dive with this video:
Liraglutide works in the body similar to the human body’s glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, helping to control your appetite. The feeling of hunger is diminished after injection, and your stomach begins to feel satisfied with less food. Unlike other medications, this “smart drug” only comes into play when food is consumed and absorbed into the bloodstream.
A box of 3 Saxenda pens at SL Aesthetic Clinic costs S$388. Price is subject to GST.
You are suitable if you are:
- obese (BMI ≥30) with or without weight-related medical problems
- overweight (BMI ≥27) with weight-related medical problems (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes)
Saxenda may not be suited for:
- Patients under the age of 21
- Patients currently on insulin therapy for diabetes
- Those taking other prescriptions, over-the-counter, or herbal products for weight loss as these have not been tested
- Pregnant and breast-feeding women or those planning to conceive
- People with pancreatitis as this has not been studied
- People or whose family members have had MTC (medullary thyroid cancer) or MEN 2 (Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2)
Saxenda is generally well tolerated and doctors will gradually increase the dose over a few weeks to minimise risk of side effects.
When you initially start taking Saxenda, the most common adverse effect is nausea, which usually goes away as your body adjusts to the medication.
Other common side effects of Saxenda are similarly gastrointestinal (involving your digestive system) and can include:
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Flatulence
Some patients may also get headaches, low blood sugar, dizziness, fatigue or changes in tastes as well. These side effects are temporary and will dissipate over time. If any of these side effects persist, discontinue use and speak to our doctor.
Saxenda is an injectable medication that is normally used once a day. It can be injected under the skin at any time of day (but most commonly in the morning), with or without food.
It can be injected into a variety of locations, but the most common is the skin surrounding the abdomen or on the thighs. It is packaged in an injection pen with pre-filled needles. We will show you how to inject this drug correctly during consultation.
Recommended dosage
The Saxenda dosing regimen provided below is a recommendation that helps you progress from the starting daily dose of 0.6 mg to the maximum daily dose of 3 mg.
Following the Saxenda dosing schedule ensures that you get the most benefit from your drug while minimising side effects.
| Week | ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | 6 ONWARDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily dosage | 0.6mg | 1.2mg | 1.8mg | 2.4mg | 3.0mg | 3.0mg (maintenance) |
Review the schedule above and speak to a doctor in a consultation should you have any queries about dosing or adverse effects. We also encourage you to make a follow-up appointment after 4 months for a review.
Of course, you should follow your doctor’s instructions when taking SaxendaⓇ. This supersedes the recommended schedule.
If you tolerate Saxenda well, you may gradually raise your dose until you reach the 3-mg level. After that, do not adjust your dose unless your doctor instructs you to.
Some patients may only need a 2.4mg dose to achieve and maintain the desired effect of appetite control. While lower than the recommended maximum dosage of 3.0mg, this is entirely acceptable.
This also means these patients require less dosage per day and can stretch out their prescriptions for longer. If you’re unsure about your dosage, speak to our doctor to learn more.
When you initially start taking Saxenda, the most common adverse effect is nausea, which usually goes away as your body adjusts to the medication.
If you forget to take Saxenda on a daily basis, take it as soon as you remember. Then, on the following day, take your next daily dose as usual.
Avoid taking an extra dose or raising your next dosage. If you miss taking Saxenda for more than three days, contact us to discuss how you can resume your treatment.
We recommend following the dosing schedule, working your way backwards (i.e. decreasing your dosage weekly).
Do not play with the dosing mechanism (dose selector) of the Saxenda pen as this may affect its calibration and in turn, the dosage that it administers.
We recommend storing all your Saxenda pens, including unopened ones, in a dry compartment of the refrigerator. DO NOT STORE IN FREEZER as this will render the drug ineffective.
Dietary restrictions/limitations on caloric intake and exercise are the cornerstones of a successful weight loss plan. Even Saxenda is intended to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise to help you lose weight. Another appetite suppressant, Duromine (Phentermine) is also available at SL Aesthetic Clinic.
The fact that Saxenda is an injectable drug is its biggest disadvantage. Most other weight loss medications are taken orally in the form of tablets. However, Saxenda is still an effective weight-loss solution. Also, Saxenda can be pricier than most other generic weight loss drugs.
An “improved” version of Saxenda, called Wegovy (semaglutide) has been approved by the U.S. FDA in June 2021 for weight loss. Wegovy is injected weekly as opposed to Saxenda’s daily injections. Wegovy is also easier on the pocket compared to Saxenda.
Wegovy is pending approval from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, which is likely to happen in 2022. Want to find out more about Wegovy? Register your interest with your particulars below and we’ll let you know once the drug is available in Singapore!
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