Medical Weight Loss Treatment

Weight Loss Injection Pen.
Losing weight in itself is a challenging task, it requires you to stay consistent and motivated to achieve the desired weight. Often, the most common hurdle is overcoming hunger. Saxenda, if it is used correctly, can enhance your weight loss journey when combined with a tailored systematic approach looking at hormones, nutrition and exercise.

What Is Saxenda?

Saxenda (liraglutide) is a prescription-only medication that is US FDA and Singapore HSA-approved for the treatment of obesity (BMI >30, or >27 with a comorbidity). The medication acts like the hormone Glucagon Like Peptide- 1, which is produced after a meal to signal to the brain to stop eating, so as to reduce appetite and food intake.

Used for a period of 3-6 months together with regular exercise and a balanced diet, most individuals can achieve weight loss of 5-10% of their body weight. Significant weight loss will give added benefits, with improvement in obesity-related conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and sleep apnea. Not forgetting the aesthetic benefits of looking years younger!

Lose Weight And Keep It Off

Saxenda has been clinically proven in multiple peer-reviewed studies. In one particular research paper 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.

How Saxenda Helps With Weight Loss

Reduces Leptin Resistance
Leptin resistance causes us to feel hungry and eat more even though we have sufficient fat stores. Saxenda helps to change our biochemistry in the body, allowing for weight loss to occur and keep off the weight that you are losing.
Improves Insulin Sensitivity
Saxenda helps to reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar. This activates hormone-sensitive lipase and results in more fat burning over time.
Acts as a Glucagon Suppressant
Saxenda helps to reduce hyperglucagonemia (high glucagon levels) which promotes normal glucose metabolism in the body and in the liver.
Reduces Appetite Saxenda helps to reduce appetite by slowing down gastric motility. The reduction in calories is coupled with lower leptin levels which results in weight loss over time.
Increases Metabolism
Saxenda helps to improve your metabolism over time through its effects on leptin levels.

How Does The Saxenda Pen Work?

The Saxenda Pen is a unique injectable device prefilled with the liraglutide drug. The drug behaves like a hormone in the body that helps to regulate your appetite. When injected, the feeling of hunger is reduced, and your tummy begins to feel satisfied with eating less. Unlike other drugs, this ‘smart drug’ only activates when food intake and absorption into the blood occurs.

It does not work when there is no food intake, unlike other drugs that cause hypoglycemia. This hypoglycemia effect is not present in liraglutide. However, the dose used should be slowly increased to avoid side effects. For example, liraglutide can cause dizziness, nausea and abdominal discomfort if the dose is not slowly titrated upwards.

While the drug may seem like an easy weight-loss method, it does not replace the fundamentals of weight management – diet and exercise. It is meant to complement your overall weight loss regime, especially in adults who are morbidly obese. Our doctors and team of healthcare professionals will advise you on the proper dosage for you. Furthermore, they will provide you with an appropriate diet and exercise plan that you can follow.

*Saxenda is an independent weight loss procedure that is legal in Singapore. Should you have queries on the drug, please contact us. We will be happy to help answer any questions you may have.

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.

Learn How to Use the Once-Daily Injection Pen

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.

Is Saxenda Safe? Are There Any Side Effects?

Yes! Saxenda has been approved by the U.S. FDA for weight loss since Dec 2014. It has a long-term safety profile and is being used 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. They usually dissipate when the body gets used to the drug or with cessation.

Saxenda is NOT suitable for candidates with the following conditions:

Pregnant Mothers.
Psychiatric Disorders.
Liraglutide Hypersensitivity.
Personal/Family History of Thyroid Cancer.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasm Syndrome Type 2.

Understanding The Saxenda Pen

NovoFine® 32G Tip Needle Technology

The Saxenda® pen can be used with NovoFine® 32G Tip, one of the thinnest and shortest needles available from Novo Nordisk. The short and thin needle is designed to be used with the Saxenda® pen and is intended for subcutaneous injection. After subcutaneous injection, Saxenda® has a half-life of 13 hours, which makes it suitable for once-daily administration.

Getting Started On Saxenda At VIDASKIN!

Saxenda reduces the rate of gastric emptying, potentially causing Saxenda to slow the absorption rate of other oral drugs. Providers should take caution when patients are taking oral medications concomitantly with Saxenda, as a decreased oral absorption rate reduce clinical effectiveness of important medications.

This is an option for those who are seeking to manage their weight and take the first step into a healthier body and lifestyle. Not sure if you will be suitable? A consultation with Dr. Vicki or Dr Elizabeth can help with that.

Drop by for a private consult today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Painful Injecting With The Saxenda Pen?

Injecting with the Saxenda pen is 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 VIDASKIN 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 makes it easier for you to adhere to the plan. So if you are 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.

What Should I Do If I Miss My Dosage Of Saxenda?

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.

How Do I Handle And Store Saxenda At Home?

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.

What Should I Do If I Want To Stop Taking Saxenda Completely?

We recommend working your way backwards on the dosing schedule i.e. decreasing your dosage weekly.

How Should The Saxenda Pen Be Disposed?

Before disposing of Saxenda, safely remove and discard the needle. This is an important step as needle contamination can cause infection and leakage. Throw away used Saxenda pens that have been opened for 30 days.