How long does a Saxenda pen last at the maintenance dose?
The maintenance dose of Saxenda is 3 mg once a day. Each pen contains 18 mg of the active ingredient, liraglutide, so a pen should last 6 days once you reach the maintenance dose.
Do I need to increase the dose every week?
Your doctor will advise you when to increase the dose. It is usually increased by 0.6 mg each week until you reach the maintenance dose of 3.0 mg once a day. However, if for any reason your doctor decides you do not need to increase for a week, then you do not need to do so. It’s best to follow your doctor's instructions.
The maximum dose is 3.0 mg once a day and you should not increase your dose any further once this has been reached. If you cannot tolerate 3.0 mg, your doctor may recommend a different maximum dose or other treatment.
Sometimes people will have side effects at higher doses and want to either increase more slowly, or stay at a lower dose long term. This should be fine as long as your doctor is aware.
How many Saxenda pens will I need?
You will need as many Saxenda pens as it takes to reach your weight loss goals or until you decide you want to stop treatment. You can work out how many pens you need by understanding how long they will last depending on your dose.
At the start of your treatment, your daily dose will be low, so one pen should last for 17 days. For the first month of treatment, you will need 3 pens. If you decide to choose a pack of 5 pens, they will last for 6 weeks, until you reach the maintenance dose.
Once you have reached the daily maintenance dose, one pen will last for 6 days, while a pack of 5 pens will last you 30 days.
Saxenda is a long-term weight loss treatment. Your doctor will assess your progress after 12 weeks of taking 3mg a day. You should only continue using Saxenda if you have lost at least 5% of your initial body weight after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose of 3 mg per day. If you haven’t achieved this after 12 weeks, you may want to consider alternative weight loss treatment.
Can I split my Saxenda dose?
It isn’t recommended that you split your Saxenda dose. Instead, you should inject the full daily dose in one go, at around the same time each day.
If you need more medicine than is left in your pen, you can split your dose between the current pen you are using and a new one but only if you have been trained to do so by your doctor or nurse. If you have not been trained or are unsure how to split the dose between two pens, you should inject the dose with a new pen.