A female healthcare professional points at a brochure while consulting with a patient at her desk.

Injecting Saxenda: here's how to do it

Watch the video and follow the steps for your injection.

Before your first injection, watch the video and read the leaflet. Below, you'll find what to check, where and when to inject, and what to do if you miss a dose.

Saxenda Instruction Video

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Saxenda Injection Instruction Video
Saxenda alleen op recept: waarom begeleiding van een arts essentieel is bij The Body Clinic

Always check your medication

Check if you have received the correct medication. Also, check if the pen is still within its expiration date and if the liquid is clear and colorless. Is the liquid cloudy? Do not use the pen and contact us.

Woman in white uniform holding a blue medical device at a desk, speaking to a client.

Always check the flow

Use a new needle for each injection. Starting a new pen? First perform a flow check. Turn the pen until you see the flow symbol in the window. Hold the pen with the needle pointing up and press the button until the counter shows 0. A drop should appear on the needle.

No drop? Repeat this step a maximum of 6 times. Still nothing? Use a new needle and try one more time. For a pen you are already using, skip this step.

Person injecting insulin into their abdomen with an insulin pen.

Injecting

Turn the pen to your dose. Inject the needle into the skin and press the button until the counter shows 0. Keep the button pressed and leave the needle in your skin for at least 6 more seconds (count slowly to 6). This ensures you get your full dose.

Your Injection Time and Dose Build-up

none provided
Every day
Inject Saxenda once a day. You choose the time yourself, but preferably inject around the same time each day. You can use it with or without food.
Maag-darmkanaal: langer vol gevoel door vertraagde maaglediging bij medisch afvallen bij The Body Clinic
Where do you inject?
In the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Change the injection site each time.
none provided
Build-up
You start with 0.6 mg per day. Each week, the dose increases by 0.6 mg, until you reach 3.0 mg per day after four weeks. Always follow your doctor's schedule and never increase or decrease your dose yourself.
Brein en medisch afvallen: vermindert de eetlust en versterkt het verzadigingsgevoel bij The Body Clinic
Missed a dose?
Did you remember within 12 hours? Then still take your dose. Is it longer than 12 hours ago? Skip the dose and inject at your usual time the next day. Never take a double or extra dose.

Storing medication and traveling

Store a new pen in the refrigerator (2-8 °C), but not in or against the freezer compartment, as a pen that has been frozen should no longer be used. After first use, you may store the pen for a maximum of 6 weeks outside the refrigerator, as long as it remains below 30 °C.

Are you traveling? Then take your pens with you in your hand luggage, as they can freeze in the airplane's cargo hold. A cool bag helps, but do not let the pen lie directly against a cooling element. Ask your pharmacy for an English-language medication passport.

Bright yellow cylindrical container with a matching lid on a minimalist beige shelf.

Responsible disposal of your waste medication

An empty pen can be disposed of with general waste. If there is still medication in it, it is small chemical waste (KCA): hand in the pen at the recycling center, pharmacy, or your municipality's KCA depot. Always put used needles in a yellow sharps container, never loose in household waste. You hand those in at your municipality, and you can order new ones through The Body Clinic.

A person holds out a clear glass water bottle containing water and lime slices.

Side effects: what can you expect?

Especially in the first few weeks, you may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, an altered taste, or poor sleep are also common. For most people, these symptoms subside after a few days to weeks. This can help:

  • Eat smaller portions, eat slowly, and stop as soon as you are full
  • Limit fatty, fried, and very sweet foods
  • Drink plenty of water, especially with diarrhea or vomiting
  • For constipation, fiber, sufficient fluids, and exercise help
  • Experiencing redness or itching at the injection site? Always change the site.
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Contact a doctor immediately

For: severe, persistent abdominal pain, sometimes radiating to the back, with or without vomiting; severe pain in the upper right side of your abdomen; persistent vomiting or diarrhea with little urination; a rapid resting heart rate that does not subside.

Call 112 for swelling of the face, lips, or throat, or for shortness of breath.

Outside our opening hours, you can contact the out-of-hours GP service, or visit our page on Medical emergencies.

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Frequently asked questions 

  • In moderation. Alcohol can make nausea worse. Read more in Ozempic and alcohol.

  • Contact us straight away, or the out-of-hours GP service if it’s outside opening hours.

  • A small drop is normal. Next time, keep the needle in your skin a little longer, as stated in the patient information leaflet. If this happens more often or if you see a lot of fluid, please contact us.

  • Do not use the pen and contact us.

  • An empty pen (with no medication left inside) can be disposed of with your normal household waste.

  • In that case, the pen is classified as small chemical waste (KCA). Please take it to your local recycling centre or your local authority’s KCA collection point, and do not put it in the general waste.

  • After use, place the needles in a yellow needle container. You should hand this container in to your local council (often via the recycling centre or a chemist’s, depending on local regulations).

  • No, this is not permitted. Needles must always be placed in a needle container to prevent injuries and the risk of infection.

  • You can order a new needle container via our online shop.