Using Saxenda

Joshua Collins said:Hey everyone,
Just wanted to jump in and let you all know I'm starting Victoza tomorrow... and man, I've got quite a journey ahead of me to drop these pounds. Between dealing with PCOS and just getting diagnosed with early-stage Hashimoto's, my endocrinologist basically told me we have to tackle the weight issue first before we can get everything else under control.
I'll definitely be posting updates here as I go... thanks so much for all the great advice and stories you guys share!

Welcome to the club and good luck!

I figured I’d jump in on this thread and join the conversation.

So, my doctor actually recommended I start on Saxenda today.

I'm planning to head out and pick up my supplies this afternoon once my primary care physician finally sends over the prescription for Glucophage.

Dealing with insulin resistance has been such a nightmare lately—I've been struggling with these brutal headaches, constant dizziness, and my hair is thinning out like crazy... I am just crossing my fingers that I start seeing some real results soon, just like all of you have! 🙂

Hey. Been on Wegovy for 4 months now and I'm down 35 pounds total. This stuff was exactly what the doctor ordered because it absolutely crushed my appetite.
I'm wrapping things up soon since I've got surgery scheduled, so I'll have an unopened box left over. If anyone wants it, shoot me a DM.

@Hannah Hall3/">@@Hannah Hall3, what was the diagnosis before you got the prescription? Did you have insulin resistance or just a high BMI?

High BMI, insulin resistance, PCOS, and thyroid nodules—so yeah, my hormones were a total mess.
My endocrinologist put me on Saxenda to get things ready before I go in for gastric sleeve surgery.

Thanks, I get what you mean.

A friend was trying to explain to me that Ozempic is for one group, while Saxenda is meant for another, and so on. I couldn't quite follow him, but it sounds like every medication falls into its own specific category—whether it's for diabetics, high BMI, insulin resistance, etc. Basically, if anyone actually knows how this works, could you please clear things up for me? 😁

I just had to jump on here and share that I’m feeling absolutely incredible on my second day of combining Saxenda and Glucophage!
It honestly feels like I’ve stepped into a completely different body.

To give you guys an idea of where I was at, I was struggling so much before—I was dealing with constant dizziness, feeling super nauseous, and these pounding headaches made it almost impossible to even go for a walk. I just felt so sluggish, like I was moving through sludge, and I could have slept for twenty hours straight because I was just so exhausted all the time...

But now!!! The shift has been night and day! The very first thing I noticed is that I actually have energy again; those dizzy spells have totally vanished, and while I still feel a tiny bit off, it's nothing compared to before... and when I'm out walking, I just feel so much lighter. I finally managed to get out for a nice stroll today!
Honestly, I am over the moon!

Looking back, I’m actually a little heartbroken that I spent so much time just suffering through all those awful symptoms alone. :/

That is absolutely amazing, Michelle Harris27, I am seriously over the moon for you! Just keep that momentum going and don't look back 🙂 Good luck with everything else!

Liraglutide, specifically Saxenda, is FDA-approved for weight management. You take it once a day.

Semaglutide, known as Ozempic, is officially approved for treating diabetes. That one is a weekly injection.
It isn't technically registered as a weight-loss drug. However, since it clearly helps people drop pounds, doctors have started prescribing it "off-label" for that purpose. Once clinical trials officially prove its efficacy for weight loss, it will get its own approval for obesity treatment. It’ll likely hit the market under a different brand name, not as Ozempic.

*Off-label simply means a doctor is prescribing a medication for a use other than what it was originally approved for.

I hear you. Based on everything people are saying, Ozempic seems way more effective for weight loss than Saxenda—not to mention the fact that you only have to deal with one shot a week instead of every single day.

That said, I can't help but worry about how healthy it actually is for someone who doesn't even need it medically. Is the risk of side effects just too high? I read somewhere that it could even lead to pancreatitis, and honestly, no amount of weight loss is worth that kind of gamble.

To be completely blunt, those medications actually scare me. Just being real with you.

Hi everyone. I just started on Saxenda yesterday after my endocrinologist prescribed it to me. For the first week, I’m staying at 0.6mg, and then the dosage increases every seven days until I eventually hit the 3.0mg mark. I've spent the last year cycling through various diet plans—I've been strictly keto for about six months now—and I’ve always managed to stay within a very tight weight range of plus or minus two pounds. As far as side effects go, I only experienced some mild nausea on day one, similar to that feeling you get when you've overeaten. My medical history includes mild hypothyroidism and insulin resistance. Is it smarter to administer the injection at 10:00 PM, or would morning be better? Does the time of day actually make a difference?

Does anyone know if the results from the Quest Diagnostics lab show up on my MyChart portal, or can only my doctor see them?

They told me everything would be ready in two weeks, but it’s been four now and still nothing! To be fair, they did mention I had a specific test that isn't run very often, so maybe they're just waiting on some reagents to arrive...

Nicole Davis66 said:Hey, I just started Saxenda yesterday. My endocrinologist prescribed it for me. I'm starting at 0.6mg for the first week, then bumping it up every 7 days until I hit 3.0mg. I've tried all sorts of diets over the last year (been doing keto for the past six months), and I always stayed within a +/- 2lb range. As for side effects, I just had some mild nausea on day one, kind of like when you overeat. Health-wise, I have mild hypothyroidism and insulin resistance. Is it smarter to take this at 10 PM, or should I stick to mornings? Does the time of day actually matter?

My endocrinologist told me morning is better. Since it's got a bit of a delayed effect, if you take it at night, that "full" feeling hits while you're asleep. If you take it in the morning, it kicks in around lunchtime, which helps you eat less during the day.

Hannah Hall3 said:My endocrinologist suggested taking it in the morning instead. Since the effects are somewhat delayed, if you take it at night, that window of satiety just passes while you're asleep. Taking it in the AM ensures the peak hits right around lunchtime, which helps keep the snacking under control during the day.

I appreciate the input. My routine usually involves eating around 11:00 or noon, then having lunch once I get home from work around 5:00. I don't really do dinner; if hunger actually strikes, I might just snack on some seeds over a glass of sake or grab a small piece of cheese. I'll try switching to a morning dose this weekend.👍

Amy Kim25 said:Does anyone know if results from Quest Diagnostics show up on my MyChart portal, or is that info only visible to my doctor?

They told me everything would be ready in two weeks. It’s been four, and still nothing. They did mention I had a specific test done that isn't run very often, so maybe they're just waiting on some reagents to arrive...

If I recall correctly, you can see them under your specialist reports.

They usually wait until they have enough samples to justify opening a new batch of reagents. That’s likely the hold-up.

Thanks so much!

How long did it take for you guys to actually see the scale move? I was at 177 lbs this past Monday, and today I’m down to 171.5. Is this just water weight dropping off, or what? My endocrinologist told me not to expect any real weight loss right out of the gate—that it would mostly be about inches rather than pounds—so this sudden drop doesn't really make sense to me.

Nicole Davis66 said:How long did it take for the weight to actually start dropping for you guys? I was at 177 lbs on Monday and now I'm down to 171. Is that just water weight or what? My endocrinologist told me not to expect the scale to budge much at first and that I'd see more progress in how my clothes fit, so this sudden drop feels totally random...

Honestly, I can't really say for sure since everyone's body is its own little universe! For me, the loss started right away, but it was way more gradual—like, maybe half a pound to a pound a week tops.
From everything I've been reading online, some people definitely get that massive initial plunge. In my book, as long as you're feeling great and you aren't starving yourself—like, you're still hitting at least 1,300 calories—then you're doing just fine.
But I'll tell you, things really started picking up speed for me after about three months (and then I had to stop taking Sax because of an upcoming surgery, haha!).

We also have to remember that we're all basically pioneers here since this is all so new. A lot of doctors are still catching up on the learning curve, so they might not have all the answers yet, especially when it comes to how differently each individual person reacts to the meds.

I'm obviously no medical expert, just sharing my two cents!

I’d say I’m hovering somewhere around 1,000 calories max today. So far, it’s just been one protein shake (about 150 calories) and a single rice cake, which is maybe 30. For lunch, I’m planning on some vegetable soup, though I honestly have no idea how much I’ll actually be able to stomach. How do you all force yourselves to eat when you're feeling this nauseous?

I usually just push my meals back a bit later in the day. I haven't really dealt with that constant, nagging nausea where you feel like you absolutely have to skip eating altogether :/

I know, super helpful answer right there, haha! But hey, maybe someone with some more direct experience can chime in.