Are you ready to celebrate your next chapter? If so, the next step in your weight management journey begins with having the confidence to speak freely with your doctor about your weight. This can be a difficult conversation to have and on average, it takes 6 years for someone to speak to their doctor about their struggles with weight. However, speaking up can help you get the support you need to start your weight management journey and celebrate the positive impact this can have on your well-being and outlook on life.
To help get you started we've put together a simple Quiz that explores where you are at in your weight-loss journey. Fill out the Quiz and use it to start the conversation with your doctor about weight management and help them tailor a treatment plan just for you.
Saxenda® is a prescription medicine that can help you lose weight, when used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical exercise.
Losing weight and keeping it off can be hard, and involves much more than eating less, moving more and having motivation. When you lose weight, it causes changes in the levels of hormones that affect your appetite. This can cause your body to work against you as it tries to gain back the weight you have lost, by making you feel more hungry and increasing your desire to eat.
Continued treatment with Saxenda® can help you maintain your new lower body weight by making you feel fuller and less hungry.
Take the QUIZ to get your weight-loss journey started.
Saxenda® is similar to a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released in your body after eating. Saxenda®, like the natural hormone, helps to control your appetite, making you feel fuller and less hungry.
View the Consumer Medicine Information to find out more about Saxenda®.
Think of Saxenda® as a two-stage weight management journey:
1. Losing weight - weight loss of about 5-10% of your starting body weight can be achieved with Saxenda® when used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical exercise.
2. Keeping it off – continued treatment with Saxenda® can then help to maintain your new lower body weight.
Download the Patient Brochure to learn more.
Obesity usually requires long-term management. Your doctor will make a plan tailored to your weight management goals. Your doctor will check your progress on a regular basis, and assess whether you should continue treatment with Saxenda® every time you get a new prescription.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about your progress on Saxenda® or read more in the Patient Brochure.
Your doctor will assess your progress after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day dose to see if you have lost ≥5% of your body weight. If you haven’t lost ≥5% body weight your doctor may consider discontinuing treatment.
You can find out more about Saxenda® and how it works in the Consumer Medicine Information.
The most common side effects when using Saxenda® are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and headaches. Below are some tips that may help with gut side effects:
The dosing schedule is designed to reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal side effects. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that don’t go away.
Learn more about Saxenda®, including possible side effects, in the Consumer Medicine Information.
You'll work with your doctor to follow a reduced-calorie meal plan and increase your physical activity while taking Saxenda® for weight management.
View the Patient Brochure to learn more about your treatment journey with Saxenda®.
Saxenda® has not been studied in combination with other prescription weight loss medicines or weight loss supplements. Saxenda® has the potential to change how other medicines are absorbed, so caution is advised when taking Saxenda® with oral medicines. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Please read the Consumer Medicine Information before starting treatment with Saxenda®.
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Saxenda® New Zealand Data Sheet.
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Saxenda® is a prescription medicine that is unfunded – a prescription charge and doctor's fees will apply.
Saxenda® is used for weight loss, in addition to diet and exercise, in adults with a BMI ≥30 (obese) or ≥27 to <30 (overweight) and weight related health problems. Individual results may vary. Only continue using Saxenda® if you have lost ≥5% of your initial body weight after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day dose. Consult your doctor before you continue. Saxenda® has risks and benefits.
Ask your doctor if Saxenda® is right for you. Use strictly as directed. If you experience side effects, see your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional. Very common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, headache. Please refer to the Saxenda® Consumer Medicine Information available at www.medsafe.govt.nz, in your Saxenda® pack or access this online at www.novonordisk.co.nz/content/dam/nncorp/nz/en/pdfs/leaflets/Saxendacmi.pdf before taking your medication.