Nervous About Injecting Saxenda?

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Read our expert advice around injecting Saxenda. We’ll cover the needles, how it feels to inject as well as our tips if you’re feeling nervous before your first dose.

*Be advised, there is a photo of a small needle further on in this post

Is Saxenda available as a tablet?

No, it is only available as a solution which must be injected using a pre-filled pen into the fatty layer just under the skin. This is called a subcutaneous injection.

How big are Saxenda needles?

Saxenda needles are 4mm long and 32 gauge. They are one of the shortest and thinnest needles available.

Gauge is the measure of how thin a needle is, 32 gauge (or you might see 32G on the packaging) is one of the thinnest needles available. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the needle.

You might assume that it’s only the length of a needle which determines how uncomfortable an injection might be, but actually, the gauge makes a huge difference as well. The thinner the needle, the more comfortable the injection.

The needles used with Saxenda are very short and very thin, as they only need to get the medicine into the fatty layer just below the skin. This also makes them more comfortable to use than you might think or be worried about.

This photo shows a real Saxenda needle next to a few small items my children lent me under strict instructions to “look after properly”. You can see how tiny the needle really is.

What does injecting Saxenda feel like?

You might feel a small pinch-like sensation when the needle first pierces your skin but that is usually all. We have nerves in the top layers of our skin which, when prodded with something sharp, send our brains a pain message in order to protect us.

These nerves are barely present in the fatty layer just under our skin, meaning that once the needle has pierced you, the pinching sensation should stop. Once the needle is inserted and you are administering your dose, you are very unlikely to experience discomfort.

To try to put it in some kind of perspective, if you have ever had a piercing, a vaccination or one of those finger-prick blood tests then a Saxenda injection is likely to be far less uncomfortable for you than any of those.

If that’s not particularly helpful, then think of injecting Saxenda as similar to getting a nettle sting - very short and a little sharp but quickly forgotten about.

Tips for your first Saxenda dose

If you are feeling nervous about your first dose of Saxenda, here are our top tips.

Lie back to administer your dose

Often when we are feeling nervous about something, especially an injection, our bodies can make us feel light-headed or nauseous. This is our body’s way of trying to warn us of danger, and can be incredibly difficult to override with our mind.

By reclining, you are in a restful position and this can help tackle some of those nervous feelings and sensations. Make sure you have everything you need to hand and that you can clearly see your abdomen, or the site where you want to inject.

Once you have given yourself your dose, stay reclining for a while to let yourself calm down before giving yourself a well deserved pat on the back for getting through something you find difficult.

Ask a friend to be with you

Involving our friends and family in any weight loss plan is proven to help you stick with it and if you’re feeling nervous about your first Saxenda dose why not ask one of them to sit with you.

A friendly face and having someone you trust close by is a powerful, reassuring way to conquer feelings of nervousness or worry. You could also print out the steps for the injection and they could help prompt you as you get more comfortable with the process.

That said, your Saxenda, needles and sharps box should always be kept out of reach and sight of children.

Choose a comfortable injection site

While Saxenda can be injected into the abdomen (tummy), upper arm or front of the thigh, our customers generally tell us that the abdomen is the more comfortable site to give yourself your injection. The ideal location on your tummy is somewhere below your belly button but above your hip line.

With Saxenda, there is no need to rotate injection sites (inject in a different place each day). You might want to move around a little bit each day for comfort but if you find an area that is better for you then stick with it.

Keep your Saxenda at room temperature

Once you start using a Saxenda pen, you can keep it at room temperature (below 30 degrees centigrade) until the pen is finished.

Using Saxenda straight from the fridge can result in a more stinging sensation than when used at room temperature. This is just due to the temperature difference between the Saxenda and your body. It is perfectly safe to use Saxenda straight from the fridge, but you will probably find it more comfortable to wait a while for it to warm up.

We wish you the very best on your weight loss journey and are always happy to talk and advise as best we can. Our clinical team is available at [email protected] or 01295 262925, Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm.

Back to the Saxenda main page for more information.