Weight Loss Treatment Pen

During your consultation, you will need to have the appropriate health and medical criteria, as this decides whether you will be suitable or not. Not only will this prescription item be discussed, so will diet and exercise plans.

The Weight Loss Pen is an injectable prescription medicine that may help some obese adults or overweight adults, who also have weight related medical problems, to lose weight and keep the weight off.

It is not for treating type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

How it works

The Weight Loss Treatment Pen is a weight loss treatment that contains the active substance Liraglutide. It is very similar to a natural hormone that is released into your intestines after you have eaten a meal. Liraglutide helps control blood sugar, insulin levels, and digestion. Liraglutide works by acting on receptors in the brain that help to control your appetite. This in turn makes you feel fuller and therefore less hungry. Ultimately, this may help you to eat less food, manage portions sizes better and therefore lose weight.

Before using the Weight Loss Treatment Pen

You should not use the Weight Loss Treatment Pen if you are allergic to liraglutide, or if you have:

• multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (tumors in your glands);
• a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer); or
• diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

You should not use the Weight Loss Treatment Pen if you also use insulin or other medicines like liraglutide (albiglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide, Byetta, Bydureon, Tanzeum, Trulicity).

To make sure the Weight Loss Treatment Pen is safe for you, tell your doctor or provider if you have:

• stomach problems causing slow digestion;
• kidney or liver disease;
• high triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood);
• heart problems;
• a history of problems with your pancreas or gallbladder; or
• a history of depression or suicidal thoughts.

In animal studies, liraglutide caused thyroid tumors or thyroid cancer. It is not known whether these effects would occur in people using regular doses. Ask your doctor about your risk.

It is not known whether the medication will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor or prescriber if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether liraglutide passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Tell your doctor or provider if you are breast-feeding.

Inclusion criteria

In adult patients with an initial BMI (see below) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese) or an initial BMI of 27 kg/m2 (overweight) or greater in the presence of at least 1 weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or dyslipidemia), this drug is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management.

BMI = Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

Dosing Schedule

Your Weight Loss Treatment Pen has enough medication to last a month and below is a table so you may see how to manage your dose over the month. If there are any questions on this, please consult us.

Week 1: Inject 0.6 mg subcutaneously once a day
Week 2: Inject 1.2 mg subcutaneously once a day
Week 3: Inject 1.8 mg subcutaneously once a day
Week 4: Inject 2.4 mg subcutaneously once a day
Week 5: Inject 3 mg subcutaneously once a day
Maintenance dose: 3 mg subcutaneously once a day

This schedule has been devised to minimise the side effects that you may initially experience when stating the treatment, especially nausea.

With time and the continuation of the treatment, your body should adjust as you move towards the higher dose, meaning that the side effects should reduce. The dose can be adjusted if you cannot suffer the side effects. However, if the side effects persist after two weeks, the practitioner may advise you to discontinue the treatment.

It is advised that you write down the day you started the treatment to stay on course for increasing the dosages as the weeks go by.

Storing the Weight Loss Pen after your first use: You may keep "in-use" treatment pens in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Protect the pens from moisture, heat, and sunlight. Use within 30 days. Remove the needle before storing an injection pen and keep the cap on the pen when not in use.

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you miss your daily dose, use the dose as soon as you remember. Then take your next daily dose as usual on the following day. Do not take extra doses or increase your dose on the following day to make up for your missed dose.

If you miss your dose for 3 days or more, call your healthcare provider to talk about how to restart your treatment.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call you Doctor or 999.

What should I avoid while using the Weight Loss Treatment Pen?

Never share an treatment pen, cartridge, or syringe with another person, even if the needle has been changed. Sharing these devices can allow infections or disease to pass from one person to another.

Side effects

When taking medication, on a general principle, people do suffer with side effects, but this not the same for all people. The Weight Loss Treatment Pen is no different. However, get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to the medication: hives; fast heartbeats; dizziness; trouble breathing or swallowing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor or 999 at once if you have:

• racing or pounding heartbeats;
• sudden changes in mood or behavior, suicidal thoughts;
• severe ongoing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
• signs of a thyroid tumor - swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, feeling short of breath;
• gallbladder problems - fever, upper stomach pain, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes);
• symptoms of pancreatitis - severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea with or without vomiting, fast heart rate;
• severely low blood sugar - extreme weakness, confusion, tremors, sweating, fast heart rate, trouble speaking, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, fainting, and seizure (convulsions); or
• kidney problems - little or no urination; painful or difficult urination; swelling in your feet or ankles; feeling tired or short of breath.

Common side effects may include:

• nausea (especially when you start the treatment), vomiting, stomach pain;
• diarrhea, constipation;
• headache, dizziness; or
• feeling tired.

However, with continued use of the Weight Loss Treatment Pen, the common side effects usually go away after several days or in some cases may last as long as two weeks. A full list of side effects will be enclosed with your pen upon delivery. If the side effects continue or get worse, it is advised that you must stop the Weight Loss Treatment Pen immediately and consult your Doctor or Healthcare Professional.