Saxenda is a prescription medication used for weight loss and long-term weight management in adults who are obese or have a high body mass index (BMI). It reduces your appetite and helps you lose weight by making you feel full faster. It’s usually taken in combination with a low-calorie diet and increased exercise to help you maintain your weight loss. Like other medications, it can cause side effects, but it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for how to use it safely and stop it when you’re ready.

Unlike some other medications, it’s not likely that stopping Saxenda will result in withdrawal symptoms or any other problems that may make you want to take it again. However, it’s important to talk with your doctor before stopping, as you’ll need to know if you have any serious or lasting side effects from taking it in the past that may affect how you respond to stopping it.

If you’ve experienced any of the following serious side effects from taking Saxenda, you’ll want to talk with your doctor about it right away:

Serious allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, hives, or breathing difficulties.

Kidney problems, such as a metallic taste in your mouth and a reduction in how much urine you produce.

A rare but severe side effect, pancreatitis. This can cause pseudocysts to form on your pancreas, which may need to be drained or infected. It can also lead to pancreatic cancer.

High blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Signs of this include a cold sweat, a fast heartbeat, feeling very hungry, a dry mouth, blurred vision and changes in your blood test results. You should always carry something sweet to treat this, such as a hard candy or table sugar.

If you’re concerned about developing these or any other serious side effects from Saxenda, talk with your doctor right away. They’ll recommend ways to ease the symptoms and help you decide whether it’s safe for you to continue taking it or not.

You may need to slowly decrease the amount of medication you take before stopping it completely. Your doctor can help you develop a plan to do this that will include starting with a lower dose and increasing it gradually.

As you’re preparing to stop Saxenda, it’s important to work with your doctor to create a long-term weight management plan. This will include a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. You can find more information about diet, exercise, and weight management in Medical News Today’s Weight Management hub. Your doctor can help you develop a diet that will be right for you, and can also recommend other professionals who can provide support or guidance, such as a dietitian. You can also read more about overweight and obesity, weight loss, exercise, nutrition, and more in our Health Library. You can even find tips for eating on a budget. Your doctor can suggest some foods that will be easy to prepare and affordable to make, as well as provide you with ideas for healthy snacks and drinks.