Many people are dispirited when they don’t see results fast enough, or at all, during their weight loss journey.
Although the privation of results even after following a restrictive diet and engaging in moderate to high-intensity physical training for a long time is not a frequent occurrence, it is also not too uncommon.
Rank | Picture | Name | Rating | Shop |
#1 |  | BEST OVERALL - Saxenda | ||
#2 |  | RUNNER UP - Ozempic | ||
#3 |  | Victoza (liraglutide) |
Many people face a lack or complete absence of results when trying to lose weight, which prompts them to look for alternative ways to shed the extra pounds.
While most artificial weight loss aids are usually a scam, some can be a little effective in stimulating the weight loss process.
With that said, using any get-thin-quick scheme can only speed up your weight loss process, that too, when taken in combination with a restrictive diet and regular exercise.
Now, whether you want to use a weight loss aid because you have been trying to lose weight for a while via the traditional route but aren’t getting results or you just want all the help you can get from the start of your weight loss journey, getting the low-down about it is essential to make an informed choice.
Therefore, in this article, we will divulge every little detail about the most popular weight loss injections in the UK so that you know which injectable you should buy for your weight loss journey.
Weight loss injections have gotten immense popularity in the UK over the past few years, especially among highly obese people.
Obesity affects around 13 million adults in the UK, and if the same pattern continues, the NHS could collapse under the weight of Britain’s weight problems.
And that is why corporations are looking for and coming up with new and unorthodox ways to help people lose weight.
The hunt of effective weight-loss methods led researchers to the too good to be true injectables that claim to trim people down by ten pounds in a month.
But do they really deliver what they claim? Can a weight-loss jab be so efficacious? And are weight injections safe?
Well, when it comes to the effectiveness and safety of weight loss injections, experts seem to be at an impasse, struggling to reach a unanimous conclusion.
Some believe that weight loss injections are an effective aid to weight loss while some have reservations regarding the possible side effects of the said weight loss aid.
Nonetheless, people continue to purchase and use weight loss injections in the UK.
If you also want to jump on the weight loss jab wagon, then here is an extensive guide on the most commonly used get-thin-quick injectables for you.
Best Weight Loss Injectables In The UK For 2022 Reviews
Best Overall (Winner) – Saxenda
Featured Specs
- Type: Injectable
- Ingredients: liraglutide (active agent), disodium phosphate dihydrate, propylene glycol, phenol, and water
- Number of doses: One
- Daily dosage: Week 1: 0.6 mg, Week 2: 1.2 mg, Week 3: 1.8 mg, Week 4: 2.4 mg, Week 5 and onwards: 3 mg
- Made in: USA by Novo Nordisk Medical
- MHRA Approved: Yes
Benefits
Saxenda is one of the most popular weight loss injectables worldwide. It was first launched in the US in 2015 to help obese people with their weight loss journey. It got approval from the European Marketing Authorization in 2015; however, it was first marketed in the UK two years later in 2017.
Saxenda is an injectable weight loss medicine that must be only administered subcutaneously into the body and not intravenously or intramuscularly. The drug is supposed to reach the layer of tissue between the skin and muscles. People usually jab it in the abdomen, thigh or the upper arm.
Saxenda is a weight loss aid; therefore, its core benefit is to help in weight reduction. It speeds up weight loss in people who stick to a low-calorie diet and regular exercise. However, studies also show that the said drug keeps blood sugar levels under control and also helps in bringing down cholesterol, blood pressure independent of weight loss.
Drawbacks
Just like every other medication, Saxenda also has potential side effects, which can be quite severe in some cases. The most common and mild side effects of Saxenda include headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation. Typically, these side effects wear out after a few days.
However, some other adverse reactions from taking Saxenda may last long. Those include
- Change in taste
- Flatulence (Bloating)
- Stomach discomfort
- Exhaustion, feeling fatigued.
- Dizziness
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Low blood sugar levels
- Gallstones
- Rashes, blisters or bruise on the injection site
- Depression
- Experiencing suicidal thoughts
- Kidney problems
- Erratic heart rate
- Thyroid tumour
- Cancer
Extra features
Saxenda is not only useful in facilitating weight loss, but it also keeps the user’s endocrinological metrics under control. Although the extent of Saxenda’s impact on a person’s vitals isn’t too significant, it is still enough to warrant a mention.
Buying advice
Saxenda is a fairly effective aid to weight loss, so if you are looking for a way to kick start your weight loss journey, the liraglutide-containing injection is your answer. However, you must consult your doctor before beginning Saxenda based treatment because it can be harmful to people with specific health concerns.
People with type-2 multiple endocrine neoplasia, medullary thyroid cancer, mental health problems are advised not to take Saxenda as it might do more damage. Also, if someone is allergic to liraglutide, then they are also not to take the injection as liraglutide is an active substance in it.
In simple words, if you have any preexisting medical condition or are predisposed to adverse medicinal reactions, then talk to your doctor before buying Saxenda.
Runner up – Ozempic
Featured Specs
- Type: Injectable
- Ingredients: semaglutide (active agent) disodium phosphate dihydrate, propylene glycol, phenol
- Number of doses: one per week
- Daily dosage: Initial dose: 0.25 mg, week four and onwards:0.5 mg, your doctor may increase your dose to 1 mg if need be.
- Made in: USA by Novo Nordisk Medical
- MHRA Approved: Yes
Benefits
Ozempic is an injectable prescription medicine that is given to people with type-2 diabetes to control their blood sugar. It is essentially not a weight loss drug; however, it may facilitate weight loss if taken along with a restrictive diet and regular exercise.
Ozempic is a non-insulin drug that controls the user’s blood sugar and promotes insulin production in the body. With that said, if you are on insulin, you cannot replace it with Ozempic. Just because the semaglutide-based injection stimulates, insulin production doesn’t mean you can cease administering insulin.
Ozempic can bring down a person’s blood sugar levels significantly. It also reduces the risk of a bunch of cardiovascular disorders such as heart attack and stroke in type-2 diabetes patients.
Although Ozempic’s primary function isn’t weight loss, it can still help people lose extra pounds. It keeps users satiated for longer durations reducing their calorie intake. Hence, if people use it along with some lifestyle changes, they may see results faster.
Drawbacks
The drawbacks of Ozempic are pretty similar to that of any other weight loss pill. Some of the most common side effects of consuming Ozempic are inflammation in the pancreas, dangerously low blood sugar levels, kidney problems, allergic reactions.
You may also experience anxiety, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, irritability, headache, blurred vision and mood swings. The common side effects of Ozempic are easily manageable; however, some side effects of the said injection may be more serious. Those include thyroid tumours and cancers such as medullary thyroid carcinoma.
If you face difficulty in swallowing, or feel a lump in your throat or sound more hoarse than usual, consult your doctor right away.
Extra features
Even though Ozempic is not a weight loss pill, it can greatly help you reduce weight while controlling your vitals. Plus, it reduces your risk of a bunch of potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases.
Buying advice
Studies show that Ozempic can be more effective for weight reduction than Saxenda. During trials, people who used the semaglutide-based injection lost more weight than those who were on the liraglutide-based injection.
So if you have type-2 diabetes and you also wish to lose weight, then Ozempic is an excellent option for you. You will get to not only control your blood sugar but also reduce weight. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.
However, you shouldn’t start taking Ozempic on your own. First, consult your doctor and go through thorough medical testing to ensure that you are physically fit and well-suited to take weight loss shots.
If you have any medical ailment that might be aggravated by the consumption of Ozempic, then seek medical advice before starting any treatment.
ALTERNATIVE – Victoza (liraglutide)
Featured Specs
- Type: Injectable drug
- Ingredients: liraglutide (active ingredient) disodium phosphate dihydrate, propylene glycol, phenol, and water
- Number of doses: one per day
- Daily dosage: Week one: 0.6 mg, Week two: 1.2 mg (if more glycemic control is necessary then you may increase the daily dosage to 1.8 mg after another week)
- Made in: USA by Novo Nordisk
- MHRA Approved: Yes
Benefits
Victoza is a liraglutide-based injectable drug that is prescribed to people with type-2 diabetes, but it can be given off-prescription to obese people to weight loss. It has to be taken as an adjunct to a low-calorie diet and regular physical training sessions. It is one of the mildest Saxenda alternatives.
Victoza is excellent at improving glycemic (blood sugar levels) control in people with type- diabetes. It also decreases the risk of possible deadly cardiovascular conditions such as non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and heart attack.
Victoza can aid weight loss by keeping users full for prolonged durations and slowing down the absorption of glucose in the body.
Drawbacks
The standard drawback of using Victoza is developing adverse reactions to it. One might experience the following side effects after taking a shot of the injectable medicine.
- Digestive issues: nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting
- Pancreatitis: Inflammation in the pancreas is one of the most common side effects of using Victoza. It is typically indicated by excruciating pain in the abdomen with or without vomiting.
- Hypoglycemia: A condition characterized by a sudden and dangerously low drop in the blood sugar levels, which is indicated by dizziness, feeling faint, confusion, blurred vision, hunger, drowsiness, fast heartbeat, shakiness, feeling jittery, anxiety, difficulty forming words.
- Kidney problems: A person can develop a host of kidney issues due to consumption of Victoza. If you constantly feel nauseous and have diarrhoea, then the chances are your renal system is under attack. Consult your doctor right away and stop taking the drug.
- Allergic reactions: Developing dermatological allergic reactions to Victoza usage is pretty common. A person can get blisters, rashes, and redness anywhere on their skin. Some may even experience swelling of face, lips, tongue, and throat.
- Gallbladder problems: Studies have shown that people using Victoza are susceptible to gallbladder problems. If you experience stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, visit your doctor immediately.
Apart from the mentioned side effects of Victoza, users can also develop potentially life-threatening conditions such as thyroid tumours including medullary thyroid cancer.
Extra features
Victoza pretty much offers the same added features as Ozempic. You can have a steady blood sugar level by using the liraglutide-based injection, even if that wasn’t your main aim behind starting the injectable treatment.
That is, if you tale Victoza off-prescription to lose weight, you will also have a stable blood sugar level. And if your doctor prescribes you the medication because of your diabetes, then you will also be able to lose weight. So, you get two benefits with just one drug.
Buying advice
When it comes to buying advice on medicines and other medical supplies, the best and safest practice is to listen to your doctor. However, since Victoza can be taken off-prescription, you may decide to administer it after doing some research yourself.
Victoza is an effective medicine that has shown results in people trying to lose weight loss. It is one of the oldest weight loss shots that were approved by the relevant healthcare authorities.
So, if you believe that Victoza’s age makes it superior to its relatively recent counterparts, you should definitely buy it. With that said, Victoza and Saxenda are pretty much the same in chemical composition; the only difference between the two is that the latter is a higher dose of the former.
Weight Loss Injections FAQ
How does Saxenda work for weight loss?
The human body naturally produces a hormone, known as glucagon-like-peptide (GLP-1), which regulates hunger and signals the brain when the stomach is full.
So, after you have eaten sufficient food, GLP-1 tells the brain that you are satiated, and subsequently, your hunger goes away.
Saxenda emulates the function of GLP-1 in the body, reducing one’s calorie intake.
When you take Saxenda, your body is tricked into believing that GLP-1 is produced and resultantly, your brain takes away your hunger.
So, you get full even when you haven’t eaten as much food as you used to in the past (before going on the injectable weight loss treatment).
Simply put, Saxenda reduces your hunger and increases your satiety levels.
With that said, it doesn’t make you feel full too noticeably; you will not feel hungry that often but that may or may not be because you feel completely full all the time.
It also normalizes blood sugar levels by helping beta cells release insulin in the body, which keeps one’s energy levels stable even when they are on an energy-deficit diet.
But remember, for the best Saxenda treatment, you have to stick to a low-calorie diet and daily workout sessions.
You may skip exercise once or twice a week but try to be as consistent as possible to see results faster.
How to properly inject weight loss injectables?
Weight loss injections are subcutaneous, which means they must be injected into the skin and directed towards the tissue layer between the muscles and skin. They are not to be jabbed into the veins or muscles.
The best approach to injecting a weight loss injection is inserting it in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
Place a new needle on top of your weight-loss injection pen and set the dosage (at the end of the stick you will see a cap-style knob, twist it to fix the dose).
Once you have set the milligrams on the tool, remove the cap from the needle and jab yourself with it at a straight angle. Make sure the pen is not askew and enters your skin straightly.
Are weight loss injections safe?
Any kind of injections or drugs is formulated by mixing various chemical compounds, which may or may not react adversely once they enter the human body.
Although drugs go through rigorous testing before getting approved, they can still carry side effects. Similarly, even the MHRA approved weight loss injections can cause reactions in your body.
With that said, mostly these injections tend to have mild side effects, which can be managed easily. But be sure to consult your GP before using any kind of weight loss injectable.
Conclusion
Losing weight is a tall order for everyone.
And while the traditional ‘eat less move more’ strategy to lose weight is the most effective, having some additional support wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
So if you think you need to use weight loss injections to accelerate your weight loss process, then take your pick from any of the abovementioned options.
All of them will give your body a little nudge to begin weight loss.
