Where does the label say I can inject Saxenda?

The FDA label says to inject Saxenda subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. The Medication Guide describes the same three places as your stomach area, upper leg and upper arm, and adds that you should not inject into a muscle or a vein.

How often do I need to change site?

With every injection. The Medication Guide says to change — rotate — your injection site with each injection, and not to use the same site for each injection. The prescribing information adds that you should rotate injection sites within the same region, in order to reduce the risk of cutaneous amyloidosis.

What is cutaneous amyloidosis?

It is a skin change listed in the label under skin and subcutaneous tissue reactions reported with liraglutide, alongside alopecia. The label does not describe it in more detail than that, but it does tell you what reduces the risk: rotating injection sites within the same region. If you notice a lump or thickening where you inject, raise it with your prescriber.

Does changing site change my dose?

No. The label says no dosage adjustment is needed if you change the injection site and/or the timing. That is one of the reasons daily rotation is straightforward with Saxenda.

Do I need to clean the skin first?

The Instructions for Use say to choose your injection site and wipe the skin with an alcohol swab, then let the injection site dry before you inject your dose.

How do I know the whole dose went in?

Watch the dose counter. The Instructions for Use say to press and hold the dose button until the counter shows 0 lined up with the dose pointer, then keep the needle in your skin and count slowly to 6. If the needle comes out earlier you may see a stream of Saxenda from the tip, which means the full dose was not delivered. A single drop left at the needle tip afterwards is normal and does not affect your dose.

Saxenda injection sites: where and how

1Abdomen (stomach area)The Saxenda label lists the abdomen first among the three injection sites.
2Upper leg (thigh)The label calls this the upper leg, or thigh.
3Upper armThe Medication Guide simply calls it the upper arm.

Three sites in the label: abdomen, thigh and back of the upper arm.

The three approved injection sites

All three are FDA-approved and clinically equivalent. Most people start with the abdomen.

Abdomen (stomach area)

The Saxenda label lists the abdomen first among the three injection sites. It is the easiest area to see and reach, which matters more when you are injecting every day.

Why it works

Named in the label as an approved site
Easy to see and reach yourself
A large area, which makes daily rotation simple
No dose adjustment needed if you switch to it

Watch out for

Waistbands and belts can sit right over the area
Bruising is more visible here
Still needs the position moved with every injection

Upper leg (thigh)

The label calls this the upper leg, or thigh. It is the second of the three sites and a natural alternate when the abdomen has been used recently.

Why it works

Named in the label as an approved site
Easy to reach while sitting
Good alternate when the abdomen is tender

Watch out for

Bruising shows more in warm weather
Less soft tissue in some people
Needs the same rotation discipline as the abdomen

Upper arm

The third site named in the label. The Medication Guide simply calls it the upper arm; as with the other two, the injection goes under the skin, not into muscle.

Why it works

Named in the label as an approved site
Bruising is less visible under sleeves
Useful for widening a daily rotation

Watch out for

Harder to reach yourself — some people need help
A smaller area than the abdomen or thigh
Easier to hit muscle if you are lean

Rotation schedule

Saxenda is a daily injection, so rotation happens every day rather than every week. The label says to change your injection site with each injection, and to rotate within the same region to reduce the risk of cutaneous amyloidosis.

Rotation pattern — a simple daily cycle

Day 1

Left abdomen

Day 2

Right abdomen

Day 3

Left thigh

Day 4

Right thigh

This is one workable pattern, not a label instruction — what the label requires is that you change your injection site with each injection and do not use the same site every time. It also says to rotate within the same region, and that no dosage adjustment is needed if you change the injection site or the timing.

Step-by-step technique

A simple walkthrough for each injection.

Wash your hands and check the pen

Wash with soap and water. Check the name and coloured label to confirm you have Saxenda, pull the cap off, and look through the window — the liquid should be clear and colourless. If it looks cloudy, the Instructions for Use say not to use the pen.

Attach a new needle

Tear the paper tab off a new needle, push it straight onto the pen and turn until tight. Pull off the outer cap and keep it; pull off the inner cap and throw it away. The label says to use a new needle for every injection.

Check the flow with a new pen

Before your first injection from each new pen, turn the dose selector to the flow check symbol, hold the pen needle-up and press the button until the counter shows 0. A drop should appear at the tip. Skip this step if the pen is already in use.

Select your dose

Turn the dose selector until the counter shows your dose — 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 or 3 mg. Read the dose counter and pointer; the label says not to set the dose by counting clicks and not to use the pen scale.

Choose the site and clean it

Pick a spot in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm that you did not use last time. Wipe the skin with an alcohol swab and let the injection site dry before you inject.

Inject and hold

Insert the needle as your prescriber showed you, then press and hold the dose button until the counter shows 0. Keep the dose counter visible — covering it with your fingers can stop the injection.

Count slowly to 6, then remove

Keep the needle in the skin for a slow count of 6 after the counter reaches 0, then pull it out. If blood appears, press lightly with a cotton ball or gauze and do not rub the area.

Remove the needle and store the pen

Take the needle off without recapping the inner cap and put it into a sharps container right away. Put the pen cap back on to protect Saxenda from light, and store the pen with no needle attached.

Injection do's and don'ts

The most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Do this

Change your injection site with every injection — Saxenda is daily, not weekly
Rotate within the same region, which the label ties to reducing cutaneous amyloidosis risk
Use one of the three sites the label names: abdomen, thigh or upper arm
Wipe the site with an alcohol swab and let it dry before injecting
Count slowly to 6 after the counter reaches 0 before pulling the needle out
Press lightly with cotton wool if blood appears — do not rub

Do not do this

Inject into a muscle or a vein — the Medication Guide says Saxenda goes under the skin
Use the same site for every injection
Touch or cover the dose counter while injecting — it can stop the dose
Reuse a needle, or leave one attached to the pen between injections
Put the inner needle cap back on the needle
Share your pen with anyone, even if the needle has been changed

Troubleshooting

Common problems and what to do about them.

A lump or thickening where you inject

Why it happens: The label lists cutaneous amyloidosis among the skin and subcutaneous reactions reported with liraglutide, and links rotation to reducing that risk.

What to do: The label instruction is to rotate injection sites within the same region in order to reduce the risk of cutaneous amyloidosis. Change your site with every injection and tell your prescriber about any lump that persists.

Blood at the injection site

Why it happens: You have nicked a small vessel just under the skin. The Instructions for Use treat this as ordinary.

What to do: The label says that if blood appears at the injection site, press lightly with a cotton ball or gauze, and do not rub the area.

Liquid streams out when you remove the needle

Why it happens: The needle came out before the full dose had been delivered.

What to do: The Instructions for Use say to keep the needle in your skin after the dose counter has returned to 0 and count slowly to 6. If it is removed earlier you may see a stream of Saxenda at the needle tip, which means the full dose was not delivered.

The counter will not reach 0

Why it happens: A blocked or damaged needle. The label says that if 0 does not appear after continuously pressing the dose button, you have not received any Saxenda even though the counter has moved.

What to do: Change the needle and repeat every step from the start, including preparing the pen with a new needle, and make sure you select the full dose you need.

Common questions

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Last reviewed: September 2026

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