Foundayo Side Effects — Nausea, Constipation, Hair Loss and More

It's day four on your new strength, and you've learned the shape of the afternoon: lunch goes down fine, then a slow, heavy queasiness that lasts until dinner. You'd like to know whether this is normal for Foundayo, whether it passes, and at what point it stops being something to ride out. The label answers most of that.

What are the most common Foundayo side effects?

The label pools two 72-week placebo-controlled trials and lists side effects reported more often on Foundayo than on placebo. These were the most frequent:

Side effect	Placebo	5.5 mg	9 mg	17.2 mg
Nausea	10%	26%	34%	35%
Constipation	9%	20%	27%	24%
Diarrhea	11%	21%	23%	25%
Vomiting	4%	13%	21%	24%
Indigestion	4%	12%	16%	13%
Stomach pain	7%	13%	14%	14%
Headache	7%	8%	9%	9%
Bloating	3%	7%	9%	8%
Fatigue	4%	6%	7%	9%
Burping	1%	6%	8%	8%
Reflux	2%	6%	6%	7%
Hair loss	2%	4%	4%	5%

Overall, 60% to 69% of people on Foundayo had at least one stomach-related side effect, compared with 37% on placebo. About 3% had a severe one, versus 1% on placebo.

Does it get easier?

For most people in the trials, yes. The label says nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were most frequent during dose escalation and declined over time. That's why each step lasts at least 30 days, starting from 0.8 mg.

That note covers nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; the label doesn't say the same about constipation, which was most common at 9 mg. If it's lasting, raise it with your prescriber rather than waiting for the next step.

What about hair loss?

The label says hair loss on Foundayo was associated with weight reduction. It was more common in women — 7% on Foundayo versus 3% on placebo — than in men, at 0.9% versus 0.7%. Knowing it's on the label doesn't make it less upsetting, but it makes it an ordinary thing to bring up.

Why might I feel dizzy or notice my heart rate?

The label reports:

• Low blood pressure in 2% on Foundayo versus 0.5% on placebo, rising to 4% in people also taking blood pressure medicines.
• Dizziness in 4% versus 3%.
• A faster heart rate in 3% versus 0.9%, with an average rise of 4 to 5 beats per minute.

Losing fluids through vomiting or diarrhea makes dizziness more likely. Standing up slowly is sensible, and a short log of dizzy spells is more useful still.

Which serious risks does the label warn about?

These are uncommon, but they're the reason for the warning block below:

• Acute pancreatitis. Six confirmed cases on Foundayo in the trials.
• Severe stomach reactions; Foundayo isn't recommended with severe gastroparesis.
• Kidney injury from dehydration, mostly after vomiting or diarrhea.
• Gallbladder disease, including gallstones.
• Low blood sugar, mainly with insulin or a sulfonylurea.
• Serious allergic reactions, including swelling and anaphylaxis.
• Breathing in stomach contents under anesthesia — tell anyone planning a procedure that you take Foundayo.

The label also carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen with GLP-1 medicines in rodents. Foundayo isn't for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.

If you use birth control pills, the label advises a non-oral or backup barrier method for 30 days after starting and after each dose increase.

What we'd track

For Foundayo side effects, these are the notes we'd keep, and why:

1. A daily stomach rating. Nausea, constipation and reflux on a simple scale show whether things ease within each 30-day step.
2. Tablet time and meal times. With no food rules, it's useful to see whether symptoms follow one or the other.
3. Water. Dehydration links several of the label's serious warnings, and a running total makes gaps obvious.
4. Dizzy spells. Especially if you take blood pressure medicine.
5. Hair shedding, with the date it began. Context next to your weight trend for your next appointment.

Holt logs daily pills as well as weekly shots. Its severity sliders for nausea, constipation, heartburn and fatigue line up against your dose history, next to a water count, a weight trend synced with Apple Health, and a doctor-visit report. It's free to download, with an optional subscription.

Log Foundayo side effects with Holt