Patient Medication Guide
Foundayo
orforglipron · once-daily oral tablet
A plain-language guide to taking Foundayo safely, what to expect, and when to reach out for help. This is educational information — always follow your prescriber's instructions and the Medication Guide that comes with your prescription.
Last clinically reviewed: July 14, 2026 by Dr. Prajeet Reddy, MD (Medical Director)
What Foundayo is and how it works
Foundayo (orforglipron) is a prescription medicine taken as a tablet once a day. It is the first oral, small-molecule medicine in a group called GLP-1 receptor agonists — the same family as several injectable weight-management medicines, but in pill form.
Foundayo works by activating GLP-1 receptors in areas of the brain that help regulate appetite. This can reduce how much you feel like eating and slow how quickly your stomach empties, which together support gradual weight reduction.
It is prescribed along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity, or adults with overweight who also have a weight-related health condition, reduce excess body weight and keep it off over the long term. Foundayo is not meant to be used together with another GLP-1 medicine.
- Medicine
- Foundayo (orforglipron)
- Form
- Oral tablet
- How often
- Once daily
- When
- Any time of day, with or without food or water
- Storage
- Room temperature, in the original bottle
Taking it and storing it
How to take Foundayo
- Take one tablet once a day. You can take it at any time of day — morning, midday, or evening — whatever helps you remember.
- You can take it with or without food, and with or without water. There is no fasting requirement and no need to wait before eating.
- Swallow the tablet whole. Do not break, crush, or chew it.
- Take no more than one tablet in a day. Do not take an extra tablet to make up for a missed one.
Your dose over time
Foundayo is usually started at a low dose, and your dose increases gradually as your prescriber directs. Raising the dose slowly gives your body time to adjust and helps limit stomach-related side effects. Follow the schedule your prescriber and the Medication Guide give you — do not change your dose on your own.
If you miss a dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember that same day. If you don’t remember until the next day, skip the one you missed and take your next dose as usual — never take two tablets to catch up. If you miss several days in a row, contact your care team before restarting, since you may need to build your dose back up.
Storing Foundayo
- Store at room temperature. No refrigeration is needed, which makes it convenient to travel with.
- Keep the tablets in their original bottle to protect them from light, and close the cap tightly after each use. The bottle also contains a small drying packet — leave it inside.
- Keep out of reach of children.
What to expect
Most people who take Foundayo have some stomach-related side effects, especially in the first weeks and each time the dose goes up. The most common are nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting. In studies, most of these were mild, tended to happen during dose increases, and eased over time as the body adjusted.
Weight reduction with Foundayo is gradual, not immediate. In the ATTAIN-1 (Eli Lilly) trial, adults taking Foundayo along with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity lost about 12.4% of their starting weight on average, with larger average reductions at higher doses. How much any one person loses varies, and the diet and activity changes remain an essential part of how the medicine is meant to work.
The pattern to expect
Side effects and how to manage them
The most common side effects involve the stomach and digestion: nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, belly pain, and burping. Some people also notice headache, tiredness, or hair thinning. Most stomach symptoms are mild and improve with time and a few practical adjustments.
For nausea
- Eat smaller meals more often, eat slowly, and stop when you feel full.
- Go easy on fatty, fried, spicy, and very sugary foods, especially while your dose is increasing.
- A small breakfast can help — nausea is often worse on a completely empty stomach.
- Ginger or peppermint tea helps some people.
For constipation
- Drink plenty of fluids and add fiber gradually (fruits, vegetables, whole grains).
- Staying physically active also helps keep things moving.
For diarrhea
- Avoid large or high-fat meals, which can make it worse.
Protecting your muscle and staying nourished
Because appetite drops on this medicine, it takes some attention to eat well. Aim for enough protein each day (roughly 80–120 grams for many adults) and include strength or resistance exercise a few times a week to help protect your muscle while you lose weight. Foundayo can also reduce your sense of thirst, so make a point of drinking fluids regularly through the day. Alcohol can worsen nausea and reflux, so it’s best to limit it.
Safety considerations
Boxed warning — thyroid tumors
Foundayo carries a boxed warning — the FDA’s most prominent type of warning — about a possible risk of thyroid tumors, including a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). This is a class-level warning; whether it applies to people is not fully known. Do not take Foundayo if you or a family member has ever had MTC, or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Tell your care team if you notice a lump or swelling in your neck, ongoing hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath.
Other things to be aware of
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) has been reported. Severe, ongoing stomach pain is the main warning sign — see the “When to get help” section below.
- Dehydration and kidney strain can follow heavy vomiting or diarrhea. Keep sipping fluids, and reach out if you can’t keep them down.
- Gallbladder problems can occur, sometimes causing upper-right belly pain.
- Low blood sugar is more likely if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea. Your prescriber may adjust those medicines. Know the signs: shakiness, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat.
- Serious allergic reactions are uncommon but possible — see the emergency signs below.
- Vision: if you have diabetes, tell your care team about any new or worsening vision changes so your eyes can be monitored.
Procedures and anesthesia
Because Foundayo slows stomach emptying, it matters for anesthesia and sedation. Tell every provider — including your surgeon, anesthesiologist, and anyone doing an endoscopy — that you take Foundayo before any planned procedure. Medical guidance on whether to pause the medicine before a procedure is still evolving, so let your care team decide what’s right for you rather than stopping on your own.
Birth control, pregnancy, and breastfeeding
- Birth control pills may work less reliably with Foundayo. If you use them, add a barrier method (such as condoms) or switch to a non-pill method for 30 days after starting and for 30 days after each dose increase.
- Foundayo is not for use during pregnancy. Stop the medicine and tell your care team right away if you become pregnant or are planning to. It is also not recommended while breastfeeding.
Tell your care team about your other medicines
Foundayo can interact with certain medications, and slowed stomach emptying can affect how some pills are absorbed. Keep your care team informed of everything you take — including over-the-counter medicines and supplements — so they can check for interactions.
When to get help
Use this guide to decide how quickly to act. When in doubt, it is always okay to reach out to your care team.
- Severe, ongoing stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting — this can be a sign of pancreatitis.
- Signs of a serious allergic reaction: swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing; severe rash; or a racing heartbeat.
- Signs of severe dehydration: unable to keep any fluids down, very dark urine, dizziness or fainting, or a fast heartbeat.
- Sudden vision loss, usually painless and in one eye.
- Vomiting for more than a day, or being unable to eat or drink.
- Severe nausea that isn’t improving with diet changes.
- Pain in the upper-right part of your belly with nausea or vomiting — this can point to the gallbladder.
- A new lump or swelling in your neck, ongoing hoarseness, or trouble swallowing.
- Signs of low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat), especially if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea.
- New or worsening vision changes if you have diabetes.
- Mild-to-moderate nausea, constipation, or diarrhea that continues past the first few weeks.
- Hair thinning or increased shedding.
- Heartburn or acid reflux that diet changes aren’t controlling.
- Ongoing tiredness or low energy.
- A weight-loss plateau, or a sense that the medicine isn’t working.
In a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for severe or life-threatening symptoms.
Educational information only
This guide is for education and does not replace your prescriber’s instructions or the Foundayo Medication Guide that comes with your medication. Please read that guide and follow the directions from your care team, which are tailored to you. Medication labeling can change — your Medication Guide is the most current source for your specific product.
Questions about your care
For non-urgent questions, sign in to your Imbue patient portal and send a secure message to your care team. Please don’t use the portal for emergencies.
Clinical review
Clinical content reviewed by Dr. Prajeet Reddy, MD, Medical Director (Cyane Medical Group California PC). Last reviewed July 14, 2026.
Imbue Health · Patient education · Last reviewed July 14, 2026