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Drug side effects

dulaglutide Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for dulaglutide (also sold as Trulicity), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

85,635
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2011 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of dulaglutide come from 85,635 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 85,635 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for dulaglutide (Trulicity): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

85,635

Reports Mentioning Death

1,580

1.8% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

10,007

11.7% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

NAUSEA
9,986
INJECTION SITE PAIN
9,796
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED
9,762
DIARRHOEA
5,737
INCORRECT DOSE ADMINISTERED
5,444
VOMITING
5,413
INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION
3,806
WEIGHT DECREASED
3,349
DECREASED APPETITE
3,153
INJECTION SITE HAEMORRHAGE
3,132
EXTRA DOSE ADMINISTERED
3,106
GLYCOSYLATED HAEMOGLOBIN INCREASED
2,906
FATIGUE
2,409
ACCIDENTAL UNDERDOSE
2,354
ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER
2,321
MALAISE
2,051
CONSTIPATION
2,035
ABDOMINAL PAIN
2,018

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 44,406 (58%)
Male 32,394 (42%)
Unknown 11

Age Distribution

0-17 127 (0%)
18-44 3,325 (9%)
45-64 17,698 (47%)
65-74 11,124 (29%)
75+ 5,637 (15%)

Reporting Trend by Year

11
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,580 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 722
PANCREATIC CARCINOMA 58
LACTIC ACIDOSIS 55
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 55
COVID-19 51
NAUSEA 47
PNEUMONIA 46
CARDIAC ARREST 42
VOMITING 42
DECREASED APPETITE 39
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 38
DIARRHOEA 36
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 33
DYSPNOEA 31
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 30
PANCREATITIS 29
SEPSIS 28
FATIGUE 26
SEPTIC SHOCK 26

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 10,007 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
NAUSEA 1,419
VOMITING 1,402
DIARRHOEA 1,078
IMPAIRED GASTRIC EMPTYING 743
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED 717
ABDOMINAL PAIN 676
DEHYDRATION 668
PANCREATITIS 585
CONSTIPATION 509
DECREASED APPETITE 502
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 471
FALL 394
WEIGHT DECREASED 378
DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS 357
ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER 330
DYSPNOEA 321
COVID-19 306
PNEUMONIA 291
FATIGUE 288

Compare dulaglutide vs acarbose →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About dulaglutide Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 85,635 voluntary reports linked to dulaglutide and its brand equivalents (Trulicity), spanning 2011 through 2025. Of those, 1,580 (1.8%) listed death as an outcome and 10,007 (11.7%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 58% were female and 42% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 17,698 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is nausea with 9,986 submissions, followed by injection site pain and blood glucose increased.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.