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Acetazolamide Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of acetazolamide include off label use, headache, and fatigue, based on 8,698 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 8.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Acetazolamide side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for acetazolamide.

1
Off Label Use9.2%803
2
Drug Ineffective8.4%734
3
Headache4.9%430
4
Fatigue4.2%363
5
Nausea4.2%362
6
Dyspnoea3.8%333
7
Diarrhoea3.5%302
8
Condition Aggravated3.4%297
9
Vomiting2.9%252
10
Dizziness2.9%248
11
Pain2.8%243
12
Metabolic Acidosis2.5%215
13
Product Use In Unapproved Indication2.4%211
14
Acute Kidney Injury2.4%208
15
Intraocular Pressure Increased2.3%196

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that acetazolamide caused these reactions.

Report severity

80.9%Serious7,041 reports
37.8%Hospitalizations3,289 reports
9.0%Fatal780 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Acetazolamide drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside acetazolamide. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Topiramate4.7%407
2
Furosemide4.6%400
3
Levetiracetam3.6%316
4
Methotrexate3.6%313
5
Timolol3.5%301
6
Prednisone3.2%282
7
Brimonidine-tartrate3.2%278
8
Dexamethasone3.1%273
9
Sodium-oxybate3.1%266
10
Latanoprost2.6%224
11
Adalimumab2.4%211
12
Lamotrigine2.4%208
13
Methylprednisolone2.4%207
14
Dorzolamide-hydrochloride2.3%198
15
Carbamazepine2.3%197

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen12.8%1,112
2
Furosemide11.7%1,020
3
Ergocalciferol8.6%749
4
Levothyroxine-sodium8.2%714
5
Albuterol8.0%694
6
Aspirin7.9%688
7
Prednisone7.4%647
8
Omeprazole6.6%578
9
Gabapentin6.3%552
10
Atorvastatin-calcium6.2%535
11
Ondansetron6.1%531
12
Pantoprazole-sodium6.0%522
13
Potassium-chloride5.9%517
14
Timolol5.8%505
15
Insulin5.8%501

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports acetazolamide side effects

57.3% of acetazolamide adverse event reports involve female patients and 33.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 55%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female57.3%
Male33.6%
Unknown9.1%

Age group

< 22.2%
2–115.0%
12–175.7%
18–6455.0%
65+32.2%

What is acetazolamide used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking acetazolamide when the adverse event was reported.

Abnormal Sensation In EyeAcanthamoeba KeratitisAcid Base BalanceAcid Base Balance AbnormalAcoustic NeuromaAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia RecurrentAcute Respiratory FailureAdverse EventAlkalosisAlkalosis HypochloraemicAlopeciaAnaemiaAnaesthesiaAngle Closure Glaucoma

Showing 15 of 615 indications

Acetazolamide brand names and reporting trend

Acetazolamide is sold under the brand name Diamox.

Brand names

Diamox6,906

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking acetazolamide with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.