OpenClaim

Bacitracin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of bacitracin include drug hypersensitivity, pain, and nausea, based on 3,817 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Bacitracin side effects

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

1
Drug Hypersensitivity10.6%405
2
Pain6.4%244
3
Nausea5.7%217
4
Off Label Use5.6%212
5
Fatigue5.1%195
6
Headache4.9%188
7
Drug Ineffective4.9%186
8
Pyrexia4.5%172
9
Rash4.3%166
10
Diarrhoea4.1%156
11
Dyspnoea3.7%142
12
Chronic Kidney Disease3.7%142
13
Acute Kidney Injury3.5%134
14
Anxiety3.5%132
15
Constipation3.4%129

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

Report severity

63.6%Serious2,427 reports
35.0%Hospitalizations1,337 reports
9.1%Fatal346 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Bacitracin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside bacitracin. 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
Polymyxin-b-sulfate12.1%462
2
Neomycin-sulfate8.0%307
3
Lenalidomide5.2%198
4
Hydrocortisone4.7%179
5
Pantoprazole-sodium4.4%167
6
Esomeprazole3.2%124
7
Acetaminophen3.2%121
8
Omeprazole3.0%114
9
Pregabalin2.7%104
10
Gramicidin2.6%101
11
Aspirin2.6%101
12
Adalimumab2.5%97
13
Prednisone2.4%91
14
Methotrexate2.3%86
15
Cetirizine-hydrochloride2.2%84

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen30.5%1,165
2
Polymyxin-b-sulfate22.2%847
3
Aspirin17.3%660
4
Hydrocortisone16.9%645
5
Ergocalciferol16.8%643
6
Albuterol16.4%625
7
Ondansetron16.0%610
8
Furosemide14.1%540
9
Neomycin-sulfate14.0%535
10
Gabapentin12.7%483
11
Omeprazole12.4%472
12
Fluticasone11.9%454
13
Ibuprofen11.7%447
14
Diphenhydramine11.7%445
15
Amlodipine11.3%433

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 bacitracin side effects

55.1% of bacitracin adverse event reports involve female patients and 37.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 46%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female55.1%
Male37.9%
Unknown6.9%

Age group

< 22.8%
2–113.3%
12–173.3%
18–6446.2%
65+44.5%

What is bacitracin used for

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

21-hydroxylase DeficiencyAbdominal AbscessAbdominal Wall MassAbrasionsAbscess LimbAccidental Exposure To ProductAcinetobacter InfectionAcneAcrochordonAdrenal InsufficiencyAdrenocortical Insufficiency AcuteAdverse EventAnimal BiteAnkle FractureAnorectal Discomfort

Showing 15 of 307 indications

Bacitracin brand names and reporting trend

Bacitracin is sold under brand names including Baciguent, Polysporin.

Brand names

Baciguent2,668
Polysporin216

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking bacitracin with another medication?

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