OpenClaim

Barium Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of barium include urticaria, aspiration, and pruritus, based on 998 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Barium side effects

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

1
Urticaria11.8%118
2
Aspiration6.5%65
3
Pruritus5.9%59
4
Diarrhoea5.4%54
5
Vomiting4.3%43
6
Nausea4.3%43
7
No Adverse Event4.1%41
8
Nausea3.9%39
9
Dyspnoea3.6%36
10
Cough3.5%35
11
Vomiting3.3%33
12
Drug Ineffective3.2%32
13
Fatigue3.0%30
14
Sneezing2.8%28
15
Erythema2.6%26

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

Report severity

55.5%Serious554 reports
24.9%Hospitalizations249 reports
6.3%Fatal63 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Barium drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside barium. 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
Iopromide23.2%232
2
Sevoflurane2.3%23
3
Nivolumab1.6%16
4
Pantoprazole-sodium1.5%15
5
Omeprazole1.5%15
6
Iohexol1.4%14
7
Lenalidomide1.4%14
8
Esomeprazole1.4%14
9
Adalimumab1.2%12
10
Sodium-oxybate1.1%11
11
Treprostinil1.1%11
12
Iopamidol0.9%9
13
Ioversol0.9%9
14
Prednisone0.9%9
15
Gallium0.9%9

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen12.9%129
2
Aspirin10.2%102
3
Ondansetron8.6%86
4
Prednisone8.1%81
5
Albuterol8.0%80
6
Omeprazole7.9%79
7
Ergocalciferol7.5%75
8
Furosemide6.4%64
9
Levothyroxine-sodium6.1%61
10
Oxycodone5.9%59
11
Atorvastatin-calcium5.8%58
12
Fluticasone5.3%53
13
Sodium-chloride5.3%53
14
Gabapentin5.0%50
15
Amlodipine4.9%49

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 barium side effects

54.6% of barium adverse event reports involve female patients and 31.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 53%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female54.6%
Male31.8%
Unknown13.6%

Age group

< 28.8%
2–113.8%
12–170.8%
18–6452.8%
65+33.8%

What is barium used for

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

Abdomen ScanAbdominal PainAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAnastomotic LeakAngiogramAngiographyAsthmaAngiogramAnxiolytic TherapyBarium Double ContrastBarium EnemaBarium SwallowBronchitisBarium X-rayBarium Enema

Showing 15 of 128 indications

Barium brand names and reporting trend

Barium is sold under the brand name E-z-disk.

Brand names

E-z-disk469

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking barium with another medication?

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