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Benztropine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of benztropine include off label use, toxicity to various agents, and completed suicide, based on 12,169 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Benztropine side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective5.0%612
2
Off Label Use4.5%550
3
Toxicity To Various Agents3.5%427
4
Completed Suicide3.5%425
5
Tremor3.3%407
6
Diabetes Mellitus3.1%380
7
Death3.0%363
8
Drug Interaction2.7%326
9
Fatigue2.6%316
10
Weight Increased2.5%310
11
Fall2.5%303
12
Anxiety2.3%285
13
Dizziness2.3%277
14
Somnolence2.3%276
15
Nausea2.3%275

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

Report severity

70.9%Serious8,631 reports
34.2%Hospitalizations4,165 reports
15.0%Fatal1,820 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Benztropine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside benztropine. 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
Clozapine14.3%1,738
2
Quetiapine-fumarate11.5%1,395
3
Risperidone10.2%1,237
4
Aripiprazole8.8%1,069
5
Olanzapine8.3%1,016
6
Paliperidone7.4%904
7
Haloperidol5.6%677
8
Valbenazine4.7%570
9
Lithium3.3%399
10
Clonazepam3.1%376
11
Ziprasidone2.6%316
12
Lorazepam2.5%306
13
Bupropion2.5%305
14
Lamotrigine2.3%279
15
Divalproex-sodium2.2%270

Taken alongside

1
Haloperidol13.8%1,682
2
Lorazepam13.7%1,664
3
Divalproex-sodium12.6%1,537
4
Risperidone12.5%1,525
5
Clonazepam12.4%1,506
6
Trazodone-hydrochloride9.8%1,195
7
Acetaminophen9.7%1,186
8
Quetiapine-fumarate9.5%1,158
9
Levothyroxine-sodium9.4%1,147
10
Gabapentin8.7%1,055
11
Olanzapine8.5%1,040
12
Aripiprazole8.4%1,017
13
Lithium7.9%963
14
Metformin7.8%948
15
Ergocalciferol7.0%857

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 benztropine side effects

44.4% of benztropine adverse event reports involve female patients and 48.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 85%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female44.4%
Male48.6%
Unknown7.0%

Age group

< 20.4%
2–110.8%
12–173.1%
18–6484.6%
65+11.2%

What is benztropine used for

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

Abnormal BehaviourAcute Myocardial InfarctionAcute PsychosisAdjuvant TherapyAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAdverse ReactionAffective DisorderAggressionAgitationAkathisiaAnalgesic TherapyAngerAnticholinergic SyndromeAnxiety

Showing 15 of 301 indications

Benztropine brand names and reporting trend

Benztropine is sold under the brand name Cogentin.

Brand names

Cogentin21

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking benztropine with another medication?

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