OpenClaim

Bretylium Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of bretylium include muscular weakness, death, and hypotension, based on 26 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2023. 7.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Bretylium side effects

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

1
Muscular Weakness11.5%3
2
Death11.5%3
3
Hypotension11.5%3
4
Cerebrovascular Accident7.7%2
5
Drug Interaction7.7%2
6
Pain7.7%2
7
Blindness7.7%2
8
Vision Blurred7.7%2
9
Drug Ineffective7.7%2
10
Ventricular Tachycardia7.7%2
11
Aortic Embolus3.8%1
12
Areflexia3.8%1
13
Brain Stem Syndrome3.8%1
14
Cognitive Disorder3.8%1
15
Coma3.8%1

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

Report severity

80.8%Serious21 reports
19.2%Hospitalizations5 reports
23.1%Fatal6 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Bretylium drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside bretylium. 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
Alteplase30.8%8
2
Lidocaine11.5%3
3
Gabapentin11.5%3
4
Dantrolene-sodium11.5%3
5
Potassium-chloride7.7%2
6
Fingolimod7.7%2
7
Heparin3.8%1
8
Pregabalin3.8%1
9
Aprotinin3.8%1
10
Paclitaxel3.8%1
11
Oxcarbazepine3.8%1
12
Tramadol-hydrochloride3.8%1
13
Acetaminophen3.8%1
14
Hydrocodone3.8%1
15
Dopamine-hydrochloride3.8%1

Taken alongside

1
Lidocaine46.2%12
2
Procainamide-hydrochloride23.1%6
3
Fentanyl19.2%5
4
Heparin19.2%5
5
Epinephrine19.2%5
6
Furosemide19.2%5
7
Atropine15.4%4
8
Magnesium-sulfate15.4%4
9
Sodium-bicarbonate15.4%4
10
Dopamine-hydrochloride11.5%3
11
Mannitol11.5%3
12
Insulin11.5%3
13
Diazepam11.5%3
14
Nitroglycerin11.5%3
15
Amiodarone-hydrochloride7.7%2

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 bretylium side effects

50.0% of bretylium adverse event reports involve female patients and 38.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 62%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female50.0%
Male38.5%
Unknown11.5%

Age group

< 20.0%
2–117.7%
12–177.7%
18–6461.5%
65+23.1%

What is bretylium used for

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

Complex Regional Pain SyndromeChronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseProduct Used For Unknown IndicationTorsade De PointesVentricular FibrillationVentricular Tachyarrhythmia

Bretylium brand names and reporting trend

Bretylium is sold under the brand name Bretylol.

Brand names

Bretylol19

Quarterly reports (20042023)

200420152023

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

Taking bretylium with another medication?

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