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Bupivacaine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of bupivacaine include off label use, pain, and hypotension, based on 18,372 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 17.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Bupivacaine side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective17.9%3,285
2
Off Label Use6.3%1,152
3
Pain5.3%970
4
Hypotension3.8%694
5
Anaesthetic Complication3.6%659
6
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy3.3%610
7
Hypoaesthesia2.9%541
8
Exposure During Pregnancy2.9%526
9
Nausea2.8%514
10
Vomiting2.0%361
11
Dyspnoea1.9%354
12
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome1.8%335
13
Headache1.7%320
14
Dizziness1.7%318
15
Maternal Exposure During Delivery1.7%307

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

Report severity

67.7%Serious12,429 reports
25.1%Hospitalizations4,620 reports
5.9%Fatal1,081 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Bupivacaine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside bupivacaine. 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
Fentanyl12.5%2,288
2
Lidocaine10.2%1,881
3
Baclofen9.7%1,790
4
Epinephrine7.4%1,358
5
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride6.9%1,261
6
Apomorphine-hydrochloride6.7%1,239
7
Clonidine5.6%1,033
8
Morphine-sulfate3.9%709
9
Acetaminophen3.4%618
10
Propofol3.1%572
11
Phenylephrine2.8%512
12
Methylprednisolone2.5%466
13
Sufentanil-citrate2.4%434
14
Dexamethasone2.2%408
15
Triamcinolone2.1%383

Taken alongside

1
Fentanyl7.8%1,424
2
Acetaminophen7.1%1,296
3
Lidocaine5.2%947
4
Propofol4.5%819
5
Apomorphine-hydrochloride4.1%753
6
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride4.1%748
7
Midazolam3.6%666
8
Ondansetron3.5%636
9
Epinephrine3.5%635
10
Oxycodone3.2%580
11
Gabapentin2.6%477
12
Dexamethasone2.6%476
13
Sodium-chloride2.5%465
14
Cefazolin-sodium2.5%451
15
Aspirin2.4%442

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 bupivacaine side effects

49.8% of bupivacaine adverse event reports involve female patients and 26.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 68%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female49.8%
Male26.1%
Unknown24.1%

Age group

< 23.4%
2–111.4%
12–172.1%
18–6467.6%
65+25.5%

What is bupivacaine used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal Hernia RepairAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominoplastyAccidental Exposure To ProductAdhesiolysisAdrenal Blockade TherapyAdverse EventAkinesiaAllergy TestAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia EyeAnaesthesia ProcedureAnaesthetic Complication

Showing 15 of 724 indications

Bupivacaine brand names and reporting trend

Bupivacaine is sold under brand names including Zynrelef Kit, Marcaine.

Brand names

Zynrelef Kit17,042
Marcaine1

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking bupivacaine with another medication?

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