OpenClaim

Calcitonin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of calcitonin include nausea, off label use, and nausea, based on 5,746 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 8.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Calcitonin side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective8.2%469
2
Nausea3.9%226
3
Off Label Use3.7%214
4
Nausea3.5%202
5
Fatigue3.4%194
6
Fall3.0%171
7
Fall2.9%165
8
Pain2.8%162
9
Pain2.7%157
10
Death2.7%156
11
Dizziness2.7%153
12
Arthralgia2.6%148
13
Diarrhoea2.5%143
14
Hypercalcaemia2.5%141
15
Headache2.5%141

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

Report severity

73.0%Serious4,197 reports
35.6%Hospitalizations2,045 reports
11.0%Fatal630 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Calcitonin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside calcitonin. 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
Teriparatide6.3%363
2
Lenalidomide5.1%292
3
Cinacalcet-hydrochloride4.2%244
4
Zoledronic-acid4.1%236
5
Denosumab3.8%218
6
Prednisone3.4%193
7
Alendronate-sodium3.1%176
8
Adalimumab3.0%172
9
Furosemide2.6%151
10
Pamidronate-disodium2.5%145
11
Raloxifene-hydrochloride2.5%144
12
Etanercept2.3%131
13
Pregabalin2.1%122
14
Dexamethasone2.1%120
15
Sodium-chloride1.8%102

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen17.5%1,005
2
Ergocalciferol15.7%903
3
Aspirin14.7%846
4
Calcium14.6%839
5
Levothyroxine-sodium13.2%757
6
Furosemide11.8%679
7
Omeprazole10.4%599
8
Prednisone10.2%587
9
Albuterol9.1%523
10
Metoprolol8.7%500
11
Gabapentin8.0%462
12
Fluticasone7.9%456
13
Amlodipine7.8%448
14
Folic-acid7.0%401
15
Pantoprazole-sodium6.8%392

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 calcitonin side effects

74.3% of calcitonin adverse event reports involve female patients and 20.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 59%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female74.3%
Male20.1%
Unknown5.6%

Age group

< 21.6%
2–110.8%
12–170.9%
18–6438.1%
65+58.6%

What is calcitonin used for

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

AcidosisAcute Kidney InjuryAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAdult T-cell Lymphoma/leukaemiaAdverse EventAnalgesic TherapyAneurysmal Bone CystAnkle FractureAnkylosing SpondylitisArthralgiaArthritisAbnormal BehaviourAcidosisAcute Kidney InjuryAdenocarcinoma Metastatic

Showing 15 of 206 indications

Calcitonin brand names and reporting trend

Calcitonin is sold under brand names including Fortical, Miacalcin, Cibacalcin.

Brand names

Fortical2,202
Miacalcin1,145
Cibacalcin7

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking calcitonin with another medication?

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