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Cefixime Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefixime include off label use, pain, and nausea, based on 3,976 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefixime side effects

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

1
Off Label Use7.9%313
2
Drug Ineffective7.9%313
3
Pain5.6%223
4
Nausea5.2%206
5
Diarrhoea5.1%204
6
Fatigue4.8%189
7
Pyrexia4.6%182
8
Headache4.1%163
9
Vomiting4.0%160
10
Dyspnoea4.0%159
11
Drug Hypersensitivity3.8%151
12
Malaise3.7%146
13
Abdominal Pain3.3%131
14
Condition Aggravated3.2%127
15
Asthenia3.0%120

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

Report severity

80.5%Serious3,200 reports
40.9%Hospitalizations1,625 reports
6.5%Fatal259 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefixime drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefixime. 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
Acetaminophen4.5%178
2
Azithromycin4.2%166
3
Irinotecan-hydrochloride3.8%153
4
Methotrexate3.7%148
5
Prednisone3.6%143
6
Sodium-oxybate3.5%140
7
Amoxicillin3.5%138
8
Infliximab3.4%137
9
Adalimumab3.0%118
10
Pantoprazole-sodium3.0%118
11
Metronidazole2.8%111
12
Ciprofloxacin2.6%103
13
Vincristine-sulfate2.6%103
14
Ceftriaxone-sodium2.5%99
15
Dexamethasone2.4%96

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen20.2%804
2
Ergocalciferol10.6%420
3
Omeprazole10.5%418
4
Gabapentin10.2%406
5
Albuterol9.4%373
6
Levothyroxine-sodium8.5%336
7
Aspirin8.2%325
8
Prednisone8.0%319
9
Ondansetron7.9%313
10
Furosemide7.4%294
11
Pantoprazole-sodium7.4%293
12
Atorvastatin-calcium7.3%291
13
Fluticasone7.2%286
14
Ibuprofen6.3%252
15
Amlodipine6.2%245

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 cefixime side effects

58.0% of cefixime adverse event reports involve female patients and 31.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 55%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.0%
Male31.6%
Unknown10.4%

Age group

< 22.8%
2–117.2%
12–173.6%
18–6455.3%
65+31.2%

What is cefixime used for

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

Abdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbscess LimbAcute SinusitisAcute TonsillitisAdverse EventAllergy TestAnal AbscessAnkylosing SpondylitisAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntitussive TherapyArthralgiaArthritis

Showing 15 of 359 indications

Cefixime brand names and reporting trend

Cefixime is sold under the brand name Suprax.

Brand names

Suprax3,787

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cefixime with another medication?

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