OpenClaim

Cefotaxime Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefotaxime include pyrexia, off label use, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, based on 7,430 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefotaxime side effects

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

1
Pyrexia5.8%432
2
Drug Ineffective5.6%414
3
Off Label Use5.3%397
4
Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms5.3%394
5
Acute Kidney Injury4.3%320
6
Rash Maculo-papular2.8%206
7
Neutropenia2.8%206
8
Hepatocellular Injury2.7%199
9
Thrombocytopenia2.6%196
10
Rash2.6%193
11
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis2.5%187
12
Condition Aggravated2.4%179
13
Diarrhoea2.3%170
14
Sepsis2.2%161
15
Eosinophilia2.1%157

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

Report severity

98.2%Serious7,295 reports
60.1%Hospitalizations4,466 reports
18.2%Fatal1,351 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefotaxime drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefotaxime. 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
Vancomycin13.1%970
2
Metronidazole12.5%926
3
Amoxicillin7.4%549
4
Acetaminophen5.7%425
5
Gentamicin-sulfate5.2%390
6
Enoxaparin-sodium5.2%383
7
Methylprednisolone4.8%357
8
Meropenem4.4%327
9
Dexamethasone4.2%310
10
Furosemide3.9%289
11
Ceftriaxone-sodium3.8%281
12
Levetiracetam3.8%281
13
Linezolid3.6%268
14
Acyclovir3.6%266
15
Ciprofloxacin3.4%251

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen11.0%815
2
Furosemide8.9%664
3
Vancomycin7.6%568
4
Metronidazole6.8%502
5
Pantoprazole-sodium5.4%398
6
Enoxaparin-sodium5.2%386
7
Amoxicillin5.1%376
8
Heparin5.0%368
9
Omeprazole4.3%316
10
Midazolam4.2%311
11
Methylprednisolone4.2%309
12
Fentanyl4.0%294
13
Dexamethasone3.9%290
14
Prednisone3.7%273
15
Apomorphine-hydrochloride3.6%266

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 cefotaxime side effects

40.2% of cefotaxime adverse event reports involve female patients and 49.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 39%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female40.2%
Male49.4%
Unknown10.4%

Age group

< 214.1%
2–1112.0%
12–175.3%
18–6438.7%
65+29.8%

What is cefotaxime used for

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

Abdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal SepsisAbscessAbscess LimbAcinetobacter InfectionAcute CholecystitisAcute Focal Bacterial NephritisAcute Kidney InjuryAcute Pulmonary OedemaAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAcute SinusitisAdverse EventAlcohol PoisoningAllergy Test

Showing 15 of 672 indications

Cefotaxime brand names and reporting trend

Cefotaxime is sold under the brand name Cefotaxime Sodium.

Brand names

Cefotaxime Sodium2,004

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cefotaxime with another medication?

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