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Cefoxitin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefoxitin include off label use, drug resistance, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, based on 1,453 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefoxitin side effects

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

1
Off Label Use5.9%86
2
Drug Resistance5.7%83
3
Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms5.5%80
4
Nausea5.1%74
5
Rash4.8%70
6
Drug Ineffective4.2%61
7
Product Use In Unapproved Indication4.2%61
8
Thrombocytopenia3.9%56
9
Condition Aggravated3.5%51
10
Diarrhoea3.3%48
11
Dyspnoea3.2%47
12
Pyrexia3.2%47
13
Acute Kidney Injury3.0%44
14
Vomiting2.9%42
15
Hypotension2.8%40

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

Report severity

89.4%Serious1,299 reports
42.1%Hospitalizations611 reports
9.6%Fatal140 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefoxitin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefoxitin. 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
Amikacin-sulfate20.5%298
2
Linezolid17.7%257
3
Azithromycin14.0%204
4
Clarithromycin11.3%164
5
Tigecycline11.3%164
6
Imipenem10.3%150
7
Ciprofloxacin10.3%149
8
Propofol8.9%129
9
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride8.4%122
10
Clofazimine7.5%109
11
Metronidazole7.2%105
12
Doxycycline7.0%101
13
Ketamine-hydrochloride5.4%78
14
Sulfamethoxazole5.1%74
15
Rocuronium-bromide5.0%72

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen9.5%138
2
Amikacin-sulfate9.3%135
3
Azithromycin6.8%99
4
Pantoprazole-sodium6.6%96
5
Ondansetron6.5%94
6
Fentanyl5.6%82
7
Furosemide5.4%79
8
Propofol5.0%72
9
Linezolid4.8%70
10
Imipenem4.7%69
11
Insulin4.5%65
12
Midazolam4.4%64
13
Metronidazole4.4%64
14
Heparin4.3%63
15
Sodium-chloride4.3%62

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 cefoxitin side effects

52.2% of cefoxitin adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 58%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female52.2%
Male41.3%
Unknown6.5%

Age group

< 22.6%
2–115.2%
12–174.2%
18–6457.7%
65+30.2%

What is cefoxitin used for

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

Abdominal Hernia RepairAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal TendernessAbscessAbscess DrainageAbscess IntestinalAbscess Soft TissueAnaesthesiaAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntiinflammatory TherapyAnxietyAppendicitis

Showing 15 of 195 indications

Cefoxitin brand names and reporting trend

Cefoxitin is sold under the brand name Mefoxin In Sodium Chloride 0.9% In Plastic Container.

Brand names

Mefoxin In Sodium Chloride 0.9% In Plastic Container214

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cefoxitin with another medication?

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