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Cefuroxime Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefuroxime include dyspnoea, diarrhoea, and off label use, based on 19,651 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefuroxime side effects

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

1
Dyspnoea5.3%1,045
2
Diarrhoea5.1%994
3
Drug Ineffective4.8%936
4
Off Label Use4.6%911
5
Pneumonia4.5%879
6
Fatigue4.4%855
7
Drug Hypersensitivity4.3%846
8
Pyrexia4.0%789
9
Acute Kidney Injury3.9%758
10
Chronic Kidney Disease3.8%756
11
Headache3.8%750
12
Rash3.8%741
13
Nausea3.6%705
14
Vomiting3.5%681
15
Dizziness3.3%639

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

Report severity

84.1%Serious16,530 reports
42.5%Hospitalizations8,351 reports
10.6%Fatal2,091 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefuroxime drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefuroxime. 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
Ciprofloxacin5.2%1,027
2
Omeprazole4.8%941
3
Pantoprazole-sodium4.7%929
4
Esomeprazole4.3%844
5
Prednisone4.2%834
6
Metronidazole4.1%815
7
Amoxicillin4.1%814
8
Acetaminophen3.9%772
9
Albuterol3.8%740
10
Azithromycin3.7%728
11
Lansoprazole3.3%650
12
Trimethoprim3.3%647
13
Dexamethasone3.1%600
14
Clarithromycin3.0%582
15
Lenalidomide2.8%548

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen16.0%3,140
2
Furosemide10.3%2,020
3
Aspirin10.3%2,016
4
Albuterol10.1%1,984
5
Prednisone9.6%1,888
6
Pantoprazole-sodium8.4%1,645
7
Omeprazole7.6%1,492
8
Azithromycin7.2%1,420
9
Atorvastatin-calcium7.1%1,390
10
Amoxicillin7.0%1,380
11
Fluticasone7.0%1,380
12
Levothyroxine-sodium6.8%1,346
13
Ergocalciferol6.8%1,344
14
Amlodipine6.8%1,336
15
Metoprolol6.6%1,300

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 cefuroxime side effects

54.9% of cefuroxime adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female54.9%
Male36.4%
Unknown8.7%

Age group

< 23.4%
2–114.1%
12–172.1%
18–6452.4%
65+37.9%

What is cefuroxime used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal SepsisAbscessAbscess ManagementAbscess NeckAcanthamoeba KeratitisAccidental Exposure To ProductAcneAcute SinusitisAcute TonsillitisAdenoidal HypertrophyAdenomyosisAdjuvant Therapy

Showing 15 of 1,021 indications

Cefuroxime brand names and reporting trend

Cefuroxime is sold under brand names including Cefuroxime, Cefuroxime Axetil, Cefuroxime Sodium In Plastic Container.

Brand names

Cefuroxime13,979
Cefuroxime Axetil6,259
Cefuroxime Sodium In Plastic Container2,110

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cefuroxime with another medication?

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