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Chloramphenicol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of chloramphenicol include vomiting, off label use, and nausea, based on 2,460 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Chloramphenicol side effects

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

1
Vomiting9.3%228
2
Off Label Use8.9%219
3
Nausea8.5%209
4
Dyspnoea7.2%177
5
Headache6.7%165
6
Diarrhoea6.7%165
7
Fatigue6.4%157
8
Pyrexia5.8%143
9
Malaise5.7%140
10
Drug Ineffective5.7%139
11
Pain5.5%135
12
Intentional Product Misuse5.0%124
13
Condition Aggravated5.0%122
14
Abdominal Pain4.9%121
15
Hyponatraemia4.8%119

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

Report severity

95.4%Serious2,348 reports
38.3%Hospitalizations942 reports
14.8%Fatal365 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Chloramphenicol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside chloramphenicol. 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
Lansoprazole8.9%219
2
Simvastatin7.6%187
3
Acetaminophen6.7%166
4
Betamethasone5.9%144
5
Ceftriaxone-sodium5.9%144
6
Dexamethasone5.9%144
7
Amiodarone-hydrochloride5.5%136
8
Metronidazole5.4%133
9
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride5.3%131
10
Potassium-chloride5.3%130
11
Fluticasone5.3%130
12
Gabapentin5.2%129
13
Oseltamivir-phosphate5.2%127
14
Dextrose5.1%125
15
Allopurinol5.1%125

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.6%531
2
Omeprazole15.1%371
3
Albuterol12.6%311
4
Atorvastatin-calcium12.0%295
5
Aspirin11.3%278
6
Prednisolone11.3%277
7
Amlodipine10.3%253
8
Lansoprazole10.1%248
9
Amoxicillin9.5%234
10
Dexamethasone9.3%230
11
Bisoprolol-fumarate8.3%204
12
Metformin8.2%202
13
Lactulose8.2%201
14
Furosemide8.1%200
15
Simvastatin7.0%173

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 chloramphenicol side effects

48.8% of chloramphenicol adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 46%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female48.8%
Male41.5%
Unknown9.8%

Age group

< 23.5%
2–114.0%
12–172.4%
18–6444.2%
65+46.0%

What is chloramphenicol used for

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

AcneAdenovirus InfectionAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAlcoholismAllergic SinusitisAllergy ProphylaxisAlpha Haemolytic Streptococcal InfectionAntiallergic TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAnxietyArteriosclerosisAspergillus InfectionAsthma

Showing 15 of 272 indications

Chloramphenicol brand names and reporting trend

Chloramphenicol is sold under brand names including Chlorofair, Chloramphenicol.

Brand names

Chlorofair2,601
Chloramphenicol86

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking chloramphenicol with another medication?

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