OpenClaim

Colistimethate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of colistimethate include off label use, hospitalisation, and acute kidney injury, based on 1,923 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Colistimethate side effects

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

1
Off Label Use8.7%167
2
Hospitalisation7.6%147
3
Acute Kidney Injury5.0%97
4
Infective Pulmonary Exacerbation Of Cystic Fibrosis5.0%96
5
Cystic Fibrosis4.1%78
6
Condition Aggravated4.1%78
7
Dyspnoea4.0%76
8
Death4.0%76
9
Drug Ineffective3.7%71
10
Pneumonia3.6%70
11
Septic Shock3.2%61
12
Infection3.0%57
13
Pyrexia2.4%46
14
Renal Failure2.2%43
15
Thrombocytopenia2.2%43

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

Report severity

86.7%Serious1,668 reports
53.9%Hospitalizations1,037 reports
14.0%Fatal270 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Colistimethate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside colistimethate. 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
Ivacaftor23.4%450
2
Aztreonam13.9%268
3
Meropenem8.9%172
4
Tobramycin8.8%169
5
Elexacaftor-ivacaftor-tezacaftor6.2%119
6
Vancomycin5.4%103
7
Dornase-alfa4.4%85
8
Lumacaftor4.1%79
9
Amikacin-sulfate3.2%62
10
Tigecycline3.2%61
11
Ciprofloxacin3.2%61
12
Linezolid2.9%56
13
Metronidazole2.9%55
14
Lipase2.3%45
15
Pancrelipase-amylase2.2%43

Taken alongside

1
Albuterol25.7%494
2
Dornase-alfa23.5%452
3
Lipase20.3%390
4
Pancrelipase-amylase19.4%373
5
Protease19.4%373
6
Azithromycin18.6%357
7
Sodium-chloride18.4%354
8
Fluticasone12.9%249
9
Tobramycin12.6%242
10
Ergocalciferol11.1%214
11
Omeprazole10.9%210
12
Montelukast-sodium9.7%186
13
Insulin8.9%171
14
Budesonide8.7%168
15
Acetaminophen7.4%142

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 colistimethate side effects

46.4% of colistimethate adverse event reports involve female patients and 46.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 71%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female46.4%
Male46.4%
Unknown7.1%

Age group

< 22.7%
2–114.3%
12–176.3%
18–6470.8%
65+15.7%

What is colistimethate used for

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

Abdominal InfectionAbscess LimbAcinetobacter BacteraemiaAcinetobacter InfectionAcinetobacter Test PositiveAgranulocytosisAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntifungal TreatmentArthritis BacterialAsthmaAcinetobacter BacteraemiaAcinetobacter InfectionAcinetobacter SepsisAcinetobacter Test Positive

Showing 15 of 182 indications

Colistimethate brand names and reporting trend

Colistimethate is sold under the brand name Coly-mycin M.

Brand names

Coly-mycin M2,083

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20042010201520202025

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

Taking colistimethate with another medication?

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