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Cysteamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cysteamine include vomiting, eye irritation, and nausea, based on 1,773 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Cysteamine side effects

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

1
Vomiting11.6%206
2
Eye Irritation10.0%178
3
Nausea9.4%167
4
Eye Pain4.9%87
5
Diarrhoea3.9%70
6
Ocular Hyperaemia3.8%67
7
Headache2.8%50
8
Malaise2.7%48
9
Death2.6%46
10
Abdominal Pain Upper2.6%46
11
Amino Acid Level Increased2.5%45
12
Skin Odour Abnormal2.5%44
13
Photophobia2.4%43
14
Abdominal Discomfort2.3%40
15
Renal Transplant2.1%38

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

Report severity

50.0%Serious887 reports
29.0%Hospitalizations515 reports
5.8%Fatal103 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cysteamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cysteamine. 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
Tacrolimus2.8%49
2
Mycophenolate1.5%26
3
Prednisolone1.3%23
4
Prednisone1.2%21
5
Azathioprine1.2%21
6
Somatropin0.6%10
7
Aspirin0.4%7
8
Rituximab0.4%7
9
Methylprednisolone0.3%6
10
Indomethacin0.3%5
11
Cyclosporine0.3%5
12
Ganciclovir0.3%5
13
Cefuroxime0.2%4
14
Epoetin0.2%4
15
Sodium-bicarbonate0.2%4

Taken alongside

1
Levothyroxine-sodium14.4%256
2
Tacrolimus11.2%198
3
Prednisone9.9%176
4
Ergocalciferol8.9%157
5
Mycophenolate8.2%145
6
Levocarnitine8.2%145
7
Calcitriol7.4%132
8
Ondansetron6.0%106
9
Omeprazole5.5%97
10
Sodium-bicarbonate5.3%94
11
Potassium-chloride4.5%80
12
Amlodipine4.1%72
13
Ferrous-sulfate4.1%72
14
Acetaminophen3.5%62
15
Lisinopril3.4%60

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 cysteamine side effects

41.7% of cysteamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 39.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.7%
Male39.0%
Unknown19.3%

Age group

< 25.9%
2–1128.2%
12–1714.8%
18–6449.8%
65+1.4%

What is cysteamine used for

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

Accidental Exposure To ProductAmino Acid Catabolism DisorderAmino Acid Level AbnormalAmino Acid Metabolism DisorderAplastic AnaemiaAmino Acid Level AbnormalAmino Acid Metabolism DisorderAnaemiaAutoimmune Haemolytic AnaemiaBartter^s SyndromeChronic Kidney DiseaseColitisCorneal DepositsCorneal DisorderCorneal Dystrophy

Showing 15 of 67 indications

Cysteamine brand names and reporting trend

Cysteamine is sold under brand names including Cystadrops, Procysbi.

Brand names

Cystadrops186
Procysbi73

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20042010201520202025

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

Taking cysteamine with another medication?

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