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Cysteine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cysteine include off label use, dyspnoea, and diarrhoea, based on 4,468 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Cysteine side effects

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

1
Off Label Use6.2%277
2
Dyspnoea5.8%258
3
Diarrhoea5.7%253
4
Pneumonia5.4%242
5
Rash4.6%206
6
Pyrexia4.2%188
7
Vomiting4.0%180
8
Nausea3.7%166
9
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection3.4%150
10
Malaise3.0%135
11
Covid-193.0%133
12
Headache2.8%124
13
Abdominal Discomfort2.6%116
14
Condition Aggravated2.6%115
15
Product Dose Omission Issue2.5%113

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

Report severity

90.5%Serious4,044 reports
47.1%Hospitalizations2,105 reports
15.2%Fatal681 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cysteine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cysteine. 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
Ciprofloxacin3.7%165
2
Prednisolone3.1%139
3
Omeprazole3.1%139
4
Nivolumab2.4%108
5
Methotrexate2.4%107
6
Irbesartan2.4%106
7
Amoxicillin2.4%105
8
Aminophylline2.2%99
9
Etanercept2.2%97
10
Carboplatin2.1%95
11
Carbamazepine2.1%94
12
Atezolizumab2.1%94
13
Venlafaxine2.1%93
14
Sodium-oxybate2.1%92
15
Guanidine-hydrochloride2.0%89

Taken alongside

1
Albuterol20.4%912
2
Lansoprazole17.3%772
3
Acetaminophen17.0%761
4
Atorvastatin-calcium13.8%618
5
Omeprazole12.7%568
6
Furosemide12.2%546
7
Amlodipine12.0%537
8
Aspirin11.3%503
9
Prednisolone11.2%501
10
Levothyroxine-sodium10.2%457
11
Montelukast-sodium9.8%436
12
Bisoprolol-fumarate8.9%396
13
Fluticasone8.8%392
14
Magnesium-oxide8.4%374
15
Tiotropium-bromide7.6%341

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 cysteine side effects

43.7% of cysteine adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 60%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.7%
Male45.1%
Unknown11.1%

Age group

< 22.5%
2–113.6%
12–172.0%
18–6431.9%
65+60.0%

What is cysteine used for

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

Abdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAcute Hepatic FailureAdverse EventAirway Secretion Clearance TherapyAlopeciaAntiinflammatory TherapyAntioxidant TherapyAntitussive TherapyAspartate Aminotransferase IncreasedAsthmaAbdominal DiscomfortAcute SinusitisAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse Event

Showing 15 of 245 indications

Cysteine brand names and reporting trend

Cysteine is sold under the brand name Elcys.

Brand names

Elcys4

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cysteine with another medication?

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