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Desogestrel Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of desogestrel include pain, fatigue, and rash, based on 10,917 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 21.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Desogestrel side effects

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

1
Pain25.6%2,793
2
Fatigue24.1%2,635
3
Rash23.7%2,588
4
Dyspnoea23.6%2,578
5
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection23.4%2,552
6
Joint Swelling22.6%2,466
7
Peripheral Swelling22.4%2,440
8
Pruritus22.3%2,437
9
Arthralgia22.3%2,431
10
Drug Ineffective21.9%2,386
11
Confusional State21.8%2,377
12
Nasopharyngitis21.6%2,356
13
Swelling21.5%2,342
14
Sinusitis21.0%2,293
15
Weight Increased21.0%2,291

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

Report severity

87.5%Serious9,547 reports
37.9%Hospitalizations4,133 reports
17.9%Fatal1,951 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Desogestrel drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside desogestrel. 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
Abatacept30.2%3,299
2
Acetaminophen30.0%3,275
3
Etanercept28.9%3,150
4
Methotrexate28.7%3,130
5
Leflunomide28.3%3,086
6
Tocilizumab28.0%3,057
7
Certolizumab-pegol27.7%3,026
8
Golimumab27.2%2,971
9
Oxycodone27.1%2,957
10
Chlorhexidine-gluconate26.5%2,898
11
Adalimumab24.2%2,643
12
Infliximab23.3%2,545
13
Diclofenac23.2%2,533
14
Rituximab23.1%2,517
15
Prednisone22.7%2,479

Taken alongside

1
Ethinyl-estradiol55.5%6,058
2
Acetaminophen30.8%3,357
3
Pantoprazole-sodium27.5%3,006
4
Ibuprofen27.1%2,963
5
Ergocalciferol16.4%1,788
6
Eszopiclone16.2%1,766
7
Sulfasalazine16.1%1,762
8
Cetirizine-hydrochloride14.0%1,526
9
Lorazepam13.2%1,439
10
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate12.3%1,343
11
Prednisone11.9%1,302
12
Lansoprazole11.8%1,284
13
Caffeine11.1%1,217
14
Ascorbic-acid11.1%1,216
15
Lisinopril10.6%1,162

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 desogestrel side effects

79.4% of desogestrel adverse event reports involve female patients and 9.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 88%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female79.4%
Male9.0%
Unknown11.6%

Age group

< 20.7%
2–110.5%
12–172.6%
18–6487.8%
65+8.4%

What is desogestrel used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal RigidityAcneAdenomyosisAdverse EventAlopeciaAmenorrhoeaAnaemiaAnal FistulaAnalgesic EffectAnalgesic Therapy

Showing 15 of 348 indications

Desogestrel brand names and reporting trend

Desogestrel is sold under the brand name Enskyce.

Brand names

Enskyce3,280

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking desogestrel with another medication?

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