OpenClaim

Dihydrocodeine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of dihydrocodeine include drug hypersensitivity, pain, and off label use, based on 41,716 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.5% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Dihydrocodeine side effects

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

1
Drug Hypersensitivity19.7%8,206
2
Drug Ineffective10.5%4,367
3
Pain10.1%4,218
4
Off Label Use8.5%3,554
5
Toxicity To Various Agents8.3%3,464
6
Fatigue8.2%3,436
7
Nausea8.2%3,430
8
Rash8.2%3,423
9
Rheumatoid Arthritis8.0%3,317
10
Arthralgia7.7%3,231
11
Headache7.5%3,136
12
Diarrhoea7.0%2,922
13
Drug Intolerance6.6%2,737
14
Vomiting6.2%2,587
15
Joint Swelling6.2%2,578

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

Report severity

84.1%Serious35,071 reports
31.1%Hospitalizations12,960 reports
23.9%Fatal9,984 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Dihydrocodeine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside dihydrocodeine. 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
Acetaminophen24.3%10,125
2
Oxycodone14.9%6,222
3
Adalimumab11.9%4,972
4
Morphine-sulfate10.7%4,473
5
Etanercept10.7%4,455
6
Rituximab10.6%4,422
7
Abatacept10.6%4,416
8
Infliximab10.4%4,340
9
Tramadol-hydrochloride10.2%4,262
10
Methotrexate9.9%4,147
11
Tocilizumab9.9%4,122
12
Leflunomide8.7%3,624
13
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate8.0%3,317
14
Diclofenac7.5%3,132
15
Sulfasalazine7.4%3,083

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen23.3%9,722
2
Omeprazole8.5%3,547
3
Ibuprofen8.0%3,317
4
Pantoprazole-sodium7.5%3,148
5
Prednisone7.5%3,133
6
Ergocalciferol7.1%2,969
7
Lansoprazole7.1%2,967
8
Albuterol6.7%2,814
9
Levothyroxine-sodium6.1%2,543
10
Lorazepam6.0%2,499
11
Folic-acid5.8%2,419
12
Aspirin5.6%2,342
13
Lisinopril5.5%2,304
14
Ramipril5.2%2,152
15
Caffeine5.0%2,081

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 dihydrocodeine side effects

56.3% of dihydrocodeine adverse event reports involve female patients and 29.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 68%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female56.3%
Male29.9%
Unknown13.8%

Age group

< 20.9%
2–110.5%
12–171.6%
18–6468.3%
65+28.8%

What is dihydrocodeine used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbnormal FaecesAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAccidental OverdoseAcute TonsillitisAdverse EventAdverse ReactionAffective DisorderAgitationAlcohol Withdrawal SyndromeAllergy TestAnal Abscess

Showing 15 of 592 indications

Dihydrocodeine brand names and reporting trend

Dihydrocodeine is sold under the brand name Synalgos-dc.

Brand names

Synalgos-dc45,107

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking dihydrocodeine with another medication?

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