OpenClaim

Dimenhydrinate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of dimenhydrinate include off label use, febrile neutropenia, and nausea, based on 5,141 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Dimenhydrinate side effects

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

1
Off Label Use17.5%901
2
Febrile Neutropenia14.6%753
3
Nausea12.2%629
4
Vomiting7.9%405
5
Pyrexia7.8%400
6
Fatigue7.7%396
7
Drug Ineffective7.7%394
8
Condition Aggravated6.6%338
9
Inappropriate Schedule Of Product Administration6.4%328
10
Weight Decreased6.0%311
11
Dyspnoea5.9%304
12
Headache5.8%297
13
Malaise5.5%285
14
Dizziness5.2%268
15
Aplastic Anaemia5.1%263

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

Report severity

97.7%Serious5,023 reports
58.4%Hospitalizations3,001 reports
10.0%Fatal512 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Dimenhydrinate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside dimenhydrinate. 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
Infliximab11.2%578
2
Methotrexate9.4%485
3
Vincristine-sulfate8.5%438
4
Cyclophosphamide7.9%406
5
Acetaminophen7.6%390
6
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride7.1%367
7
Pantoprazole-sodium7.1%364
8
Cytarabine6.9%354
9
Etoposide6.1%312
10
Rituximab5.9%305
11
Prednisone5.9%304
12
Dexamethasone5.4%279
13
Ondansetron5.1%264
14
Fluticasone4.9%254
15
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride4.9%253

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen45.9%2,358
2
Ondansetron31.0%1,595
3
Diphenhydramine26.4%1,357
4
Lorazepam19.7%1,013
5
Pantoprazole-sodium18.8%965
6
Metoclopramide-hydrochloride17.3%891
7
Dexamethasone17.0%874
8
Hydrocortisone15.3%785
9
Furosemide13.9%714
10
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride12.8%656
11
Methylprednisolone11.1%571
12
Apomorphine-hydrochloride10.9%558
13
Prednisone10.8%555
14
Amlodipine10.3%531
15
Ergocalciferol9.6%492

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 dimenhydrinate side effects

51.9% of dimenhydrinate adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 44%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female51.9%
Male36.6%
Unknown11.5%

Age group

< 25.5%
2–1115.1%
12–179.2%
18–6443.9%
65+26.3%

What is dimenhydrinate used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal Pain UpperAnaphylactic ReactionAngina UnstableAntiallergic TherapyAntiemetic Supportive CareAnxietyAsthmaAbdominal PainAcute Kidney InjuryAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdverse EventAnalgesic TherapyAnaphylactic Reaction

Showing 15 of 139 indications

Dimenhydrinate brand names and reporting trend

Dimenhydrinate is sold under the brand name Dimenhydrinate.

Brand names

Dimenhydrinate6,452

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking dimenhydrinate with another medication?

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