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Dimercaprol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of dimercaprol include cardiac arrest, hypotension, and product use issue, based on 22 FDA adverse event reports from 2005 to 2025. 13.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Dimercaprol side effects

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

1
Cardiac Arrest13.6%3
2
Drug Ineffective13.6%3
3
Hypotension9.1%2
4
Product Use Issue9.1%2
5
Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion9.1%2
6
Hypertransaminasaemia9.1%2
7
Hypertriglyceridaemia9.1%2
8
Nausea9.1%2
9
Feeding Disorder9.1%2
10
Vomiting9.1%2
11
Selective Eating Disorder9.1%2
12
Drug Ineffective4.5%1
13
Empyema4.5%1
14
Groin Pain4.5%1
15
Lymph Node Pain4.5%1

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

Report severity

86.4%Serious19 reports
54.5%Hospitalizations12 reports
27.3%Fatal6 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Dimercaprol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside dimercaprol. 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
Propofol13.6%3
2
Penicillamine13.6%3
3
Arsenic-trioxide9.1%2
4
Epinephrine9.1%2
5
Phenylephrine9.1%2
6
Vasopressin9.1%2
7
Ciprofloxacin9.1%2
8
Edetate-calcium-disodium9.1%2
9
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride4.5%1
10
Acyclovir4.5%1
11
Vancomycin4.5%1
12
Phenytoin4.5%1
13
Darunavir4.5%1
14
Phenobarbital-sodium4.5%1
15
Apalutamide4.5%1

Taken alongside

1
Calcium13.6%3
2
Fentanyl13.6%3
3
Midazolam13.6%3
4
Metronidazole9.1%2
5
Acetylcysteine9.1%2
6
Vancomycin9.1%2
7
Acetazolamide9.1%2
8
Dexamethasone9.1%2
9
Succimer9.1%2
10
Cisatracurium-besylate9.1%2
11
Albuterol4.5%1
12
Ipratropium-bromide4.5%1
13
Furosemide4.5%1
14
Magnesium-sulfate4.5%1
15
Zinc-sulfate-heptahydrate-cupric-sulfate-manganese-sulfate-selenious-acid4.5%1

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 dimercaprol side effects

54.5% of dimercaprol adverse event reports involve female patients and 31.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 68%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female54.5%
Male31.8%
Unknown13.6%

Age group

< 210.5%
2–1115.8%
12–170.0%
18–6468.4%
65+5.3%

What is dimercaprol used for

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

Chelation TherapyChelation TherapyMetal PoisoningMetal PoisoningPoisoningProduct Used For Unknown IndicationProduct Used For Unknown Indication

Dimercaprol brand names and reporting trend

Dimercaprol is sold under the brand name Bal.

Brand names

Bal23

Quarterly reports (20052025)

2005201520202025

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

Taking dimercaprol with another medication?

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