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Docosanol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of docosanol include oral herpes, condition aggravated, and drug administration error, based on 14,489 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 29.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Docosanol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective29.3%4,251
2
Drug Ineffective19.0%2,759
3
Oral Herpes13.8%1,995
4
Condition Aggravated13.5%1,950
5
Drug Administration Error12.0%1,743
6
Incorrect Drug Administration Duration5.5%803
7
Herpes Simplex4.8%699
8
Incorrect Product Administration Duration4.4%637
9
Wrong Technique In Product Usage Process3.8%550
10
Product Quality Issue3.7%537
11
Inappropriate Schedule Of Drug Administration3.4%493
12
Lip Swelling3.1%452
13
Oral Herpes3.1%451
14
Inappropriate Schedule Of Product Administration2.8%399
15
Product Complaint2.6%374

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

Report severity

1.9%Serious282 reports
0.9%Hospitalizations133 reports
<0.1%Fatal10 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Docosanol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside docosanol. 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
Adalimumab0.4%57
2
Etanercept0.2%35
3
Rituximab0.2%30
4
Pregabalin0.2%29
5
Tocilizumab0.2%28
6
Ciprofloxacin0.2%28
7
Methotrexate0.2%27
8
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride0.2%27
9
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate0.2%27
10
Lipase0.2%27
11
Pancrelipase-amylase0.2%27
12
Protease0.2%27
13
Prochlorperazine0.2%27
14
Oxcarbazepine0.2%27
15
Cetirizine-hydrochloride0.2%26

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen0.9%124
2
Ergocalciferol0.8%109
3
Fluticasone0.6%93
4
Levothyroxine-sodium0.6%92
5
Prednisone0.6%81
6
Albuterol0.5%76
7
Cyanocobalamin0.5%68
8
Folic-acid0.4%64
9
Gabapentin0.4%63
10
Aspirin0.4%59
11
Acyclovir0.4%52
12
Montelukast-sodium0.4%51
13
Budesonide0.4%51
14
Omeprazole0.3%48
15
Sertraline-hydrochloride0.3%47

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 docosanol side effects

63.0% of docosanol adverse event reports involve female patients and 21.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 73%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female63.0%
Male21.3%
Unknown15.7%

Age group

< 2<0.1%
2–110.8%
12–171.4%
18–6472.8%
65+24.9%

What is docosanol used for

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

Abdominal DistensionAcneAcrochordonAnogenital WartsAntiviral ProphylaxisAphthous StomatitisAphthous UlcerArthralgiaAsthmaAcneAcrochordonAnalgesic TherapyAphthous UlcerArthropod BiteBacterial Infection

Showing 15 of 156 indications

Docosanol brand names and reporting trend

Docosanol is sold under the brand name Abreva.

Brand names

Abreva1,045

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking docosanol with another medication?

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