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Ephedrine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ephedrine include drug abuse, cardiac arrest, and toxicity to various agents, based on 192 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 14.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ephedrine side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective14.6%28
2
Drug Abuse10.4%20
3
Cardiac Arrest7.8%15
4
Toxicity To Various Agents6.8%13
5
Hypotension5.7%11
6
Overdose5.7%11
7
Respiratory Arrest5.7%11
8
Drug Hypersensitivity5.2%10
9
Administration Related Reaction5.2%10
10
Off Label Use5.2%10
11
No Adverse Event5.2%10
12
Bradycardia4.2%8
13
Drug Exposure During Pregnancy4.2%8
14
Nausea4.2%8
15
Acute Kidney Injury3.6%7

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

Report severity

66.7%Serious128 reports
20.8%Hospitalizations40 reports
15.6%Fatal30 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ephedrine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ephedrine. 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
Propofol11.5%22
2
Lidocaine9.4%18
3
Midazolam8.9%17
4
Acetaminophen8.3%16
5
Phenylephrine7.3%14
6
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride7.3%14
7
Hydrocodone6.8%13
8
Omeprazole6.8%13
9
Alprazolam6.3%12
10
Meperidine-hydrochloride6.3%12
11
Paroxetine5.7%11
12
Diazepam5.7%11
13
Carisoprodol5.7%11
14
Sertraline-hydrochloride5.7%11
15
Hydroxyzine5.7%11

Taken alongside

1
Fentanyl13.5%26
2
Midazolam11.5%22
3
Acetaminophen11.5%22
4
Ondansetron11.5%22
5
Propofol11.5%22
6
Cefazolin-sodium8.9%17
7
Lidocaine8.3%16
8
Famotidine7.8%15
9
Potassium-chloride7.3%14
10
Rocuronium-bromide7.3%14
11
Phenylephrine7.3%14
12
Diphenhydramine7.3%14
13
Hydrocodone6.8%13
14
Ibuprofen6.3%12
15
Aspirin6.3%12

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 ephedrine side effects

32.8% of ephedrine adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 66%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female32.8%
Male41.1%
Unknown26.0%

Age group

< 24.1%
2–110.0%
12–170.8%
18–6465.6%
65+29.5%

What is ephedrine used for

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

AnaesthesiaAnaesthesiaArthralgiaBlood PressureBlood Pressure DecreasedBlood Pressure ManagementBlood Pressure Systolic AbnormalBradycardiaBronchospasmBlood Pressure ManagementBradycardiaCarotid EndarterectomyCirculatory CollapseComplication Of DeliveryCough

Showing 15 of 30 indications

Ephedrine brand names and reporting trend

Ephedrine is sold under the brand name Akovaz.

Brand names

Akovaz161

Quarterly reports (20042025)

200420202025

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

Taking ephedrine with another medication?

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