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Ertapenem Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ertapenem include macular degeneration, off label use, and pyrexia, based on 7,132 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 15.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ertapenem side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective15.4%1,099
2
Macular Degeneration11.2%799
3
Off Label Use7.1%508
4
Pyrexia5.8%417
5
Product Use In Unapproved Indication5.3%379
6
Nausea4.9%352
7
Confusional State4.9%348
8
Pain4.6%325
9
Weight Decreased3.7%267
10
Malaise3.6%259
11
Anaemia3.5%252
12
Therapeutic Product Effect Incomplete3.1%224
13
Seizure3.1%222
14
Abdominal Pain3.1%221
15
Headache3.1%219

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

Report severity

85.6%Serious6,105 reports
47.0%Hospitalizations3,354 reports
8.7%Fatal621 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ertapenem drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ertapenem. 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
Amoxicillin12.8%912
2
Metronidazole12.4%886
3
Prednisone12.2%867
4
Azithromycin11.6%830
5
Clarithromycin11.6%827
6
Adalimumab11.5%820
7
Acetaminophen11.4%815
8
Triamcinolone11.2%798
9
Alprazolam11.0%781
10
Diphenhydramine10.9%780
11
Nicotine10.9%775
12
Budesonide10.8%772
13
Atorvastatin-calcium10.8%770
14
Betamethasone10.8%770
15
Nadolol10.8%768

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen10.3%737
2
Valsartan8.7%621
3
Vancomycin6.4%459
4
Furosemide6.3%451
5
Pantoprazole-sodium5.6%401
6
Aspirin5.3%375
7
Omeprazole5.1%363
8
Insulin4.8%339
9
Ondansetron4.6%327
10
Levothyroxine-sodium4.3%310
11
Prednisone4.1%293
12
Meropenem4.1%293
13
Atorvastatin-calcium3.9%280
14
Amlodipine3.8%274
15
Ceftriaxone-sodium3.8%270

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 ertapenem side effects

45.3% of ertapenem adverse event reports involve female patients and 44.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 53%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female45.3%
Male44.1%
Unknown10.6%

Age group

< 20.7%
2–110.7%
12–170.9%
18–6444.9%
65+52.8%

What is ertapenem used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SepsisAbdominal Wall AbscessAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess LimbAbscess OralAchromobacter InfectionAcinetobacter BacteraemiaAcinetobacter InfectionAcne

Showing 15 of 715 indications

Ertapenem brand names and reporting trend

Ertapenem is sold under the brand name Invanz.

Brand names

Invanz4,679

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking ertapenem with another medication?

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