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Esmolol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of esmolol include pain, hypotension, and injury, based on 1,293 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 23.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Esmolol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective23.0%297
2
Pain6.3%82
3
Hypotension6.3%82
4
Injury6.3%81
5
Renal Failure6.0%77
6
Anxiety5.6%72
7
Unevaluable Event5.4%70
8
Off Label Use5.3%68
9
Fear4.9%64
10
Cardiac Arrest4.9%63
11
Emotional Distress4.1%53
12
Bradycardia4.1%53
13
Renal Injury3.9%51
14
Anhedonia3.7%48
15
Renal Impairment3.6%46

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

Report severity

95.2%Serious1,231 reports
49.0%Hospitalizations633 reports
16.8%Fatal217 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Esmolol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside esmolol. 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
Amiodarone-hydrochloride16.3%211
2
Lidocaine11.1%143
3
Metoprolol9.4%121
4
Aprotinin6.7%87
5
Epinephrine6.6%85
6
Propranolol-hydrochloride6.2%80
7
Propofol5.3%68
8
Digoxin5.0%65
9
Diltiazem4.3%55
10
Nicardipine-hydrochloride3.9%50
11
Fentanyl3.7%48
12
Flecainide-acetate3.4%44
13
Propylthiouracil3.4%44
14
Furosemide3.2%42
15
Labetalol-hydrochloride3.0%39

Taken alongside

1
Propofol14.1%182
2
Fentanyl13.8%178
3
Midazolam13.7%177
4
Metoprolol13.2%171
5
Furosemide12.6%163
6
Heparin12.0%155
7
Epinephrine11.7%151
8
Lidocaine10.0%129
9
Acetaminophen10.0%129
10
Amiodarone-hydrochloride9.0%116
11
Nitroglycerin8.6%111
12
Insulin8.2%106
13
Phenylephrine8.0%104
14
Aspirin7.7%100
15
Ondansetron7.7%100

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 esmolol side effects

38.2% of esmolol adverse event reports involve female patients and 49.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 58%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female38.2%
Male49.9%
Unknown11.9%

Age group

< 212.3%
2–112.6%
12–175.3%
18–6458.3%
65+21.5%

What is esmolol used for

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

Acute Coronary SyndromeAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAortic DisorderAortic InjuryArrhythmiaArrhythmia SupraventricularAtrial FibrillationAtrial FlutterAtrial TachycardiaAutonomic Nervous System ImbalanceAccelerated HypertensionAccelerated Idioventricular RhythmAcquired Left Ventricle Outflow Tract ObstructionAcute Myocardial Infarction

Showing 15 of 159 indications

Esmolol brand names and reporting trend

Esmolol is sold under the brand name Brevibloc Double Strength In Plastic Container.

Brand names

Brevibloc Double Strength In Plastic Container1

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking esmolol with another medication?

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