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Ethambutol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ethambutol include off label use, drug interaction, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, based on 14,716 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ethambutol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective7.4%1,091
2
Off Label Use5.6%819
3
Drug Interaction5.3%775
4
Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms5.1%750
5
Pyrexia4.5%668
6
Drug-induced Liver Injury4.3%632
7
Drug Resistance3.9%577
8
Nausea3.9%574
9
Condition Aggravated3.4%494
10
Paradoxical Drug Reaction3.2%474
11
Dyspnoea3.1%450
12
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.1%449
13
Vomiting3.0%442
14
Cough2.8%410
15
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome2.7%392

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

Report severity

89.4%Serious13,150 reports
41.0%Hospitalizations6,027 reports
13.4%Fatal1,971 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ethambutol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ethambutol. 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
Isoniazid35.3%5,190
2
Pyrazinamide31.1%4,579
3
Rifampin27.9%4,104
4
Azithromycin11.9%1,747
5
Amikacin-sulfate10.5%1,540
6
Levofloxacin8.1%1,190
7
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride8.0%1,176
8
Clarithromycin7.4%1,090
9
Rifabutin7.2%1,054
10
Linezolid6.9%1,017
11
Clofazimine5.6%817
12
Tenofovir4.9%726
13
Lamivudine4.5%664
14
Efavirenz3.4%499
15
Emtricitabine3.2%469

Taken alongside

1
Isoniazid17.9%2,627
2
Pyrazinamide16.0%2,353
3
Rifampin14.0%2,057
4
Azithromycin10.6%1,558
5
Clarithromycin5.7%840
6
Amikacin-sulfate5.0%736
7
Rifabutin4.5%668
8
Pyridoxine4.3%636
9
Levofloxacin4.2%621
10
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride4.2%621
11
Prednisone4.1%610
12
Albuterol3.8%556
13
Acetaminophen3.4%506
14
Sulfamethoxazole3.4%496
15
Trimethoprim3.0%437

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 ethambutol side effects

43.2% of ethambutol adverse event reports involve female patients and 46.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 63%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.2%
Male46.7%
Unknown10.1%

Age group

< 22.0%
2–113.4%
12–173.3%
18–6462.7%
65+28.7%

What is ethambutol used for

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

Abdominal LymphadenopathyAbscess LimbAcid Fast Bacilli InfectionAdrenal Gland TuberculosisAdverse EventAntasthmatic Drug LevelAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntifungal ProphylaxisAntifungal TreatmentAntiretroviral TherapyArachnoiditisArthritisArthritis Bacterial

Showing 15 of 493 indications

Ethambutol brand names and reporting trend

Ethambutol is sold under the brand name Ethambutol Hydrochloride.

Brand names

Ethambutol Hydrochloride3

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking ethambutol with another medication?

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