OpenClaim

Famciclovir Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of famciclovir include fatigue, diarrhoea, and nausea, based on 4,238 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.5% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Famciclovir side effects

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

1
Fatigue5.7%243
2
Diarrhoea5.2%221
3
Nausea4.3%183
4
Headache3.8%162
5
Pain3.7%157
6
Off Label Use3.7%156
7
Drug Ineffective3.5%147
8
Rash3.3%141
9
Dizziness2.8%120
10
Pyrexia2.8%117
11
Pneumonia2.6%109
12
Herpes Zoster2.5%108
13
Death2.5%108
14
Dyspnoea2.4%100
15
Vomiting2.1%91

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

Report severity

74.5%Serious3,156 reports
35.5%Hospitalizations1,505 reports
10.1%Fatal429 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Famciclovir drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside famciclovir. 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
Lenalidomide12.5%530
2
Alemtuzumab4.3%183
3
Pomalidomide3.5%147
4
Dexamethasone3.4%145
5
Sodium-oxybate3.2%136
6
Cyclophosphamide2.6%111
7
Acyclovir2.5%105
8
Rituximab2.4%102
9
Prednisone2.4%101
10
Venetoclax2.2%94
11
Fludarabine-phosphate2.1%91
12
Acetaminophen2.1%90
13
Pantoprazole-sodium2.0%84
14
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride2.0%83
15
Pregabalin1.9%79

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.3%903
2
Aspirin15.8%669
3
Ergocalciferol15.0%637
4
Dexamethasone13.7%581
5
Omeprazole12.7%539
6
Prednisone12.3%520
7
Gabapentin11.5%487
8
Ondansetron11.4%482
9
Levothyroxine-sodium11.2%473
10
Amlodipine10.4%441
11
Sulfamethoxazole9.7%410
12
Fluconazole9.2%389
13
Pantoprazole-sodium9.2%388
14
Furosemide8.9%378
15
Albuterol8.9%378

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 famciclovir side effects

56.4% of famciclovir adverse event reports involve female patients and 37.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female56.4%
Male37.3%
Unknown6.3%

Age group

< 20.3%
2–111.8%
12–170.8%
18–6451.9%
65+45.2%

What is famciclovir used for

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

AcneAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdenocarcinoma Of ColonAgranulocytosisAnogenital WartsAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntiemetic Supportive CareAntiretroviral TherapyAntiviral ProphylaxisAntiviral TreatmentAphthous UlcerArachnoiditisAntiviral ProphylaxisAntiviral Treatment

Showing 15 of 159 indications

Famciclovir brand names and reporting trend

Famciclovir is sold under the brand name Famvir.

Brand names

Famvir2,889

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking famciclovir with another medication?

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