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Gentamicin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of gentamicin include acute kidney injury, off label use, and pyrexia, based on 17,299 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 6.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Gentamicin side effects

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

1
Acute Kidney Injury8.6%1,491
2
Drug Ineffective6.7%1,156
3
Off Label Use4.9%852
4
Pyrexia4.1%713
5
Renal Failure3.1%538
6
Diarrhoea2.8%492
7
Chronic Kidney Disease2.6%455
8
Condition Aggravated2.5%433
9
Product Use In Unapproved Indication2.4%423
10
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy2.3%406
11
Rash2.3%405
12
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy2.3%394
13
Sepsis2.2%385
14
Fatigue2.2%378
15
Pneumonia2.2%378

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

Report severity

91.6%Serious15,848 reports
47.8%Hospitalizations8,273 reports
17.3%Fatal2,991 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Gentamicin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside gentamicin. 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
Vancomycin13.6%2,355
2
Ampicillin6.9%1,186
3
Amoxicillin5.7%978
4
Ceftriaxone-sodium4.8%833
5
Metronidazole4.8%833
6
Ciprofloxacin4.8%824
7
Meropenem4.5%775
8
Dextrose3.9%677
9
Omeprazole3.7%646
10
Azithromycin3.6%619
11
Daptomycin3.5%600
12
Acetaminophen3.4%594
13
Clindamycin3.0%526
14
Dexamethasone3.0%526
15
Betamethasone2.9%505

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen16.2%2,806
2
Vancomycin10.5%1,822
3
Furosemide10.3%1,783
4
Amoxicillin7.5%1,298
5
Omeprazole7.4%1,275
6
Aspirin7.2%1,242
7
Ciprofloxacin6.7%1,151
8
Ondansetron6.4%1,105
9
Albuterol6.0%1,036
10
Metronidazole5.9%1,024
11
Amlodipine5.3%920
12
Insulin5.2%906
13
Atorvastatin-calcium5.2%904
14
Dexamethasone5.2%897
15
Ceftriaxone-sodium5.1%885

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 gentamicin side effects

43.5% of gentamicin adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 47%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.5%
Male45.6%
Unknown10.9%

Age group

< 29.8%
2–114.8%
12–173.0%
18–6446.6%
65+35.8%

What is gentamicin used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbdominal InjuryAbdominal PainAbdominal SepsisAbdominal Wound DehiscenceAbortion InfectedAbscessAbscess LimbAbscess ManagementAcanthamoeba KeratitisAccidental Exposure To ProductAcetabulum FractureAcinetobacter BacteraemiaAcinetobacter Infection

Showing 15 of 1,211 indications

Gentamicin brand names and reporting trend

Gentamicin is sold under the brand name U-gencin.

Brand names

U-gencin3,374

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking gentamicin with another medication?

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