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Hydrocortisone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of hydrocortisone include off label use, fatigue, and pain, based on 110,841 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 11.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Hydrocortisone side effects

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

1
Off Label Use12.7%14,111
2
Drug Ineffective11.6%12,804
3
Fatigue10.1%11,146
4
Pain8.3%9,182
5
Condition Aggravated7.6%8,398
6
Arthralgia7.4%8,207
7
Rash7.3%8,129
8
Nausea7.1%7,887
9
Headache6.8%7,499
10
Diarrhoea6.8%7,489
11
Dyspnoea6.3%7,005
12
Pyrexia5.8%6,475
13
Vomiting5.4%5,995
14
Pruritus5.4%5,991
15
Infusion Related Reaction5.3%5,852

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

Report severity

82.6%Serious91,512 reports
40.8%Hospitalizations45,206 reports
13.2%Fatal14,630 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Hydrocortisone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside hydrocortisone. 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
Infliximab14.0%15,480
2
Methotrexate13.0%14,360
3
Prednisone9.6%10,681
4
Adalimumab9.6%10,607
5
Rituximab8.2%9,092
6
Etanercept7.3%8,053
7
Acetaminophen6.6%7,290
8
Diclofenac6.3%6,999
9
Tocilizumab6.3%6,932
10
Abatacept6.2%6,923
11
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate6.2%6,820
12
Leflunomide6.1%6,758
13
Cetirizine-hydrochloride6.0%6,666
14
Folic-acid5.8%6,468
15
Certolizumab-pegol5.7%6,330

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.0%23,308
2
Levothyroxine-sodium12.0%13,255
3
Ergocalciferol10.3%11,442
4
Prednisone10.2%11,334
5
Diphenhydramine10.0%11,076
6
Pantoprazole-sodium8.9%9,848
7
Albuterol8.1%8,928
8
Omeprazole7.8%8,598
9
Aspirin7.5%8,340
10
Ondansetron7.4%8,255
11
Furosemide6.9%7,691
12
Ibuprofen6.7%7,390
13
Amlodipine6.0%6,632
14
Dexamethasone5.8%6,430
15
Lorazepam5.6%6,212

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 hydrocortisone side effects

53.2% of hydrocortisone adverse event reports involve female patients and 35.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 57%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female53.2%
Male35.6%
Unknown11.2%

Age group

< 22.6%
2–116.4%
12–174.5%
18–6456.6%
65+29.9%

What is hydrocortisone used for

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

17-alpha-hydroxylase Deficiency17-alpha-hydroxylase Deficiency17-hydroxyprogesterone Increased21-hydroxylase Deficiency21-hydroxylase DeficiencyAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal TendernessAbnormal Sensation In EyeAbo IncompatibilityAbortion InducedAbscessAbscess Intestinal

Showing 15 of 3,029 indications

Hydrocortisone brand names and reporting trend

Hydrocortisone is sold under several brand names including Balneol-hc, Solu-cortef, Cortisporin.

Brand names

Balneol-hc88,374
Solu-cortef34,339
Cortisporin11,044
Locoid Lipocream2,653
Pandel873
Hydrocortisone Valerate732
Hydrocortone270
Cortef28

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking hydrocortisone with another medication?

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