OpenClaim

Icosapent Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of icosapent include product odour abnormal, product physical issue, and off label use, based on 7,843 FDA adverse event reports from 2011 to 2025. 6.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Icosapent side effects

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

1
Product Odour Abnormal12.3%963
2
Product Physical Issue9.4%734
3
Off Label Use9.3%729
4
Diarrhoea7.0%551
5
Drug Ineffective6.8%536
6
Poor Quality Product Administered6.4%501
7
Nausea6.2%490
8
Arthralgia6.0%468
9
Product Taste Abnormal5.5%430
10
Fatigue5.0%393
11
Prescribed Underdose3.8%301
12
Blood Triglycerides Increased3.6%284
13
Headache3.5%274
14
Dizziness3.5%273
15
Eructation3.4%266

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

Report severity

38.9%Serious3,051 reports
18.1%Hospitalizations1,421 reports
6.4%Fatal500 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Icosapent drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside icosapent. 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
Adalimumab3.5%271
2
Etanercept2.9%226
3
Certolizumab-pegol2.7%214
4
Tocilizumab2.7%211
5
Rituximab2.7%210
6
Evolocumab2.6%207
7
Abatacept2.6%207
8
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate2.5%198
9
Leflunomide2.5%197
10
Tofacitinib2.5%196
11
Methotrexate2.5%195
12
Prednisone2.4%192
13
Desoximetasone2.4%191
14
Apremilast2.3%181
15
Infliximab2.3%177

Taken alongside

1
Aspirin17.9%1,406
2
Ergocalciferol16.7%1,311
3
Atorvastatin-calcium14.8%1,159
4
Metformin14.5%1,135
5
Rosuvastatin14.1%1,103
6
Levothyroxine-sodium11.2%882
7
Insulin10.7%842
8
Metoprolol10.6%830
9
Amlodipine10.2%797
10
Lisinopril10.0%787
11
Acetaminophen9.1%714
12
Losartan-potassium7.8%615
13
Ezetimibe7.6%599
14
Omeprazole7.5%585
15
Gabapentin7.4%580

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 icosapent side effects

42.3% of icosapent adverse event reports involve female patients and 47.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female42.3%
Male47.3%
Unknown10.4%

Age group

< 20.1%
2–110.3%
12–170.2%
18–6452.2%
65+47.3%

What is icosapent used for

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

Alstroem SyndromeAnticoagulant TherapyAntiinflammatory TherapyArteriosclerosisArthritisArthritis EnteropathicAtrial FibrillationAcute Coronary SyndromeAdverse ReactionAffective DisorderAngina PectorisAngiopathyAnticoagulant TherapyAntiplatelet TherapyArterial Occlusive Disease

Showing 15 of 242 indications

Icosapent brand names and reporting trend

Icosapent is sold under the brand name Vascepa.

Brand names

Vascepa1,619

Quarterly reports (20112025)

20122016202020242025

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

Taking icosapent with another medication?

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