OpenClaim

Imatinib Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of imatinib include death, nausea, and death, based on 44,528 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Imatinib side effects

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

1
Death6.6%2,957
2
Drug Ineffective5.8%2,568
3
Nausea5.4%2,398
4
Death5.0%2,235
5
Diarrhoea4.9%2,184
6
Fatigue4.1%1,816
7
Vomiting3.2%1,429
8
Malaise2.7%1,184
9
Drug Intolerance2.6%1,160
10
Malignant Neoplasm Progression2.6%1,156
11
Rash2.6%1,148
12
Drug Resistance2.5%1,111
13
Dyspnoea2.3%1,018
14
Muscle Spasms2.3%1,004
15
Off Label Use2.1%913

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

Report severity

77.7%Serious34,616 reports
21.6%Hospitalizations9,607 reports
20.1%Fatal8,963 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Imatinib drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside imatinib. 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
Dasatinib6.0%2,693
2
Nilotinib5.8%2,604
3
Methotrexate2.3%1,040
4
Vincristine-sulfate2.0%885
5
Bosutinib-monohydrate1.9%824
6
Cytarabine1.7%770
7
Cyclophosphamide1.5%651
8
Prednisone1.4%620
9
Dexamethasone1.4%618
10
Mycophenolate1.3%591
11
Sunitinib-malate1.2%556
12
Ponatinib-hydrochloride1.2%541
13
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride1.2%527
14
Cyclosporine1.2%518
15
Hydroxyurea1.1%471

Taken alongside

1
Aspirin2.7%1,182
2
Furosemide2.5%1,132
3
Levothyroxine-sodium2.1%934
4
Ergocalciferol2.0%904
5
Omeprazole2.0%878
6
Acetaminophen1.9%849
7
Metoprolol1.8%804
8
Amlodipine1.7%741
9
Allopurinol1.6%712
10
Atorvastatin-calcium1.6%697
11
Pantoprazole-sodium1.5%665
12
Ondansetron1.4%644
13
Prednisone1.4%634
14
Lisinopril1.3%587
15
Metformin1.3%577

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 imatinib side effects

43.7% of imatinib adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 53%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.7%
Male45.1%
Unknown11.2%

Age group

< 20.7%
2–112.9%
12–172.8%
18–6452.5%
65+41.1%

What is imatinib used for

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

Abdominal Compartment SyndromeAbdominal MassAbdominal NeoplasmAbdominal Wall Neoplasm MalignantAbo IncompatibilityAcute Biphenotypic LeukaemiaAcute Graft Versus Host DiseaseAcute Graft Versus Host Disease In LiverAcute Graft Versus Host Disease In SkinAcute Interstitial PneumonitisAcute LeukaemiaAcute Leukaemia In RemissionAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia (in Remission)Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia Recurrent

Showing 15 of 949 indications

Imatinib brand names and reporting trend

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking imatinib with another medication?

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