OpenClaim

Insulin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of insulin include blood glucose increased, blood glucose decreased, and off label use, based on 497,074 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Insulin side effects

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

1
Blood Glucose Increased14.6%72,792
2
Drug Ineffective4.1%20,507
3
Blood Glucose Decreased3.5%17,370
4
Off Label Use3.4%16,751
5
Nausea3.0%15,029
6
Incorrect Dose Administered2.9%14,594
7
Visual Impairment2.8%13,977
8
Blood Glucose Increased2.7%13,181
9
Fatigue2.5%12,481
10
Diarrhoea2.5%12,375
11
Malaise2.3%11,568
12
Hypoglycaemia2.3%11,314
13
Dyspnoea2.3%11,214
14
Inappropriate Schedule Of Product Administration2.2%10,941
15
Product Storage Error2.2%10,749

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

Report severity

56.0%Serious278,117 reports
29.2%Hospitalizations145,112 reports
6.8%Fatal33,561 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Insulin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside insulin. 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
Metformin3.2%15,764
2
Exenatide-synthetic2.4%11,706
3
Dulaglutide1.8%8,890
4
Lenalidomide1.4%6,965
5
Adalimumab1.3%6,233
6
Omeprazole1.1%5,400
7
Liraglutide1.0%5,147
8
Aspirin0.9%4,591
9
Esomeprazole0.9%4,533
10
Pimozide0.9%4,459
11
Pregabalin0.9%4,348
12
Pantoprazole-sodium0.9%4,310
13
Furosemide0.9%4,248
14
Sitagliptin0.8%4,006
15
Empagliflozin0.8%4,002

Taken alongside

1
Metformin14.3%71,285
2
Aspirin10.5%52,343
3
Furosemide8.4%41,928
4
Atorvastatin-calcium8.4%41,613
5
Acetaminophen6.6%32,671
6
Amlodipine6.4%32,059
7
Levothyroxine-sodium6.4%31,763
8
Metoprolol6.2%30,594
9
Lisinopril6.1%30,149
10
Omeprazole5.2%26,041
11
Ergocalciferol5.2%25,811
12
Gabapentin5.1%25,430
13
Pantoprazole-sodium4.5%22,543
14
Simvastatin4.5%22,434
15
Albuterol4.4%21,914

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 insulin side effects

51.5% of insulin adverse event reports involve female patients and 42.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female51.5%
Male42.1%
Unknown6.3%

Age group

< 20.6%
2–110.8%
12–170.9%
18–6450.3%
65+47.4%

What is insulin used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbortion SpontaneousAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAccidental Needle StickAccidental OverdoseAcetonaemiaAcneAcquired Lipoatrophic DiabetesActivated Partial Thromboplastin Time ProlongedAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Kidney Injury

Showing 15 of 944 indications

Insulin brand names and reporting trend

Insulin is sold under several brand names including Humulin 70/30, Semglee, Admelog Solostar.

Brand names

Humulin 70/3059,390
Semglee25,636
Admelog Solostar18,217
Ryzodeg 70/3012,327
Myxredlin9,095
Levemir2,878
Tresiba2,128
Apidra1,563
Humalog Mix 75/25 Kwikpen1,182
Lantus420
Afrezza57
Novolog Mix 50/5049
Levemir Flexpen35
Humalog6
Rezvoglar5
Lyumjev4

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking insulin with another medication?

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