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Megestrol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of megestrol include death, fatigue, and diarrhoea, based on 13,463 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Megestrol side effects

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

1
Death8.6%1,152
2
Fatigue7.0%942
3
Diarrhoea6.3%850
4
Decreased Appetite5.8%777
5
Nausea5.5%736
6
Asthenia5.4%730
7
Pneumonia4.2%566
8
Dyspnoea4.0%541
9
Weight Decreased3.9%520
10
Off Label Use3.8%509
11
Pain3.2%431
12
Vomiting3.1%411
13
Anaemia3.0%410
14
Constipation2.9%385
15
Malignant Neoplasm Progression2.8%374

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

Report severity

83.7%Serious11,270 reports
49.0%Hospitalizations6,592 reports
27.5%Fatal3,704 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Megestrol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside megestrol. 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
Lenalidomide8.1%1,093
2
Bevacizumab3.6%481
3
Carboplatin3.3%442
4
Erlotinib-hydrochloride3.1%419
5
Paclitaxel3.0%399
6
Capecitabine2.8%375
7
Enzalutamide2.7%361
8
Gemcitabine2.3%312
9
Dexamethasone1.9%255
10
Cabozantinib1.7%235
11
Docetaxel1.7%234
12
Atezolizumab1.7%226
13
Zoledronic-acid1.7%224
14
Pomalidomide1.6%220
15
Fluorouracil1.6%218

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen25.9%3,487
2
Ondansetron18.6%2,507
3
Aspirin17.2%2,314
4
Oxycodone15.7%2,116
5
Omeprazole14.9%2,005
6
Dexamethasone14.8%1,990
7
Furosemide14.5%1,954
8
Pantoprazole-sodium12.9%1,730
9
Metoprolol12.2%1,641
10
Levothyroxine-sodium11.9%1,599
11
Amlodipine11.8%1,588
12
Albuterol11.2%1,510
13
Ergocalciferol10.8%1,460
14
Hydrocodone10.7%1,437
15
Gabapentin10.5%1,414

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 megestrol side effects

44.2% of megestrol adverse event reports involve female patients and 49.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 61%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female44.2%
Male49.8%
Unknown6.0%

Age group

< 2<0.1%
2–111.1%
12–170.9%
18–6437.2%
65+60.7%

What is megestrol used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbnormal Loss Of WeightAccidental Exposure To ProductAcquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdjuvant TherapyAdult Failure To ThriveAdverse EventAgeusiaAnaemiaAnorexiaAnti-infective Therapy

Showing 15 of 337 indications

Megestrol brand names and reporting trend

Megestrol is sold under the brand name Megace Es.

Brand names

Megace Es8,947

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking megestrol with another medication?

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