OpenClaim

Menthol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of menthol include dyspnoea, fatigue, and off label use, based on 2,277 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Menthol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective9.6%219
2
Dyspnoea7.2%164
3
Fatigue6.8%154
4
Off Label Use5.8%131
5
Pain5.5%125
6
Headache5.1%117
7
Dizziness5.1%116
8
Pruritus5.0%114
9
Diarrhoea5.0%113
10
Cough4.4%101
11
Nausea4.2%96
12
Pneumonia3.9%88
13
Arthralgia3.8%87
14
Application Site Pain3.6%83
15
Back Pain3.5%80

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

Report severity

65.0%Serious1,480 reports
29.3%Hospitalizations667 reports
7.9%Fatal181 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Menthol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside menthol. 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
Methyl15.6%356
2
Treprostinil3.3%76
3
Diclofenac3.0%68
4
Acetaminophen2.9%65
5
Lidocaine2.8%63
6
Sodium-oxybate2.7%62
7
Pantoprazole-sodium2.5%58
8
Lenalidomide2.5%58
9
Omeprazole2.4%54
10
Prednisone2.2%51
11
Adalimumab2.2%49
12
Pregabalin2.1%47
13
Hydrocortisone2.0%46
14
Methotrexate2.0%46
15
Cetirizine-hydrochloride1.9%44

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen33.2%755
2
Ergocalciferol16.1%367
3
Albuterol16.0%364
4
Aspirin15.4%351
5
Methyl13.5%308
6
Omeprazole13.3%302
7
Furosemide12.2%277
8
Ondansetron12.1%276
9
Atorvastatin-calcium11.2%255
10
Levothyroxine-sodium11.2%255
11
Gabapentin10.5%240
12
Ibuprofen10.5%238
13
Diphenhydramine10.5%238
14
Pantoprazole-sodium10.3%235
15
Amlodipine10.1%231

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 menthol side effects

58.4% of menthol adverse event reports involve female patients and 34.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 51%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.4%
Male34.0%
Unknown7.6%

Age group

< 20.8%
2–111.1%
12–170.7%
18–6446.1%
65+51.3%

What is menthol used for

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

Abdominal Pain UpperAccidental ExposureAcneAdverse EventAlcohol PoisoningAnalgesic TherapyAphthous UlcerArthralgiaArthritisAdverse EventAnalgesic TherapyArthralgiaArthritisBack DisorderBack Pain

Showing 15 of 184 indications

Menthol brand names and reporting trend

Menthol is sold under the brand name Salonpas.

Brand names

Salonpas1,788

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking menthol with another medication?

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