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Meropenem Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of meropenem include off label use, pyrexia, and pneumonia, based on 34,533 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 12.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Meropenem side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective12.2%4,213
2
Off Label Use9.3%3,215
3
Pyrexia6.0%2,061
4
Pneumonia4.3%1,481
5
Septic Shock3.9%1,330
6
Sepsis3.8%1,317
7
Acute Kidney Injury3.8%1,315
8
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome3.7%1,265
9
Condition Aggravated3.3%1,145
10
Diarrhoea3.1%1,081
11
Febrile Neutropenia3.1%1,079
12
Thrombocytopenia3.0%1,046
13
Respiratory Failure2.9%1,010
14
Anaemia2.6%900
15
Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms2.5%874

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

Report severity

97.0%Serious33,492 reports
52.5%Hospitalizations18,131 reports
30.3%Fatal10,461 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Meropenem drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside meropenem. 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
Vancomycin16.2%5,578
2
Linezolid8.3%2,868
3
Amphotericin-b5.3%1,819
4
Ciprofloxacin5.1%1,762
5
Dexamethasone4.8%1,659
6
Methylprednisolone4.7%1,639
7
Levofloxacin4.5%1,553
8
Ceftriaxone-sodium4.4%1,513
9
Fluconazole4.1%1,431
10
Metronidazole3.9%1,364
11
Daptomycin3.9%1,361
12
Voriconazole3.9%1,354
13
Tacrolimus3.9%1,341
14
Cyclophosphamide3.8%1,297
15
Cytarabine3.7%1,273

Taken alongside

1
Vancomycin17.4%5,998
2
Acetaminophen11.5%3,969
3
Furosemide10.6%3,661
4
Fluconazole8.1%2,800
5
Acyclovir7.3%2,523
6
Methylprednisolone6.9%2,387
7
Omeprazole6.6%2,274
8
Dexamethasone6.4%2,225
9
Pantoprazole-sodium6.2%2,142
10
Ondansetron5.7%1,981
11
Piperacillin5.6%1,932
12
Levofloxacin5.6%1,931
13
Linezolid5.4%1,860
14
Hydrocortisone5.4%1,854
15
Cefepime-hydrochloride5.2%1,810

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 meropenem side effects

39.5% of meropenem adverse event reports involve female patients and 52.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 51%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female39.5%
Male52.3%
Unknown8.1%

Age group

< 24.4%
2–115.4%
12–174.0%
18–6451.1%
65+35.1%

What is meropenem used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal DistensionAbdominal InfectionAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SepsisAbdominal SymptomAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess JawAbscess LimbAbscess NeckAbscess Soft TissueAchromobacter Infection

Showing 15 of 1,740 indications

Meropenem brand names and reporting trend

Meropenem is sold under the brand name Merrem Iv.

Brand names

Merrem Iv41,747

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking meropenem with another medication?

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