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Methyldopa Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of methyldopa include foetal exposure during pregnancy, premature baby, and maternal exposure during pregnancy, based on 6,190 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Methyldopa side effects

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

1
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy22.3%1,381
2
Premature Baby14.8%917
3
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy14.1%870
4
Exposure During Pregnancy11.6%720
5
Premature Delivery9.7%603
6
Low Birth Weight Baby6.8%423
7
Drug Exposure During Pregnancy4.4%272
8
Drug Ineffective4.1%256
9
Foetal Growth Restriction3.9%242
10
Hypertension3.8%236
11
Off Label Use3.8%233
12
Atrial Septal Defect3.5%215
13
Dyspnoea3.0%186
14
Pre-eclampsia2.9%177
15
Patent Ductus Arteriosus2.7%169

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

Report severity

92.4%Serious5,721 reports
35.9%Hospitalizations2,223 reports
5.8%Fatal356 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Methyldopa drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside methyldopa. 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
Nifedipine13.7%846
2
Aspirin11.8%730
3
Metformin10.2%630
4
Insulin9.8%609
5
Metoprolol7.6%473
6
Amlodipine7.6%473
7
Labetalol-hydrochloride6.3%391
8
Methyldopate-hydrochloride5.7%354
9
Hydrochlorothiazide5.3%327
10
Tacrolimus5.0%311
11
Hydralazine-hydrochloride4.8%299
12
Furosemide4.8%298
13
Sildenafil-citrate4.6%284
14
Chlorhexidine-gluconate4.3%269
15
Azathioprine4.2%260

Taken alongside

1
Methyldopate-hydrochloride14.2%881
2
Aspirin8.2%509
3
Furosemide7.3%453
4
Hydrochlorothiazide7.0%434
5
Nifedipine6.9%429
6
Amlodipine6.7%416
7
Insulin5.7%350
8
Folic-acid5.4%334
9
Acetaminophen4.7%294
10
Levothyroxine-sodium4.6%286
11
Metformin4.5%281
12
Metoprolol4.5%276
13
Prednisone3.6%225
14
Omeprazole3.4%212
15
Atenolol3.4%208

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 methyldopa side effects

61.3% of methyldopa adverse event reports involve female patients and 23.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 56%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female61.3%
Male23.4%
Unknown15.3%

Age group

< 224.3%
2–110.2%
12–170.2%
18–6456.1%
65+19.3%

What is methyldopa used for

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

Abnormal Product Of ConceptionAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAcute Myocardial InfarctionAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAffective DisorderAlbumin Globulin Ratio AbnormalAnkylosing SpondylitisAnticoagulant TherapyArrhythmiaArterial ThrombosisAbdominal PainAcute Myocardial InfarctionAgitationAngina PectorisBlood Pressure

Showing 15 of 172 indications

Methyldopa brand names and reporting trend

Methyldopa is sold under the brand name Methyldopa And Chlorothiazide.

Brand names

Methyldopa And Chlorothiazide5,594

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking methyldopa with another medication?

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