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Metronidazole Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of metronidazole include nausea, off label use, and diarrhoea, based on 70,081 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Metronidazole side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective7.9%5,563
2
Nausea6.1%4,304
3
Off Label Use6.1%4,265
4
Diarrhoea5.3%3,719
5
Drug Hypersensitivity4.4%3,097
6
Headache4.1%2,884
7
Vomiting4.1%2,861
8
Fatigue4.0%2,810
9
Pyrexia4.0%2,794
10
Pain4.0%2,779
11
Abdominal Pain3.7%2,627
12
Condition Aggravated3.0%2,123
13
Dizziness3.0%2,094
14
Malaise2.8%1,988
15
Dyspnoea2.8%1,943

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

Report severity

82.6%Serious57,909 reports
41.4%Hospitalizations29,036 reports
10.3%Fatal7,247 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Metronidazole drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside metronidazole. 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
Ciprofloxacin7.0%4,903
2
Vancomycin5.6%3,952
3
Amoxicillin5.1%3,601
4
Adalimumab5.1%3,551
5
Ceftriaxone-sodium4.8%3,377
6
Acetaminophen4.1%2,906
7
Infliximab4.0%2,817
8
Clarithromycin3.8%2,686
9
Prednisone3.7%2,598
10
Omeprazole3.5%2,425
11
Pantoprazole-sodium3.4%2,363
12
Levofloxacin2.6%1,849
13
Lansoprazole2.6%1,828
14
Esomeprazole2.5%1,717
15
Azithromycin2.3%1,578

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen14.9%10,416
2
Ciprofloxacin10.7%7,476
3
Prednisone8.4%5,910
4
Omeprazole8.2%5,743
5
Ergocalciferol7.5%5,284
6
Ondansetron7.2%5,024
7
Aspirin7.2%5,015
8
Furosemide6.9%4,860
9
Pantoprazole-sodium6.9%4,855
10
Albuterol6.9%4,848
11
Levothyroxine-sodium6.4%4,452
12
Amoxicillin6.3%4,384
13
Vancomycin6.0%4,181
14
Ibuprofen5.1%3,598
15
Gabapentin5.1%3,589

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 metronidazole side effects

57.1% of metronidazole adverse event reports involve female patients and 33.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 61%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female57.1%
Male33.7%
Unknown9.2%

Age group

< 21.5%
2–112.5%
12–172.6%
18–6460.9%
65+32.4%

What is metronidazole used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal AdhesionsAbdominal Cavity DrainageAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal InfectionAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SepsisAbdominal TendernessAbdominal Wall AbscessAbdominal Wall HaematomaAbdominal Wall Infection

Showing 15 of 2,149 indications

Metronidazole brand names and reporting trend

Metronidazole is sold under brand names including Helidac, Metronidazole Hydrochloride.

Brand names

Helidac58,533
Metronidazole Hydrochloride1,185

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking metronidazole with another medication?

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