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Misoprostol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of misoprostol include pain, off label use, and haemorrhage, based on 17,328 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Misoprostol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective7.9%1,366
2
Pain6.8%1,174
3
Off Label Use6.2%1,081
4
Haemorrhage5.4%939
5
Abortion Incomplete5.3%925
6
Haemorrhage4.8%836
7
Arthralgia4.5%785
8
Abortion Incomplete4.3%738
9
Rheumatoid Arthritis4.2%724
10
Nausea4.1%711
11
Fatigue3.7%638
12
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy3.7%636
13
Drug Hypersensitivity3.3%564
14
Diarrhoea3.1%538
15
Dizziness3.0%514

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

Report severity

68.6%Serious11,881 reports
28.2%Hospitalizations4,880 reports
6.3%Fatal1,088 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Misoprostol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside misoprostol. 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
Mifepristone23.3%4,032
2
Diclofenac16.4%2,839
3
Methotrexate7.6%1,320
4
Adalimumab6.7%1,163
5
Etanercept6.1%1,051
6
Rituximab3.8%655
7
Infliximab3.7%638
8
Leflunomide3.5%613
9
Tocilizumab3.5%611
10
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate3.3%575
11
Pregabalin2.9%508
12
Celecoxib2.9%502
13
Prednisone2.9%497
14
Secukinumab2.4%408
15
Abatacept2.3%395

Taken alongside

1
Diclofenac28.3%4,910
2
Acetaminophen11.2%1,935
3
Doxycycline9.0%1,562
4
Prednisone7.1%1,234
5
Methotrexate6.8%1,186
6
Folic-acid6.5%1,123
7
Aspirin5.8%1,013
8
Ergocalciferol5.8%1,010
9
Levothyroxine-sodium5.3%910
10
Omeprazole4.6%794
11
Ibuprofen4.1%716
12
Albuterol4.0%699
13
Gabapentin3.9%682
14
Azithromycin3.9%676
15
Atorvastatin-calcium3.8%659

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 misoprostol side effects

75.0% of misoprostol adverse event reports involve female patients and 17.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 73%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female75.0%
Male17.8%
Unknown7.2%

Age group

< 24.3%
2–110.3%
12–171.3%
18–6473.3%
65+20.8%

What is misoprostol used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal Pain UpperAborted PregnancyAbortionAbortion EarlyAbortion IncompleteAbortion InducedAbortion Induced IncompleteAbortion MissedAbortion SpontaneousAbortion ThreatenedAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAmniorrhexisAmniotic Fluid Index Decreased

Showing 15 of 504 indications

Misoprostol brand names and reporting trend

Misoprostol is sold under the brand name Cytotec.

Brand names

Cytotec7,928

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking misoprostol with another medication?

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