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Oxymetazoline Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of oxymetazoline include vision blurred, off label use, and headache, based on 3,780 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 11.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Oxymetazoline side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective11.9%448
2
Vision Blurred7.2%273
3
Off Label Use6.5%245
4
Headache6.4%241
5
Eye Irritation6.1%232
6
Ocular Hyperaemia5.8%221
7
Eye Pain4.0%153
8
Dry Eye3.9%149
9
Mydriasis3.3%123
10
Nausea3.2%120
11
Pain3.0%114
12
Dizziness2.9%110
13
Fatigue2.9%108
14
Eye Pruritus2.5%94
15
Lacrimation Increased2.4%90

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

Report severity

33.3%Serious1,258 reports
14.9%Hospitalizations564 reports
3.0%Fatal115 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Oxymetazoline drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside oxymetazoline. 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
Sodium-oxybate4.0%151
2
Dupilumab1.5%56
3
Lenalidomide1.4%53
4
Tetracaine1.4%52
5
Treprostinil1.1%41
6
Acetaminophen0.8%31
7
Ritonavir0.8%30
8
Calcium-oxybate0.8%30
9
Magnesium-oxybate0.8%30
10
Potassium-oxybate0.8%30
11
Nirmatrelvir0.7%28
12
Lidocaine0.7%27
13
Omeprazole0.7%25
14
Venetoclax0.7%25
15
Dexamethasone0.6%23

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen13.8%522
2
Fluticasone9.1%344
3
Albuterol8.8%332
4
Ergocalciferol8.8%331
5
Aspirin7.3%276
6
Levothyroxine-sodium7.3%276
7
Ondansetron6.9%259
8
Omeprazole6.3%239
9
Diphenhydramine5.9%224
10
Atorvastatin-calcium5.4%206
11
Furosemide5.3%201
12
Gabapentin5.3%199
13
Ibuprofen5.2%196
14
Sodium-chloride4.7%179
15
Oxycodone4.7%178

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 oxymetazoline side effects

68.0% of oxymetazoline adverse event reports involve female patients and 24.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 65%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female68.0%
Male24.9%
Unknown7.1%

Age group

< 20.8%
2–111.5%
12–172.0%
18–6464.6%
65+31.1%

What is oxymetazoline used for

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

Accidental Drug Intake By ChildAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAcneAcute SinusitisAdjuvant TherapyAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAllergyAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAntifungal TreatmentArthritisArtificial Crown ProcedureAcne

Showing 15 of 235 indications

Oxymetazoline brand names and reporting trend

Oxymetazoline is sold under brand names including Oxymetazoline, Visine L.r..

Brand names

Oxymetazoline1,672
Visine L.r.25

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking oxymetazoline with another medication?

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