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Oxytetracycline Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of oxytetracycline include drug hypersensitivity, nausea, and fatigue, based on 802 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Oxytetracycline side effects

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

1
Drug Hypersensitivity8.7%70
2
Nausea5.1%41
3
Fatigue4.0%32
4
Rash3.9%31
5
Diarrhoea3.9%31
6
Dyspnoea3.5%28
7
Feeling Abnormal3.5%28
8
Pruritus3.4%27
9
Headache3.2%26
10
Dizziness3.1%25
11
Hypersensitivity3.0%24
12
Abdominal Pain2.9%23
13
Confusional State2.7%22
14
Malaise2.6%21
15
Off Label Use2.6%21

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

Report severity

85.9%Serious689 reports
34.3%Hospitalizations275 reports
8.4%Fatal67 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Oxytetracycline drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside oxytetracycline. 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
Lidocaine13.8%111
2
Erythromycin5.9%47
3
Hydrocortisone4.6%37
4
Pantoprazole-sodium4.2%34
5
Ciprofloxacin4.0%32
6
Penicillin3.9%31
7
Clarithromycin3.5%28
8
Omeprazole3.2%26
9
Tetracycline3.2%26
10
Doxycycline3.2%26
11
Levodopa3.1%25
12
Carbidopa3.0%24
13
Sertraline-hydrochloride2.9%23
14
Apomorphine-hydrochloride2.9%23
15
Ranitidine2.5%20

Taken alongside

1
Hydrocortisone14.5%116
2
Acetaminophen12.0%96
3
Lidocaine10.2%82
4
Albuterol9.6%77
5
Omeprazole8.9%71
6
Furosemide7.7%62
7
Aspirin7.1%57
8
Atorvastatin-calcium6.5%52
9
Metformin6.2%50
10
Lansoprazole5.9%47
11
Prednisolone5.7%46
12
Levothyroxine-sodium5.6%45
13
Simvastatin5.4%43
14
Folic-acid5.4%43
15
Amoxicillin5.1%41

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 oxytetracycline side effects

53.9% of oxytetracycline adverse event reports involve female patients and 37.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 53%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female53.9%
Male37.0%
Unknown9.1%

Age group

< 21.0%
2–110.2%
12–175.1%
18–6453.1%
65+40.7%

What is oxytetracycline used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAcneAnal AbscessAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAsthmaAbdominal DiscomfortAcarodermatitisAdaptive Servo-ventilationAntiallergic TherapyBlepharitisCerumen RemovalChillblainsChronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseConjunctivitis Bacterial

Showing 15 of 119 indications

Oxytetracycline brand names and reporting trend

Oxytetracycline is sold under brand names including Terramycin, Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride.

Brand names

Terramycin503
Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride4

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking oxytetracycline with another medication?

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