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Oxytocin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of oxytocin include maternal exposure during pregnancy, foetal exposure during pregnancy, and exposure during pregnancy, based on 3,605 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Oxytocin side effects

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

1
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy12.7%459
2
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy12.6%455
3
Exposure During Pregnancy11.5%413
4
Drug Ineffective10.4%375
5
Drug Exposure During Pregnancy7.1%257
6
Premature Baby5.7%207
7
Off Label Use5.4%195
8
Premature Delivery4.4%159
9
Hypotension4.3%156
10
Caesarean Section3.6%130
11
Maternal Exposure During Delivery3.6%130
12
Low Birth Weight Baby3.1%113
13
Postpartum Haemorrhage3.0%107
14
Hypotension2.6%93
15
Postpartum Haemorrhage2.4%86

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

Report severity

90.0%Serious3,245 reports
30.5%Hospitalizations1,098 reports
5.4%Fatal196 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Oxytocin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside oxytocin. 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
Bupivacaine10.2%368
2
Fentanyl9.7%351
3
Misoprostol6.4%232
4
Apomorphine-hydrochloride5.1%185
5
Dinoprostone4.9%178
6
Ondansetron4.5%162
7
Metronidazole4.3%155
8
Betamethasone4.3%154
9
Acetaminophen3.9%142
10
Lidocaine3.8%138
11
Phenylephrine3.8%138
12
Sufentanil-citrate3.6%130
13
Cefuroxime3.3%118
14
Labetalol-hydrochloride3.2%117
15
Propofol2.9%106

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen7.9%284
2
Fentanyl6.4%232
3
Misoprostol4.8%174
4
Bupivacaine4.7%171
5
Lidocaine4.2%152
6
Ondansetron3.6%129
7
Apomorphine-hydrochloride3.3%119
8
Oxycodone3.3%118
9
Sodium-chloride2.9%106
10
Folic-acid2.8%101
11
Ibuprofen2.7%99
12
Potassium-chloride2.4%87
13
Levothyroxine-sodium2.4%86
14
Phenylephrine2.4%85
15
Aspirin2.3%83

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 oxytocin side effects

75.3% of oxytocin adverse event reports involve female patients and 10.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 83%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female75.3%
Male10.5%
Unknown14.3%

Age group

< 213.3%
2–110.4%
12–170.7%
18–6483.1%
65+2.5%

What is oxytocin used for

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

Abnormal LabourAbortionAbortion InducedAbortion SpontaneousAccidental ExposureAmniocentesis AbnormalAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnalgesic TherapyAnxietyArtificial Rupture Of MembranesAssisted DeliveryAbortion InducedAcute Pulmonary OedemaAnaesthesia

Showing 15 of 214 indications

Oxytocin brand names and reporting trend

Oxytocin is sold under the brand name Syntocinon.

Brand names

Syntocinon2,924

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking oxytocin with another medication?

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