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Pentoxifylline Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of pentoxifylline include fatigue, diarrhoea, and dyspnoea, based on 6,067 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 6.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Pentoxifylline side effects

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

1
Fatigue8.1%490
2
Diarrhoea7.6%462
3
Dyspnoea6.8%410
4
Nausea6.6%401
5
Drug Ineffective6.4%391
6
Dizziness6.2%379
7
Headache6.2%374
8
Asthenia6.1%372
9
Fall6.1%368
10
Insomnia5.8%349
11
Arthralgia5.2%313
12
Off Label Use5.1%307
13
Vomiting5.0%305
14
Pruritus5.0%305
15
Decreased Appetite4.9%297

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

Report severity

81.5%Serious4,945 reports
40.0%Hospitalizations2,426 reports
15.9%Fatal967 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Pentoxifylline drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside pentoxifylline. 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
Aspirin8.4%512
2
Adalimumab7.2%435
3
Pregabalin7.2%434
4
Etanercept7.0%427
5
Omeprazole6.6%400
6
Atorvastatin-calcium6.4%389
7
Enoxaparin-sodium6.3%384
8
Acetaminophen6.0%365
9
Simvastatin5.9%358
10
Diltiazem5.9%356
11
Bisoprolol-fumarate5.8%349
12
Venlafaxine5.8%349
13
Tramadol-hydrochloride5.6%341
14
Hydrochlorothiazide5.6%338
15
Nitroglycerin5.1%308

Taken alongside

1
Aspirin21.6%1,311
2
Furosemide15.6%945
3
Acetaminophen13.0%786
4
Omeprazole12.6%765
5
Atorvastatin-calcium12.1%736
6
Levothyroxine-sodium10.9%659
7
Amlodipine10.8%657
8
Ergocalciferol9.9%599
9
Gabapentin9.8%593
10
Insulin9.5%574
11
Metoprolol9.3%566
12
Metformin9.0%544
13
Simvastatin8.6%522
14
Prednisone8.1%493
15
Lisinopril7.4%449

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 pentoxifylline side effects

47.6% of pentoxifylline adverse event reports involve female patients and 40.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 56%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female47.6%
Male40.4%
Unknown12.0%

Age group

< 20.8%
2–110.5%
12–170.5%
18–6441.9%
65+56.3%

What is pentoxifylline used for

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

Acute Myocardial InfarctionAdiposis DolorosaAdjuvant TherapyAffect LabilityAinhumAlcoholic HepatitisAmnesiaAnalgesic Intervention Supportive TherapyAnalgesic TherapyAngiolymphoid Hyperplasia With EosinophiliaAngiopathyAnkylosing SpondylitisAntibiotic TherapyAnticoagulant TherapyAntiinflammatory Therapy

Showing 15 of 467 indications

Pentoxifylline brand names and reporting trend

Pentoxifylline is sold under the brand name Trental.

Brand names

Trental4,963

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking pentoxifylline with another medication?

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