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Phenylpropanolamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of phenylpropanolamine include anosmia, ageusia, and ageusia, based on 6,354 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 2.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Phenylpropanolamine side effects

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

1
Anosmia26.6%1,690
2
Ageusia20.9%1,327
3
Ageusia6.2%394
4
Anosmia5.5%350
5
Drug Ineffective2.8%176
6
Nausea2.5%160
7
Diarrhoea2.4%154
8
Dysgeusia2.3%145
9
Fatigue2.2%142
10
Nasal Discomfort2.2%140
11
Dyspnoea2.2%137
12
Burning Sensation2.1%131
13
Headache2.0%128
14
Dizziness1.7%105
15
Vomiting1.6%101

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

Report severity

48.5%Serious3,083 reports
15.6%Hospitalizations994 reports
5.8%Fatal367 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Phenylpropanolamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside phenylpropanolamine. 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
Chlorpheniramine65.9%4,185
2
Acetaminophen1.9%121
3
Sodium-oxybate1.4%92
4
Pseudoephedrine1.4%87
5
Lenalidomide1.3%81
6
Ibuprofen1.2%75
7
Ritonavir1.2%75
8
Nirmatrelvir1.1%69
9
Quetiapine-fumarate1.0%66
10
Amphetamine1.0%63
11
Diphenhydramine1.0%61
12
Aspirin0.9%59
13
Adalimumab0.9%55
14
Naproxen0.9%55
15
Treprostinil0.8%50

Taken alongside

1
Chlorpheniramine21.8%1,382
2
Acetaminophen8.0%507
3
Aspirin6.0%379
4
Ergocalciferol5.6%359
5
Levothyroxine-sodium5.2%333
6
Omeprazole4.3%271
7
Albuterol4.2%269
8
Ibuprofen4.0%257
9
Fluticasone3.4%214
10
Atorvastatin-calcium3.1%199
11
Lisinopril2.9%187
12
Amlodipine2.9%187
13
Ascorbic-acid2.9%187
14
Hydrochlorothiazide2.9%186
15
Calcium2.8%179

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 phenylpropanolamine side effects

58.0% of phenylpropanolamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 37.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 66%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.0%
Male37.1%
Unknown4.9%

Age group

< 21.4%
2–113.9%
12–172.2%
18–6465.7%
65+26.9%

What is phenylpropanolamine used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAgeusiaAllergic Respiratory SymptomAlternating Hemiplegia Of ChildhoodAnaesthesiaAnalgesic TherapyAngina PectorisAnosmiaAntiviral ProphylaxisAnxietyArthralgia

Showing 15 of 286 indications

Phenylpropanolamine brand names and reporting trend

Phenylpropanolamine is sold under brand names including Triaminic-12, Corsym.

Brand names

Triaminic-12848
Corsym3

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking phenylpropanolamine with another medication?

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