OpenClaim

Pilocarpine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of pilocarpine include headache, nausea, and fatigue, based on 6,815 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Pilocarpine side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective9.6%653
2
Headache8.0%543
3
Nausea5.2%354
4
Fatigue5.2%353
5
Off Label Use4.7%320
6
Pain4.7%319
7
Vision Blurred3.9%267
8
Diarrhoea3.7%255
9
Visual Impairment3.6%246
10
Dizziness3.6%243
11
Arthralgia3.6%243
12
Dyspnoea3.6%242
13
Eye Pain3.2%216
14
Fall3.1%208
15
Treatment Failure2.9%195

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

Report severity

54.6%Serious3,721 reports
23.1%Hospitalizations1,577 reports
4.0%Fatal272 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Pilocarpine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside pilocarpine. 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
Adalimumab5.0%340
2
Latanoprost3.9%263
3
Sodium-oxybate3.9%263
4
Timolol3.6%248
5
Etanercept3.4%235
6
Rituximab3.4%234
7
Brimonidine-tartrate3.1%212
8
Lenalidomide2.4%161
9
Tofacitinib2.2%153
10
Bimatoprost2.1%146
11
Methotrexate2.1%143
12
Dorzolamide-hydrochloride2.1%140
13
Brinzolamide1.9%129
14
Treprostinil1.8%124
15
Cenegermin-bkbj1.7%119

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen18.8%1,280
2
Ergocalciferol18.3%1,250
3
Levothyroxine-sodium17.8%1,213
4
Omeprazole14.7%1,005
5
Prednisone14.1%961
6
Gabapentin13.9%948
7
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate12.6%859
8
Aspirin12.5%851
9
Folic-acid10.8%738
10
Albuterol10.5%714
11
Furosemide10.2%693
12
Fluticasone9.2%627
13
Amlodipine8.9%606
14
Atorvastatin-calcium8.6%585
15
Methotrexate8.5%581

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 pilocarpine side effects

68.1% of pilocarpine adverse event reports involve female patients and 22.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female68.1%
Male22.3%
Unknown9.5%

Age group

< 2<0.1%
2–110.3%
12–170.2%
18–6452.3%
65+47.2%

What is pilocarpine used for

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

Abnormal Sensation In EyeAnaesthesiaAngle Closure GlaucomaAptyalismArthralgiaArthritisAsthenopiaAsthmaAutoimmune DisorderAutoimmune RetinopathyAdverse Drug ReactionAngle Closure GlaucomaAnisocoriaAntinuclear Antibody PositiveAptyalism

Showing 15 of 197 indications

Pilocarpine brand names and reporting trend

Pilocarpine is sold under brand names including Ocusert Pilo-20, Vuity.

Brand names

Ocusert Pilo-204,798
Vuity67

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking pilocarpine with another medication?

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