OpenClaim

Polyethylene Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of polyethylene include product use issue, off label use, and diarrhoea, based on 94,550 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Polyethylene side effects

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

1
Product Use Issue10.4%9,872
2
Drug Ineffective10.0%9,424
3
Off Label Use9.3%8,792
4
Diarrhoea7.0%6,596
5
Nausea5.5%5,154
6
Constipation4.8%4,503
7
Fatigue4.5%4,275
8
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.8%3,599
9
Vomiting3.7%3,456
10
Incorrect Drug Administration Duration3.0%2,818
11
Incorrect Dose Administered2.9%2,705
12
Pain2.7%2,572
13
Death2.7%2,560
14
Headache2.7%2,556
15
Dyspnoea2.5%2,340

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

Report severity

41.1%Serious38,837 reports
22.7%Hospitalizations21,436 reports
6.5%Fatal6,150 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Polyethylene drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside polyethylene. 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
Lenalidomide4.6%4,338
2
Potassium-chloride3.6%3,397
3
Sodium-chloride3.6%3,397
4
Ascorbic-acid2.5%2,396
5
Sodium-sulfate2.4%2,287
6
Sodium-ascorbate2.3%2,196
7
Sodium-oxybate1.4%1,335
8
Pomalidomide1.1%1,078
9
Sodium-bicarbonate1.1%1,059
10
Pimavanserin1.1%1,040
11
Levodopa1.1%1,027
12
Ivacaftor1.1%1,021
13
Adalimumab1.1%993
14
Carbidopa1.0%964
15
Omeprazole1.0%940

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen19.1%18,026
2
Ergocalciferol15.3%14,512
3
Aspirin13.4%12,643
4
Ondansetron11.2%10,550
5
Omeprazole10.7%10,140
6
Albuterol10.3%9,781
7
Levothyroxine-sodium9.9%9,357
8
Gabapentin8.7%8,213
9
Oxycodone8.4%7,982
10
Fluticasone8.2%7,787
11
Potassium-chloride8.0%7,533
12
Furosemide7.9%7,442
13
Atorvastatin-calcium7.6%7,160
14
Pantoprazole-sodium7.6%7,147
15
Amlodipine7.1%6,682

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 polyethylene side effects

55.0% of polyethylene adverse event reports involve female patients and 35.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female55.0%
Male35.8%
Unknown9.2%

Age group

< 20.9%
2–116.5%
12–172.9%
18–6438.0%
65+51.7%

What is polyethylene used for

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

Abdominal AdhesionsAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SymptomAbnormal FaecesAccidental Exposure To ProductAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAcidosisAdams-oliver SyndromeAdhesionAdverse Drug Reaction

Showing 15 of 723 indications

Polyethylene brand names and reporting trend

Polyethylene is sold under the brand name Glycoprep.

Brand names

Glycoprep12,631

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking polyethylene with another medication?

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