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Polymyxin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of polymyxin include drug hypersensitivity, pain, and off label use, based on 6,850 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Polymyxin side effects

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

1
Drug Hypersensitivity11.3%771
2
Drug Ineffective9.1%626
3
Pain6.7%461
4
Off Label Use6.1%418
5
Malaise4.4%302
6
Nausea4.4%300
7
Headache4.4%299
8
Pneumonia4.1%278
9
Rash4.0%277
10
Dyspnoea4.0%274
11
Vomiting3.8%260
12
Fatigue3.8%259
13
Macular Degeneration3.7%252
14
Pyrexia3.4%235
15
Diarrhoea3.3%229

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

Report severity

63.2%Serious4,329 reports
25.1%Hospitalizations1,717 reports
9.3%Fatal640 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Polymyxin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside polymyxin. 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
Neomycin-sulfate32.3%2,212
2
Gramicidin17.6%1,203
3
Dexamethasone8.5%579
4
Bacitracin6.7%461
5
Prednisone6.6%450
6
Hydrocortisone6.1%421
7
Acetaminophen6.0%408
8
Fluticasone5.5%374
9
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride5.2%359
10
Aspirin5.2%354
11
Pantoprazole-sodium5.2%354
12
Ergocalciferol5.1%351
13
Adalimumab4.9%337
14
Pregabalin4.6%313
15
Azithromycin4.4%304

Taken alongside

1
Neomycin-sulfate29.9%2,046
2
Acetaminophen16.5%1,130
3
Dexamethasone14.3%978
4
Bacitracin12.3%845
5
Hydrocortisone11.2%765
6
Aspirin11.0%755
7
Ergocalciferol10.8%739
8
Gramicidin10.6%724
9
Albuterol9.1%622
10
Levothyroxine-sodium8.4%578
11
Furosemide8.4%577
12
Prednisone8.2%564
13
Omeprazole8.1%555
14
Trimethoprim8.0%550
15
Amlodipine7.4%508

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 polymyxin side effects

58.4% of polymyxin adverse event reports involve female patients and 32.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 49%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.4%
Male32.2%
Unknown9.5%

Age group

< 21.4%
2–114.1%
12–172.6%
18–6448.8%
65+43.2%

What is polymyxin used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbnormal Sensation In EyeAbrasionsAbscessAcanthamoeba KeratitisAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAcinetobacter InfectionAcinetobacter SepsisAcinetobacter Test PositiveAcneAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute Respiratory Failure

Showing 15 of 599 indications

Polymyxin brand names and reporting trend

Polymyxin is sold under the brand name Poly-rx.

Brand names

Poly-rx2,716

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking polymyxin with another medication?

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