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Potassium Oxybate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of potassium oxybate include product administration interrupted, surgery, and nausea, based on 7,923 FDA adverse event reports from 2020 to 2025. 4.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Potassium Oxybate side effects

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

1
Product Administration Interrupted18.7%1,480
2
Surgery13.3%1,054
3
Nausea10.9%867
4
Product Dose Omission Issue10.2%805
5
Anxiety7.8%621
6
Intentional Dose Omission6.9%544
7
Headache6.0%479
8
Intentional Product Use Issue5.9%470
9
Dizziness5.8%463
10
Somnolence5.5%436
11
Vomiting5.1%401
12
Feeling Abnormal4.9%392
13
Depression4.9%386
14
Weight Decreased4.7%375
15
Drug Ineffective4.6%363

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

Report severity

81.0%Serious6,418 reports
18.4%Hospitalizations1,455 reports
0.9%Fatal73 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Potassium Oxybate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside potassium oxybate. 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
Sodium-oxybate98.8%7,827
2
Calcium-oxybate98.3%7,789
3
Magnesium-oxybate98.3%7,789
4
Solriamfetol2.3%183
5
Amphetamine1.3%106
6
Dextroamphetamine1.3%105
7
Modafinil0.8%67
8
Methylphenidate0.6%49
9
Armodafinil0.6%46
10
Pitolisant0.6%45
11
Gabapentin0.6%44
12
Oxycodone0.6%44
13
Acetaminophen0.6%44
14
Alcohol0.5%42
15
Bupropion0.5%39

Taken alongside

1
Dextroamphetamine14.7%1,161
2
Amphetamine13.2%1,042
3
Ergocalciferol11.8%935
4
Acetaminophen9.0%717
5
Albuterol8.9%707
6
Fluticasone8.8%696
7
Modafinil8.4%666
8
Levothyroxine-sodium7.7%614
9
Gabapentin7.4%587
10
Armodafinil7.4%584
11
Methylphenidate6.9%550
12
Omeprazole6.8%538
13
Bupropion6.7%528
14
Ondansetron6.3%501
15
Solriamfetol6.2%490

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 potassium oxybate side effects

70.5% of potassium oxybate adverse event reports involve female patients and 26.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 86%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female70.5%
Male26.2%
Unknown3.3%

Age group

< 20.2%
2–110.6%
12–173.3%
18–6486.3%
65+9.6%

What is potassium oxybate used for

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

Accidental Exposure To ProductCataplexyCataplexyCentral Sleep Apnoea SyndromeChronic Fatigue SyndromeCircadian Rhythm Sleep DisorderCystitis InterstitialDelayed Sleep PhaseDepressionEhlers-danlos SyndromeFibromyalgiaFatigueFibromyalgiaHypersomniaHypersomnia

Showing 15 of 37 indications

Potassium Oxybate brand names and reporting trend

Quarterly reports (20202025)

2020202220242025

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

Taking potassium oxybate with another medication?

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