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Propofol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of propofol include hypotension, anaphylactic shock, and off label use, based on 37,573 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 6.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Propofol side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective6.9%2,602
2
Hypotension6.2%2,331
3
Anaphylactic Shock5.5%2,057
4
Off Label Use4.3%1,621
5
Anaphylactic Reaction4.2%1,574
6
Cardiac Arrest3.8%1,438
7
Drug Interaction3.3%1,225
8
Acute Kidney Injury2.7%1,013
9
Tachycardia2.5%944
10
Bradycardia2.4%916
11
Pyrexia2.0%747
12
Toxicity To Various Agents2.0%737
13
Hypotension1.8%680
14
Serotonin Syndrome1.7%629
15
Rash1.7%625

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

Report severity

94.0%Serious35,333 reports
42.0%Hospitalizations15,793 reports
13.4%Fatal5,046 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Propofol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside propofol. 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
Fentanyl15.2%5,700
2
Midazolam13.4%5,052
3
Rocuronium-bromide9.7%3,652
4
Sufentanil-citrate9.3%3,499
5
Ketamine-hydrochloride8.6%3,234
6
Sevoflurane7.6%2,860
7
Remifentanil-hydrochloride7.4%2,765
8
Dexamethasone6.5%2,459
9
Lidocaine6.5%2,459
10
Levetiracetam5.9%2,218
11
Acetaminophen5.6%2,115
12
Atracurium-besylate4.5%1,707
13
Cefazolin-sodium4.2%1,570
14
Epinephrine4.1%1,544
15
Ondansetron3.7%1,390

Taken alongside

1
Fentanyl20.3%7,643
2
Midazolam15.4%5,772
3
Acetaminophen10.3%3,861
4
Rocuronium-bromide8.5%3,202
5
Epinephrine7.4%2,784
6
Lidocaine7.2%2,694
7
Dexamethasone6.6%2,475
8
Furosemide6.4%2,406
9
Ondansetron6.3%2,368
10
Remifentanil-hydrochloride6.1%2,294
11
Heparin5.5%2,070
12
Sevoflurane5.1%1,912
13
Insulin4.7%1,774
14
Pantoprazole-sodium4.6%1,743
15
Vancomycin4.5%1,697

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 propofol side effects

45.5% of propofol adverse event reports involve female patients and 43.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 63%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female45.5%
Male43.8%
Unknown10.7%

Age group

< 22.6%
2–114.8%
12–174.1%
18–6462.7%
65+25.8%

What is propofol used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SepsisAbortionAbortion InducedAbscess NeckAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAcute Myocardial InfarctionAcute Pulmonary OedemaAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdenoidectomyAdenotonsillectomy

Showing 15 of 1,022 indications

Propofol brand names and reporting trend

Propofol is sold under the brand name Diprivan.

Brand names

Diprivan39,846

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking propofol with another medication?

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