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Pyrimethamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of pyrimethamine include off label use, nausea, and vomiting, based on 1,554 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Pyrimethamine side effects

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

1
Off Label Use10.4%161
2
Nausea8.2%128
3
Vomiting5.9%92
4
Neutropenia4.8%75
5
Pancytopenia4.4%68
6
Drug Ineffective4.3%67
7
Pyrexia3.5%55
8
Pancytopenia3.4%53
9
Headache3.2%50
10
Acute Kidney Injury3.2%50
11
Rash3.1%48
12
Diarrhoea3.0%46
13
Death3.0%46
14
Dizziness2.9%45
15
Pyrexia2.6%40

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

Report severity

80.8%Serious1,256 reports
45.7%Hospitalizations710 reports
16.9%Fatal263 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Pyrimethamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside pyrimethamine. 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
Sulfadiazine19.9%310
2
Clindamycin10.4%161
3
Tenofovir9.1%141
4
Ritonavir8.9%139
5
Lamivudine7.9%122
6
Emtricitabine7.3%114
7
Levoleucovorin5.1%80
8
Lopinavir4.8%74
9
Prednisone4.2%66
10
Efavirenz4.2%66
11
Azithromycin3.9%61
12
Zidovudine3.9%60
13
Dexamethasone3.6%56
14
Amoxicillin3.5%54
15
Trimethoprim3.3%51

Taken alongside

1
Levoleucovorin15.4%239
2
Sulfadiazine14.2%220
3
Clindamycin10.6%164
4
Tenofovir9.9%154
5
Emtricitabine8.0%124
6
Leucovorin-calcium7.1%110
7
Prednisone6.6%103
8
Azithromycin6.2%97
9
Ritonavir6.0%93
10
Lamivudine5.7%88
11
Fluconazole5.7%88
12
Levetiracetam5.4%84
13
Acyclovir5.3%83
14
Atovaquone5.3%82
15
Sulfamethoxazole5.1%79

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 pyrimethamine side effects

41.2% of pyrimethamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 52.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 76%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.2%
Male52.4%
Unknown6.4%

Age group

< 23.7%
2–114.2%
12–171.7%
18–6475.8%
65+14.6%

What is pyrimethamine used for

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

Accidental Exposure To ProductAcquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAmyotrophic Lateral SclerosisAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibody Test AbnormalAntifungal ProphylaxisAcanthamoeba InfectionAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdrenal InsufficiencyBacterial ToxaemiaBrain AbscessBabesiosisBacterial Endophthalmitis

Showing 15 of 110 indications

Pyrimethamine brand names and reporting trend

Pyrimethamine is sold under the brand name Fansidar.

Brand names

Fansidar1,020

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking pyrimethamine with another medication?

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