OpenClaim

Quinine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of quinine include drug abuse, toxicity to various agents, and fall, based on 9,048 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 2.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Quinine side effects

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

1
Drug Abuse8.7%785
2
Toxicity To Various Agents5.7%516
3
Fall3.6%324
4
Dyspnoea3.4%308
5
Acute Kidney Injury3.0%267
6
Nausea2.8%255
7
Pain2.5%230
8
Pain2.5%228
9
Diarrhoea2.5%226
10
Nausea2.5%224
11
Drug Interaction2.4%219
12
Drug Hypersensitivity2.4%213
13
Off Label Use2.3%210
14
Vomiting2.3%209
15
Hypotension2.3%206

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

Report severity

90.5%Serious8,187 reports
42.4%Hospitalizations3,832 reports
20.0%Fatal1,811 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Quinine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside quinine. 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
Omeprazole4.6%418
2
Cocaine-hydrochloride4.0%361
3
Diphenhydramine3.5%320
4
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate3.4%309
5
Acetaminophen3.4%306
6
Fentanyl3.1%277
7
Aspirin3.0%275
8
Citalopram-hydrobromide2.9%264
9
Furosemide2.8%256
10
Diltiazem2.8%253
11
Atorvastatin-calcium2.6%235
12
Alprazolam2.5%228
13
Oxycodone2.5%226
14
Gabapentin2.5%222
15
Lansoprazole2.4%221

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen22.0%1,990
2
Aspirin19.5%1,762
3
Omeprazole14.9%1,348
4
Furosemide14.1%1,279
5
Albuterol13.8%1,251
6
Atorvastatin-calcium13.5%1,218
7
Lansoprazole11.5%1,036
8
Simvastatin11.1%1,005
9
Levothyroxine-sodium10.9%989
10
Amlodipine9.4%846
11
Gabapentin8.5%767
12
Metformin8.3%750
13
Folic-acid7.1%644
14
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride6.7%602
15
Lisinopril6.6%594

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 quinine side effects

52.8% of quinine adverse event reports involve female patients and 38.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 54%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female52.8%
Male38.8%
Unknown8.4%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–110.4%
12–170.3%
18–6444.6%
65+54.1%

What is quinine used for

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

Abdominal Pain UpperAbortionAccidental OverdoseAdverse EventAnalgesic TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntiphospholipid SyndromeArthralgiaArthritisAtrial FibrillationAdverse Drug ReactionAnkylosing SpondylitisAtrial FibrillationBabesiosisBack Pain

Showing 15 of 139 indications

Quinine brand names and reporting trend

Quinine is sold under the brand name Qualaquin.

Brand names

Qualaquin9,190

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking quinine with another medication?

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