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Ribavirin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ribavirin include fatigue, anaemia, and nausea, based on 99,739 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ribavirin side effects

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

1
Fatigue12.5%12,471
2
Anaemia10.5%10,506
3
Nausea9.3%9,266
4
Rash6.8%6,740
5
Headache6.4%6,391
6
Pruritus5.7%5,729
7
Vomiting4.5%4,495
8
Decreased Appetite4.5%4,480
9
Insomnia4.5%4,460
10
Pyrexia4.4%4,429
11
Asthenia4.4%4,367
12
Diarrhoea4.4%4,341
13
White Blood Cell Count Decreased4.2%4,163
14
Drug Ineffective4.0%3,965
15
Dyspnoea3.9%3,880

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

Report severity

60.1%Serious59,946 reports
24.3%Hospitalizations24,196 reports
5.1%Fatal5,080 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ribavirin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ribavirin. 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
Peginterferon46.7%46,601
2
Telaprevir19.0%18,912
3
Sofosbuvir13.1%13,072
4
Boceprevir7.4%7,380
5
Dasabuvir-sodium5.7%5,702
6
Ombitasvir5.3%5,296
7
Ropeginterferon-alfa-2b-njft2.2%2,153
8
Ledipasvir2.0%1,998
9
Simeprevir-sodium1.9%1,917
10
Daclatasvir-dihydrochloride1.8%1,807
11
Interferon0.9%911
12
Velpatasvir0.8%843
13
Mycophenolate0.7%671
14
Ritonavir0.7%668
15
Tacrolimus0.6%636

Taken alongside

1
Peginterferon10.6%10,616
2
Acetaminophen2.6%2,603
3
Omeprazole2.5%2,518
4
Amlodipine2.2%2,162
5
Lisinopril2.0%1,991
6
Furosemide1.8%1,811
7
Aspirin1.8%1,757
8
Levothyroxine-sodium1.7%1,717
9
Insulin1.7%1,698
10
Metformin1.7%1,693
11
Spironolactone1.6%1,586
12
Ibuprofen1.6%1,563
13
Hydrochlorothiazide1.4%1,427
14
Ropeginterferon-alfa-2b-njft1.4%1,403
15
Alprazolam1.3%1,279

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 ribavirin side effects

40.2% of ribavirin adverse event reports involve female patients and 52.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 84%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female40.2%
Male52.3%
Unknown7.5%

Age group

< 20.3%
2–110.2%
12–170.2%
18–6484.1%
65+15.2%

What is ribavirin used for

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

Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcute Hepatitis CAcute Hiv InfectionAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdenoviral EncephalitisAdenovirus InfectionAdjuvant TherapyAdrenogenital SyndromeAmyotrophic Lateral SclerosisAnaemiaAnaemia Of Chronic DiseaseAnogenital WartsAnti-infective Therapy

Showing 15 of 380 indications

Ribavirin brand names and reporting trend

Ribavirin is sold under the brand name Copegus.

Brand names

Copegus80,337

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking ribavirin with another medication?

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