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Sodium Bicarbonate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of sodium bicarbonate include acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and off label use, based on 33,386 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 6.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Sodium Bicarbonate side effects

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

1
Acute Kidney Injury7.3%2,438
2
Chronic Kidney Disease6.2%2,056
3
Drug Ineffective6.0%2,002
4
Off Label Use5.7%1,896
5
Renal Failure5.1%1,700
6
Diarrhoea4.8%1,586
7
Nausea4.5%1,517
8
Vomiting3.6%1,193
9
Dyspnoea3.4%1,136
10
Fatigue3.4%1,122
11
Death3.3%1,096
12
Headache3.2%1,067
13
Pyrexia3.2%1,055
14
Pneumonia3.2%1,054
15
Anaemia3.1%1,037

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

Report severity

81.8%Serious27,302 reports
47.3%Hospitalizations15,800 reports
16.0%Fatal5,326 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Sodium Bicarbonate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside sodium bicarbonate. 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
Omeprazole10.0%3,343
2
Sodium-chloride6.3%2,098
3
Esomeprazole5.8%1,929
4
Pantoprazole-sodium5.5%1,843
5
Potassium-chloride5.4%1,814
6
Lansoprazole5.3%1,781
7
Lenalidomide4.5%1,486
8
Prednisone3.9%1,287
9
Patiromer-sorbitex-calcium3.6%1,203
10
Magnesium-hydroxide3.6%1,188
11
Dextrose3.3%1,087
12
Polyethylene-glycol-33503.1%1,043
13
Acetaminophen2.9%961
14
Tacrolimus2.8%923
15
Dexamethasone2.7%906

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.3%7,122
2
Furosemide19.3%6,450
3
Aspirin17.5%5,855
4
Omeprazole17.0%5,663
5
Amlodipine16.4%5,466
6
Potassium-chloride15.6%5,222
7
Ergocalciferol14.2%4,743
8
Sodium-chloride13.8%4,600
9
Atorvastatin-calcium12.5%4,182
10
Insulin11.4%3,805
11
Metoprolol11.4%3,804
12
Pantoprazole-sodium11.0%3,667
13
Levothyroxine-sodium10.8%3,607
14
Prednisone10.2%3,407
15
Ondansetron10.1%3,367

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 sodium bicarbonate side effects

46.1% of sodium bicarbonate adverse event reports involve female patients and 44.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female46.1%
Male44.8%
Unknown9.2%

Age group

< 21.7%
2–112.8%
12–172.4%
18–6450.0%
65+43.1%

What is sodium bicarbonate used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal HerniaAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal RigidityAcid Base BalanceAcid Base Balance AbnormalAcid Reflux (esophageal)AcidosisAcidosis HyperchloraemicAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Hepatic FailureAcute Kidney Injury

Showing 15 of 1,044 indications

Sodium Bicarbonate brand names and reporting trend

Sodium Bicarbonate is sold under the brand name Baros.

Brand names

Baros28,915

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking sodium bicarbonate with another medication?

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