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Sulfamethoxazole Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of sulfamethoxazole include off label use, pyrexia, and fatigue, based on 113,493 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Sulfamethoxazole side effects

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

1
Off Label Use7.0%7,962
2
Pyrexia6.8%7,692
3
Fatigue6.4%7,300
4
Rash5.3%6,061
5
Dyspnoea5.3%6,026
6
Drug Ineffective5.0%5,695
7
Pain5.0%5,634
8
Diarrhoea4.9%5,602
9
Nausea4.7%5,364
10
Drug Hypersensitivity4.2%4,738
11
Pruritus3.9%4,445
12
Arthralgia3.8%4,274
13
Pneumonia3.7%4,191
14
Vomiting3.7%4,160
15
Infection3.5%4,009

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

Report severity

84.7%Serious96,177 reports
49.9%Hospitalizations56,625 reports
13.8%Fatal15,613 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Sulfamethoxazole drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside sulfamethoxazole. 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
Trimethoprim23.8%27,037
2
Rituximab9.7%10,980
3
Lenalidomide9.7%10,974
4
Prednisone9.2%10,405
5
Methotrexate7.2%8,206
6
Dexamethasone6.0%6,761
7
Mycophenolate5.8%6,575
8
Cyclophosphamide5.5%6,230
9
Acetaminophen5.2%5,849
10
Tacrolimus4.4%4,970
11
Vincristine-sulfate4.4%4,941
12
Adalimumab4.2%4,789
13
Etanercept4.0%4,594
14
Tocilizumab3.9%4,390
15
Abatacept3.8%4,275

Taken alongside

1
Trimethoprim60.9%69,133
2
Acetaminophen19.7%22,333
3
Acyclovir18.7%21,271
4
Prednisone15.3%17,391
5
Pantoprazole-sodium12.3%13,965
6
Aspirin12.1%13,722
7
Dexamethasone10.5%11,932
8
Omeprazole10.4%11,810
9
Ondansetron10.3%11,673
10
Ergocalciferol10.2%11,626
11
Furosemide9.4%10,718
12
Amlodipine7.8%8,846
13
Albuterol7.7%8,695
14
Levothyroxine-sodium7.6%8,649
15
Gabapentin6.8%7,731

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 sulfamethoxazole side effects

45.3% of sulfamethoxazole adverse event reports involve female patients and 44.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 55%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female45.3%
Male44.9%
Unknown9.8%

Age group

< 21.3%
2–114.8%
12–173.3%
18–6454.9%
65+35.7%

What is sulfamethoxazole used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal HerniaAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal SepsisAbdominal Wall AbscessAbdominal Wall HaematomaAbdominal Wall InfectionAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess DrainageAbscess JawAbscess Limb

Showing 15 of 1,816 indications

Sulfamethoxazole brand names and reporting trend

Sulfamethoxazole is sold under the brand name Sulfamethoprim.

Brand names

Sulfamethoprim24,425

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking sulfamethoxazole with another medication?

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