OpenClaim

Talc Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of talc include exposure to chemical pollution, ovarian cancer, and pain, based on 1,378 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Talc side effects

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

1
Exposure To Chemical Pollution23.2%320
2
Ovarian Cancer22.7%313
3
Pain19.9%274
4
Anxiety17.1%236
5
Injury15.7%216
6
Mesothelioma13.4%185
7
Disability10.1%139
8
Emotional Distress7.1%98
9
Quality Of Life Decreased6.5%89
10
Deformity6.2%85
11
Mesothelioma Malignant4.3%59
12
Blood Urea Increased3.8%53
13
Lymphocyte Count Decreased3.7%51
14
Haemoglobin Decreased3.3%46
15
Nausea3.2%44

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

Report severity

95.6%Serious1,317 reports
29.1%Hospitalizations401 reports
18.0%Fatal248 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Talc drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside talc. 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
Mycophenolate5.5%76
2
Basiliximab5.2%71
3
Methylprednisolone5.1%70
4
Prednisone5.1%70
5
Tacrolimus4.8%66
6
Adalimumab2.1%29
7
Donepezil-hydrochloride2.0%28
8
Omeprazole2.0%27
9
Dabigatran-etexilate-mesylate2.0%27
10
Hydroxyzine2.0%27
11
Carboplatin1.9%26
12
Denosumab1.9%26
13
Zolpidem-tartrate1.7%24
14
Isosorbide1.7%24
15
Infliximab1.7%23

Taken alongside

1
Furosemide8.6%118
2
Omeprazole7.9%109
3
Potassium-chloride7.4%102
4
Sodium-bicarbonate6.7%92
5
Dexamethasone6.5%90
6
Esomeprazole6.0%82
7
Heparin5.9%81
8
Amlodipine5.8%80
9
Acetaminophen5.3%73
10
Promethazine-hydrochloride5.2%72
11
Alprazolam5.0%69
12
Insulin4.8%66
13
Metoprolol4.8%66
14
Diltiazem4.5%62
15
Diazepam4.4%60

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 talc side effects

61.3% of talc adverse event reports involve female patients and 35.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 55%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female61.3%
Male35.1%
Unknown3.6%

Age group

< 21.0%
2–111.6%
12–171.6%
18–6455.2%
65+40.8%

What is talc used for

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

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAcid Base Balance AbnormalAcidosisAcute Myocardial InfarctionAdhesionAdverse EventAnorectal DiscomfortAntacid TherapyAnticoagulant TherapyAntiplatelet TherapyAntiviral ProphylaxisAppetite DisorderArteriosclerosis Coronary Artery

Showing 15 of 140 indications

Talc brand names and reporting trend

Talc is sold under the brand name Talc.

Brand names

Talc1,487

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking talc with another medication?

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