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Tenofovir Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of tenofovir include bone density decreased, chronic kidney disease, and renal failure, based on 110,268 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Tenofovir side effects

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

1
Bone Density Decreased20.1%22,184
2
Chronic Kidney Disease12.9%14,202
3
Renal Failure10.9%12,026
4
Bone Loss10.5%11,536
5
Osteonecrosis10.4%11,507
6
Tooth Loss9.8%10,849
7
Multiple Fractures9.4%10,410
8
Osteoporosis9.3%10,202
9
Pain9.1%10,029
10
Renal Injury8.9%9,868
11
Emotional Distress8.4%9,289
12
Anxiety8.2%9,061
13
Skeletal Injury7.9%8,701
14
Anhedonia7.4%8,143
15
Osteopenia5.2%5,717

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

Report severity

79.6%Serious87,733 reports
20.1%Hospitalizations22,131 reports
6.1%Fatal6,673 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Tenofovir drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside tenofovir. 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
Emtricitabine63.5%70,010
2
Efavirenz20.8%22,963
3
Cobicistat11.7%12,861
4
Ritonavir10.8%11,942
5
Elvitegravir10.5%11,537
6
Lamivudine8.8%9,744
7
Rilpivirine7.9%8,758
8
Bictegravir5.9%6,470
9
Darunavir5.3%5,809
10
Dolutegravir4.6%5,117
11
Raltegravir-potassium4.4%4,817
12
Atazanavir-sulfate4.1%4,497
13
Lopinavir3.9%4,271
14
Zidovudine3.5%3,892
15
Nevirapine2.7%3,030

Taken alongside

1
Emtricitabine30.0%33,090
2
Bictegravir10.1%11,085
3
Cobicistat8.3%9,129
4
Ritonavir6.7%7,419
5
Elvitegravir6.5%7,192
6
Lamivudine5.1%5,652
7
Darunavir4.3%4,689
8
Dolutegravir3.4%3,734
9
Rilpivirine3.1%3,391
10
Efavirenz3.0%3,347
11
Raltegravir-potassium3.0%3,326
12
Sulfamethoxazole2.9%3,154
13
Acetaminophen2.7%2,974
14
Trimethoprim2.5%2,780
15
Abacavir2.4%2,690

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 tenofovir side effects

26.7% of tenofovir adverse event reports involve female patients and 60.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 88%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female26.7%
Male60.9%
Unknown12.4%

Age group

< 22.3%
2–110.3%
12–170.5%
18–6488.3%
65+8.6%

What is tenofovir used for

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

Abdominal PainAbnormal BehaviourAccident At WorkAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To ProductAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAcidosisAcquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcute Hepatic FailureAcute Hepatitis BAcute Hepatitis CAcute Hiv InfectionAcute Kidney InjuryAdult T-cell Lymphoma/leukaemiaAdverse Event

Showing 15 of 580 indications

Tenofovir brand names and reporting trend

Tenofovir is sold under brand names including Lamivudine/tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Fdc Tabs, Emtricitabine; Tenofovir Alafenamide, Truvada.

Brand names

Lamivudine/tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Fdc Tabs21,467
Emtricitabine; Tenofovir Alafenamide1,687
Truvada10

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking tenofovir with another medication?

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