OpenClaim

Tetracaine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of tetracaine include off label use, toxic anterior segment syndrome, and endophthalmitis, based on 956 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Tetracaine side effects

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

1
Off Label Use6.8%65
2
Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome6.5%62
3
Drug Ineffective5.8%55
4
Endophthalmitis4.8%46
5
Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome4.1%39
6
Eye Pain4.1%39
7
Headache4.0%38
8
Vision Blurred3.9%37
9
Erythema3.8%36
10
Eye Irritation3.8%36
11
Nausea3.3%32
12
Pain3.1%30
13
Visual Impairment3.0%29
14
Endophthalmitis2.9%28
15
Drug Hypersensitivity2.8%27

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

Report severity

69.7%Serious666 reports
20.0%Hospitalizations191 reports
5.0%Fatal48 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Tetracaine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside tetracaine. 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
Lidocaine18.9%181
2
Sodium-chloride13.2%126
3
Calcium-chloride12.9%123
4
Magnesium-chloride12.9%123
5
Potassium-chloride12.9%123
6
Sodium-acetate12.3%118
7
Sodium-citrate12.3%118
8
Povidone-iodine8.1%77
9
Dexamethasone7.7%74
10
Phenylephrine7.4%71
11
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride6.4%61
12
Tropicamide6.0%57
13
Prednisolone5.8%55
14
Bevacizumab5.6%54
15
Oxymetazoline5.4%52

Taken alongside

1
Lidocaine19.0%182
2
Povidone-iodine16.3%156
3
Acetaminophen10.8%103
4
Sodium-chloride7.9%76
5
Potassium-chloride7.7%74
6
Ondansetron6.7%64
7
Epinephrine6.5%62
8
Phenylephrine6.4%61
9
Dexamethasone6.1%58
10
Prednisolone5.6%54
11
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride5.2%50
12
Tropicamide4.9%47
13
Ibuprofen4.8%46
14
Midazolam4.6%44
15
Ergocalciferol4.4%42

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 tetracaine side effects

50.1% of tetracaine adverse event reports involve female patients and 33.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female50.1%
Male33.8%
Unknown16.1%

Age group

< 23.0%
2–115.2%
12–172.8%
18–6449.7%
65+39.3%

What is tetracaine used for

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

Age-related Macular DegenerationAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnaesthetic PremedicationAnalgesic TherapyAppendicectomyApplication Site AnaesthesiaArtificial Crown ProcedureAnaesthesiaAnaesthetic PremedicationAnalgesic TherapyBack PainBronchoscopyBronchoscopyCancer Pain

Showing 15 of 105 indications

Tetracaine brand names and reporting trend

Tetracaine is sold under brand names including Pliaglis, Kovanaze.

Brand names

Pliaglis819
Kovanaze12

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking tetracaine with another medication?

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