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Trimethoprim Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of trimethoprim include off label use, pyrexia, and fatigue, based on 106,772 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Trimethoprim side effects

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

1
Off Label Use6.4%6,816
2
Pyrexia5.7%6,071
3
Fatigue5.5%5,863
4
Diarrhoea4.9%5,220
5
Nausea4.7%5,062
6
Dyspnoea4.5%4,773
7
Rash4.3%4,631
8
Pain4.0%4,272
9
Drug Ineffective4.0%4,230
10
Drug Hypersensitivity3.7%3,987
11
Vomiting3.6%3,832
12
Pneumonia3.5%3,709
13
Headache3.4%3,580
14
Acute Kidney Injury3.3%3,561
15
Arthralgia3.0%3,237

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

Report severity

84.8%Serious90,501 reports
50.1%Hospitalizations53,455 reports
12.6%Fatal13,451 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Trimethoprim drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside trimethoprim. 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
Sulfamethoxazole25.3%27,058
2
Lenalidomide9.2%9,795
3
Rituximab8.1%8,609
4
Prednisone7.3%7,782
5
Dexamethasone5.9%6,320
6
Methotrexate5.6%6,000
7
Cyclophosphamide5.0%5,371
8
Mycophenolate4.6%4,918
9
Vincristine-sulfate4.2%4,467
10
Acetaminophen3.9%4,183
11
Tacrolimus3.5%3,790
12
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride3.5%3,701
13
Adalimumab3.0%3,220
14
Pantoprazole-sodium2.8%2,943
15
Etanercept2.6%2,793

Taken alongside

1
Sulfamethoxazole64.7%69,078
2
Acetaminophen19.5%20,799
3
Acyclovir17.6%18,830
4
Prednisone14.4%15,385
5
Aspirin12.4%13,194
6
Pantoprazole-sodium11.5%12,247
7
Omeprazole11.0%11,761
8
Dexamethasone9.9%10,623
9
Ergocalciferol9.9%10,592
10
Ondansetron9.9%10,537
11
Furosemide9.5%10,167
12
Levothyroxine-sodium8.1%8,619
13
Albuterol7.9%8,437
14
Amlodipine7.9%8,386
15
Atorvastatin-calcium6.9%7,389

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 trimethoprim side effects

46.8% of trimethoprim adverse event reports involve female patients and 44.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female46.8%
Male44.0%
Unknown9.2%

Age group

< 21.2%
2–114.4%
12–173.0%
18–6452.5%
65+38.8%

What is trimethoprim used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal HerniaAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal SepsisAbdominal Wall InfectionAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess DrainageAbscess JawAbscess LimbAbscess Soft TissueAcanthamoeba Infection

Showing 15 of 1,756 indications

Trimethoprim brand names and reporting trend

Trimethoprim is sold under brand names including Sulfamethoprim, Trimethoprim Sulfate And Polymyxin B Sulfate, Primsol.

Brand names

Sulfamethoprim14,412
Trimethoprim Sulfate And Polymyxin B Sulfate90
Primsol10

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking trimethoprim with another medication?

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