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Zinc Oxide Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of zinc oxide include macular degeneration, off label use, and pyrexia, based on 2,401 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 22.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Zinc Oxide side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective22.1%531
2
Macular Degeneration18.8%451
3
Off Label Use13.5%324
4
Pyrexia13.3%320
5
Pain12.9%309
6
Nausea12.6%302
7
Malaise11.3%272
8
Weight Decreased10.0%239
9
Constipation9.2%221
10
Headache9.0%217
11
Therapeutic Product Effect Incomplete9.0%216
12
Dyspepsia8.5%205
13
Anaemia8.4%202
14
Diarrhoea8.4%201
15
Infusion Related Reaction8.3%199

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

Report severity

83.0%Serious1,992 reports
48.8%Hospitalizations1,172 reports
12.0%Fatal287 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Zinc Oxide drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside zinc oxide. 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
Prednisone19.7%472
2
Cetirizine-hydrochloride19.5%469
3
Triamcinolone19.2%461
4
Adalimumab19.0%455
5
Atorvastatin-calcium18.8%452
6
Diphenhydramine18.8%452
7
Acetaminophen18.8%452
8
Pantoprazole-sodium18.7%448
9
Betamethasone18.6%447
10
Metronidazole18.5%445
11
Budesonide18.5%445
12
Azithromycin18.5%444
13
Fluticasone18.5%443
14
Morphine-sulfate18.4%441
15
Clarithromycin18.3%440

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen30.1%722
2
Ergocalciferol17.8%427
3
Furosemide15.6%374
4
Aspirin13.6%327
5
Ondansetron13.5%324
6
Valsartan13.2%318
7
Albuterol13.0%311
8
Pantoprazole-sodium11.5%276
9
Calcium10.8%259
10
Diphenhydramine10.7%256
11
Omeprazole10.6%255
12
Potassium-chloride10.5%253
13
Levothyroxine-sodium10.4%250
14
Loperamide-hydrochloride10.2%245
15
Atorvastatin-calcium10.1%242

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 zinc oxide side effects

56.4% of zinc oxide adverse event reports involve female patients and 34.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 52%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female56.4%
Male34.8%
Unknown8.8%

Age group

< 24.9%
2–116.6%
12–172.2%
18–6434.7%
65+51.7%

What is zinc oxide used for

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

Accidental ExposureAcneAcral Lentiginous MelanomaAdverse Drug ReactionAnaemiaAnal AbscessAnal FissureAnal InjuryAnal PruritusAnal UlcerAnaplastic Large-cell LymphomaAnorectal DiscomfortAntifungal TreatmentArthropod BiteArthropod Sting

Showing 15 of 210 indications

Zinc Oxide brand names and reporting trend

Zinc Oxide is sold under the brand name Vusion.

Brand names

Vusion2,644

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking zinc oxide with another medication?

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