adapalene Side Effects
Also known as: Differin
Analysis of 178,147 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
178,147
Death-Related
32
0.0% of reports
Hospitalizations
358
0.2% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 32 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 12 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 6 |
| PAIN | 5 |
| DYSPNOEA | 4 |
| EMOTIONAL DISTRESS | 4 |
| WEIGHT DECREASED | 4 |
| ANXIETY | 3 |
| ASTHMA | 3 |
| BONE DENSITY DECREASED | 3 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 3 |
| CONSTIPATION | 3 |
| DEPRESSION | 3 |
| HAEMATEMESIS | 3 |
| MALAISE | 3 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 3 |
| OSTEOPENIA | 3 |
| PLATELET COUNT DECREASED | 3 |
| RASH | 3 |
| AMYLASE DECREASED | 2 |
| ANAEMIA | 2 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 358 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DYSPNOEA | 41 |
| PAIN | 41 |
| ANXIETY | 39 |
| HYPERSENSITIVITY | 32 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 29 |
| FATIGUE | 27 |
| DEPRESSION | 26 |
| NAUSEA | 24 |
| INJURY | 23 |
| DIZZINESS | 22 |
| EMOTIONAL DISTRESS | 22 |
| DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS | 21 |
| HEADACHE | 21 |
| RASH | 21 |
| MALAISE | 19 |
| ABDOMINAL PAIN | 18 |
| ERYTHEMA | 18 |
| PYREXIA | 18 |
| DRY SKIN | 17 |
| PARAESTHESIA | 17 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About adapalene Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 178,147 voluntary reports linked to adapalene and its brand equivalents (Differin), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 32 (0.0%) listed death as an outcome and 358 (0.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 78% were female and 22% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 43,798 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 51,276 submissions, followed by dry skin and skin burning sensation.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.