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Drug side effects

alosetron Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for alosetron (also sold as Lotronex), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

73
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2004 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of alosetron come from 73 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 73 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for alosetron (Lotronex): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

73

Reports Mentioning Death

8

11.0% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

18

24.7% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DIARRHOEA
10
NAUSEA
8
ABDOMINAL PAIN
6
DEATH
6
CONSTIPATION
5
FATIGUE
5
PAIN
5
ASTHENIA
4
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
4
ILLNESS
4
MUSCLE SPASMS
4
VOMITING
4
COLITIS ISCHAEMIC
3
COVID-19
3
DECREASED APPETITE
3
DYSPNOEA
3
FAECALOMA
3

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 59 (83%)
Male 12 (17%)

Age Distribution

0-17 1 (2%)
18-44 7 (16%)
45-64 19 (44%)
65-74 10 (23%)
75+ 6 (14%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 8 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 6
AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS 1
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 1
CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE COLITIS 1
FEELING JITTERY 1
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 1
INTENTIONAL DRUG MISUSE 1
OVERDOSE 1
PARKINSON^S DISEASE 1
PLASMA CELL MYELOMA 1
WEIGHT DECREASED 1

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 18 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DIARRHOEA 6
FAECALOMA 3
INFECTION 3
ABDOMINAL PAIN 2
ANXIETY 2
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 2
HIP ARTHROPLASTY 2
KNEE ARTHROPLASTY 2
LARGE INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION 2
LUNG NEOPLASM MALIGNANT 2
MUSCLE SPASMS 2
PNEUMONIA 2
POST PROCEDURAL COMPLICATION 2
VARICOSE VEIN 2
WEIGHT DECREASED 2
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 1
ANAL INCONTINENCE 1
APPENDICECTOMY 1
APPETITE DISORDER 1

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About alosetron Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 73 voluntary reports linked to alosetron and its brand equivalents (Lotronex), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 8 (11.0%) listed death as an outcome and 18 (24.7%) 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, 83% were female and 17% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 19 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is diarrhoea with 10 submissions, followed by nausea and abdominal pain.

How to read these numbers

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.

Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume

Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to alosetron's 73.