Drug side effects
calcipotriene Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for calcipotriene (also sold as Dovonex), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 3,344
- 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 calcipotriene come from 3,344 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 3,344 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for calcipotriene (Dovonex): 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
3,344
Reports Mentioning Death
58
1.7% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
440
13.2% of reports
Top Indication
Psoriasis
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 58 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 27 |
| MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 7 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 5 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 4 |
| ASTHENIA | 4 |
| CIRCULATORY COLLAPSE | 4 |
| PALPITATIONS | 4 |
| TACHYARRHYTHMIA | 4 |
| CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 3 |
| LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 3 |
| PAIN | 3 |
| ABDOMINAL PAIN | 2 |
| ACINETOBACTER INFECTION | 2 |
| ANAEMIA | 2 |
| ASCITES | 2 |
| BRADYCARDIA | 2 |
| DEHYDRATION | 2 |
| DYSPNOEA | 2 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 440 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| CONTUSION | 55 |
| PSORIASIS | 54 |
| HYPERTENSION | 52 |
| ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT | 50 |
| DIABETES MELLITUS INADEQUATE CONTROL | 47 |
| MOBILITY DECREASED | 44 |
| AMNESIA | 42 |
| BLOOD PRESSURE INADEQUATELY CONTROLLED | 42 |
| OEDEMA PERIPHERAL | 42 |
| COGNITIVE DISORDER | 41 |
| DEPRESSED MOOD | 41 |
| EXERCISE TOLERANCE DECREASED | 41 |
| MEDICATION ERROR | 41 |
| TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE | 39 |
| PERIPHERAL SWELLING | 38 |
| DYSPNOEA | 35 |
| MULTIPLE DRUG THERAPY | 33 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About calcipotriene Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 3,344 voluntary reports linked to calcipotriene and its brand equivalents (Dovonex), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 58 (1.7%) listed death as an outcome and 440 (13.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Psoriasis.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 53% were female and 47% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 800 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is psoriasis with 720 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and arthralgia.
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 calcipotriene's 3,344.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.