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What the label lists and what reports show

Chlorthalidone side effects

Chlorthalidone's FDA label lists its adverse reactions in its own words. FAERS holds 11,545 reports naming it through July 30, 2026; the reaction reported most often, leaving out the conditions it is used for, product-use terms and outcomes, is fatigue (908 reports).

  • Generic listed

Check it at the source: the chlorthalidone FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 5, 2026, Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.

What does the label list?

From the label: adverse reactions

The following adverse reactions have been observed, but there is not enough systematic collection of data to support an estimate of their frequency. Gastrointestinal System Reactions: anorexia, gastric irritation, nausea, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, jaundice (intrahepatic cholestatic jaundice), pancreatitis. Central Nervous System Reactions: dizziness, vertigo, paresthesias, headache, xanthopsia. Hematologic Reactions: leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, aplastic anemia. Dermatologic-Hypersensitivity Reactions: purpura, photosensitivity, rash, urticaria, necrotizing angiitis (vasculitis, cutaneous vasculitis), Lyell’s syndrome (toxic epidermal necrolysis). Cardiovascular Reactions: orthostatic hypotension may occur and may be aggravated by alcohol, barbiturates, or narcotics. …

Source: FDA drug label, Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited, effective August 5, 2026 (SPL set 5de362df-8fb9-4421-864c-7ea06339d6e7), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

What do FAERS reports show?

11,545 reports list chlorthalidone among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 690 are coded as a death and 3,715 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Of the 21 reactions below, 8 are named by the same term (in US spelling) in the label's adverse reactions, warnings or patient leaflet; a reaction the label does not name may still be there under another word, and a report does not show that the medicine caused it.

Reports received each year

The 25 most reported reactions

  • Fatigue (named in the label)908
  • Nausea (named in the label)741
  • Drug Ineffective (a use or a product term, not a reaction)736
  • Diarrhoea (named in the label)687
  • Dizziness (named in the label)589
  • Pain562
  • Off Label Use (a use or a product term, not a reaction)544
  • Headache (named in the label)542
  • Dyspnoea530
  • Acute Kidney Injury472
  • Chronic Kidney Disease460
  • Arthralgia452
  • Asthenia441
  • Hypertension (a use or a product term, not a reaction)401
  • Blood Pressure Increased399
  • Vomiting (named in the label)394
  • Fall372
  • Pruritus363
  • Malaise358
  • Rash (named in the label)347
  • Weight Decreased338
  • Cough332
  • Renal Failure (a use or a product term, not a reaction)319
  • Peripheral Swelling299
  • Hyponatraemia (named in the label)298

Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026; reactions as MedDRA preferred terms

What next?

Chlorthalidone: the full record
label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
Side effects hub
the most reported medicines and reactions