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What the label lists and what reports show

Ciprofloxacin side effects

Ciprofloxacin's FDA label: “The most common adverse reactions ≥1% were nausea, diarrhea, liver function tests abnormal, vomiting, and rash.” FAERS holds 96,726 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 drug hypersensitivity (6,215 reports).

  • Generic listed
  • Boxed warning

Check it at the source: the ciprofloxacin FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 2, 2026, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.

What does the patient leaflet say about side effects?

From the patient leaflet: What are the possible side effects of CIPRO?

CIPRO may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about CIPRO?” • Serious allergic reactions. Serious allergic reactions, including death, can happen in people taking fluoroquinolones, including CIPRO, even after only 1 dose. Stop taking CIPRO and get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of a severe allergic reaction: Skin rash may happen in people taking CIPRO even after only 1 dose. Stop taking CIPRO at the first sign of a skin rash and call your healthcare provider. Skin rash may be a sign of a more serious reaction to CIPRO. • Liver damage (hepatotoxicity). Hepatotoxicity can happen in people who take CIPRO. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have unexplained symptoms such as: • Aortic aneurysm and dissection. […]

Source: FDA drug label, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective March 2, 2026 (SPL set 888dc7f9-ad9c-4c00-8d50-8ddfd9bd27c0), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

What does the label list?

From the label: adverse reactions

The most common adverse reactions ≥1% were nausea, diarrhea, liver function tests abnormal, vomiting, and rash.

From the label: adverse reactions, continued

The following serious and otherwise important adverse drug reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of labeling: • Disabling and Potentially Irreversible Serious Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Tendinitis and Tendon Rupture [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Peripheral Neuropathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Central Nervous System Effects [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Exacerbation of Myasthenia Gravis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Other Serious and Sometimes Fatal Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] • Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] • Hepatotoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] • Risk of Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Serious Adverse Reactions with Concomitant Theophylline [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10) ] • Clostridioides difficile -Associated Diarrhea [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11 )] • Prolongation of the QT Interval [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12 )] • Musculoskeletal Disorders in Pediatric Patients [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13 )] • Photosensitivity/Phototoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.14 )] • Development of Drug Resistant Bacteria [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 )] The most common adverse reactions ≥1% were nausea, diarrhea, liver function tests …

Source: FDA drug label, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective March 2, 2026 (SPL set 888dc7f9-ad9c-4c00-8d50-8ddfd9bd27c0), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

What do FAERS reports show?

96,726 reports list ciprofloxacin among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 9,732 are coded as a death and 37,612 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, 11 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

  • Drug Hypersensitivity6,215
  • Pain6,141
  • Fatigue6,083
  • Nausea (named in the label)5,900
  • Diarrhoea5,874
  • Arthralgia (named in the label)5,587
  • Drug Ineffective (a use or a product term, not a reaction)5,144
  • Acute Kidney Injury4,766
  • Dyspnoea (named in the label)4,734
  • Off Label Use (a use or a product term, not a reaction)4,646
  • Chronic Kidney Disease4,554
  • Vomiting (named in the label)4,434
  • Pyrexia4,257
  • Anxiety (named in the label)4,181
  • Headache (named in the label)4,093
  • Pain In Extremity3,854
  • Pneumonia (a use or a product term, not a reaction)3,680
  • Dizziness (named in the label)3,629
  • Malaise (named in the label)3,534
  • Asthenia3,518
  • Renal Failure (named in the label)3,442
  • Rash (named in the label)3,418
  • Abdominal Pain (named in the label)3,219
  • Drug Interaction (a use or a product term, not a reaction)3,167
  • Neuropathy Peripheral3,117

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

What next?

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