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cyclosporine Side Effects

Also known as: Neoral, Sandimmune, Restasis

Analysis of 106,440 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 1994 to 2025.

Total Reports

106,440

Death-Related

13,961

13.1% of reports

Hospitalizations

27,207

25.6% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
12,345
OFF LABEL USE
8,708
EYE IRRITATION
7,786
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION
4,199
PYREXIA
4,064
EYE PAIN
3,808
NAUSEA
3,623
DIARRHOEA
3,562
HEADACHE
3,558
FATIGUE
3,369
PNEUMONIA
3,267
PAIN
3,144
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
3,042
VISION BLURRED
2,841
RASH
2,650
PRURITUS
2,579
DYSPNOEA
2,548
DEATH
2,437
OCULAR HYPERAEMIA
2,376
ARTHRALGIA
2,351

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 57,699 (61%)
Male 36,338 (38%)
Unknown 623

Age Distribution

0-17 8,868 (14%)
18-44 14,124 (22%)
45-64 23,625 (37%)
65-74 11,178 (17%)
75+ 6,820 (11%)

Reporting Trend by Year

1994 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 13,961 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 2,411
SEPSIS 1,229
OFF LABEL USE 1,164
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 1,132
PNEUMONIA 1,079
PYREXIA 985
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 793
INFECTION 750
GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE 745
SEPTIC SHOCK 735
CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION 714
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 697
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION 592
MULTI-ORGAN FAILURE 564
RENAL FAILURE 533
ACUTE GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE 499
DIARRHOEA 483
DYSPNOEA 439
EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS INFECTION 387
RENAL IMPAIRMENT 378

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 27,207 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
PYREXIA 2,529
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 2,504
OFF LABEL USE 2,369
PNEUMONIA 1,662
DIARRHOEA 1,558
NAUSEA 1,418
DYSPNOEA 1,326
VOMITING 1,248
HEADACHE 1,170
FATIGUE 1,168
BLOOD CREATININE INCREASED 1,163
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 1,069
SEPSIS 1,064
PAIN 1,046
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 1,027
HYPERTENSION 983
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION 967
RENAL FAILURE 966
ANAEMIA 945
MALAISE 926

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About cyclosporine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 106,440 voluntary reports linked to cyclosporine and its brand equivalents (Neoral, Sandimmune, Restasis), spanning 1994 through 2025. Of those, 13,961 (13.1%) listed death as an outcome and 27,207 (25.6%) 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, 61% were female and 38% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 23,625 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 12,345 submissions, followed by off label use and eye irritation.

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.