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
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
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
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.