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Drug side effects

darifenacin Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for darifenacin (also sold as Enablex), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

596
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2005 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 darifenacin come from 596 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 596 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for darifenacin (Enablex): 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

596

Reports Mentioning Death

56

9.4% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

174

29.2% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

PERIPHERAL SWELLING
91
HERPES ZOSTER
83
PNEUMONIA VIRAL
79
ANAEMIA
59
ARTHRALGIA
59
ORAL PAIN
57
ARTHRITIS
56
BLOOD CHOLESTEROL INCREASED
54
LIVER FUNCTION TEST ABNORMAL
54
SYNOVITIS
54
LEUKOPENIA
53
FIBROMYALGIA
52
INFECTION
51
JOINT SWELLING
49
SOFT TISSUE DISORDER
41
DYSPNOEA
38
FATIGUE
36
FALL
34

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 407 (75%)
Male 131 (24%)
Unknown 3

Age Distribution

0-17 1 (0%)
18-44 18 (5%)
45-64 107 (29%)
65-74 63 (17%)
75+ 180 (49%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2005 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 56 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 24
ASPHYXIA 20
ARTERIOSCLEROSIS CORONARY ARTERY 16
COMPLETED SUICIDE 7
ARTERIOSCLEROSIS 6
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 3
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 2
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 2
BRADYCARDIA 2
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 2
COVID-19 2
DEMENTIA 2
FALL 2
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 2
LUNG INFILTRATION 2
PNEUMONIA 2
SEPSIS 2
TACHYCARDIA 2
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT 1
ABDOMINAL PAIN 1

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 174 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 31
FALL 19
DRUG INTERACTION 17
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 17
PNEUMONIA 16
FATIGUE 13
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 12
COGNITIVE DISORDER 10
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 10
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 9
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED 9
DYSURIA 9
HYPONATRAEMIA 9
MALAISE 9
OEDEMA PERIPHERAL 9
WEIGHT DECREASED 9
CEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE 8
DEPRESSION 8
DIZZINESS 8
HYPOXIA 8

Compare darifenacin vs alfuzosin →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About darifenacin Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 596 voluntary reports linked to darifenacin and its brand equivalents (Enablex), spanning 2005 through 2025. Of those, 56 (9.4%) listed death as an outcome and 174 (29.2%) 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, 75% were female and 24% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 180 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is peripheral swelling with 91 submissions, followed by herpes zoster and pneumonia viral.

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 darifenacin's 596.