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Drug side effects

deutetrabenazine Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

6,445
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2016 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 deutetrabenazine come from 6,445 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 6,445 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for deutetrabenazine (Austedo): 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

6,445

Reports Mentioning Death

464

7.2% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

802

12.4% of reports

Top Indication

Tardive Dyskinesia

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DEPRESSION
463
DYSKINESIA
403
DEATH
402
TREMOR
330
SOMNOLENCE
305
FATIGUE
290
SUICIDAL IDEATION
287
INSOMNIA
281
FALL
262
TARDIVE DYSKINESIA
221
DIZZINESS
210
ANXIETY
189
FEELING ABNORMAL
167
CONFUSIONAL STATE
139
LOSS OF PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES
139

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 3,878 (68%)
Male 1,851 (32%)
Unknown 5

Age Distribution

0-17 46 (1%)
18-44 487 (13%)
45-64 1,505 (39%)
65-74 1,201 (31%)
75+ 622 (16%)

Reporting Trend by Year

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 464 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 400
COMPLETED SUICIDE 19
FALL 7
PNEUMONIA 7
DISEASE PROGRESSION 6
HOSPITALISATION 6
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 6
HOSPICE CARE 5
INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION 5
CARDIAC ARREST 4
DEPRESSION 4
DYSPHAGIA 4
HUNTINGTON^S DISEASE 4
INCORRECT DOSE ADMINISTERED 4
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 4
ASTHENIA 3

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 802 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
HOSPITALISATION 113
FALL 82
DEPRESSION 59
TREMOR 48
SUICIDAL IDEATION 40
CONFUSIONAL STATE 39
DIZZINESS 35
PNEUMONIA 35
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 33
TARDIVE DYSKINESIA 31
DYSKINESIA 30
FATIGUE 30
ASTHENIA 28
GAIT DISTURBANCE 24
LOSS OF PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES 24
INSOMNIA 23
SPEECH DISORDER 23

Compare deutetrabenazine vs acamprosate →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About deutetrabenazine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 6,445 voluntary reports linked to deutetrabenazine and its brand equivalents (Austedo), spanning 2016 through 2025. Of those, 464 (7.2%) listed death as an outcome and 802 (12.4%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Tardive Dyskinesia.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 68% were female and 32% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,505 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is depression with 463 submissions, followed by dyskinesia and death.

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 deutetrabenazine's 6,445.