Drug side effects
dexamethasone Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for dexamethasone (also sold as Decadron), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 285,895
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 1999 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 dexamethasone come from 285,895 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 285,895 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for dexamethasone (Decadron): 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
285,895
Reports Mentioning Death
46,323
16.2% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
109,720
38.4% of reports
Top Indication
Plasma Cell Myeloma
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 46,323 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 12,975 |
| PLASMA CELL MYELOMA | 3,987 |
| PNEUMONIA | 3,671 |
| SEPSIS | 2,860 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 2,448 |
| DISEASE PROGRESSION | 2,444 |
| DIARRHOEA | 2,235 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 2,070 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 2,036 |
| FATIGUE | 1,934 |
| PYREXIA | 1,898 |
| ANAEMIA | 1,845 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 1,781 |
| DYSPNOEA | 1,771 |
| NAUSEA | 1,768 |
| INFECTION | 1,612 |
| VOMITING | 1,586 |
| MALIGNANT NEOPLASM PROGRESSION | 1,561 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 109,720 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| PNEUMONIA | 9,810 |
| PYREXIA | 7,352 |
| DIARRHOEA | 7,195 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 6,205 |
| NAUSEA | 5,825 |
| FATIGUE | 5,472 |
| DYSPNOEA | 5,461 |
| VOMITING | 5,035 |
| ANAEMIA | 4,411 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 4,305 |
| ASTHENIA | 4,286 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 4,191 |
| SEPSIS | 3,878 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 3,329 |
| DEHYDRATION | 3,036 |
| HYPOTENSION | 2,895 |
| DECREASED APPETITE | 2,816 |
| FALL | 2,747 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About dexamethasone Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 285,895 voluntary reports linked to dexamethasone and its brand equivalents (Decadron), spanning 1999 through 2025. Of those, 46,323 (16.2%) listed death as an outcome and 109,720 (38.4%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Plasma Cell Myeloma.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 48% were female and 51% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 66,529 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 16,525 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and plasma cell myeloma.
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 dexamethasone's 285,895.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.