dexamethasone Side Effects
Also known as: Decadron
Analysis of 285,895 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 1999 to 2025.
Total Reports
285,895
Death-Related
46,323
16.2% of reports
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 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 4,270 |
| PLASMA CELL MYELOMA | 3,987 |
| PNEUMONIA | 3,671 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 2,900 |
| 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 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 7,637 |
| PYREXIA | 7,352 |
| DIARRHOEA | 7,195 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 6,205 |
| NAUSEA | 5,825 |
| FATIGUE | 5,472 |
| DYSPNOEA | 5,461 |
| VOMITING | 5,035 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 4,447 |
| 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 off label use with 21,603 submissions, followed by fatigue and diarrhoea.
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.