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Drug side effects

digoxin Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

70,341
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 digoxin come from 70,341 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 70,341 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for digoxin (Lanoxin): 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

70,341

Reports Mentioning Death

13,641

19.4% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

35,786

50.9% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DYSPNOEA
6,065
NAUSEA
4,754
DIZZINESS
4,439
FATIGUE
4,175
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
3,974
DIARRHOEA
3,743
ASTHENIA
3,617
DEATH
3,396
VOMITING
3,363
HYPOTENSION
3,172
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE
3,136
PAIN
2,986
FALL
2,902
DRUG INTERACTION
2,799
PNEUMONIA
2,727
HEADACHE
2,599
MALAISE
2,552
BRADYCARDIA
2,516
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS
2,400

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 35,311 (53%)
Male 31,049 (47%)
Unknown 239

Age Distribution

0-17 969 (2%)
18-44 2,610 (5%)
45-64 10,483 (21%)
65-74 13,365 (26%)
75+ 23,317 (46%)

Reporting Trend by Year

1999 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 13,641 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 3,384
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 1,100
DYSPNOEA 1,068
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 993
PNEUMONIA 971
RENAL FAILURE 920
CARDIAC ARREST 908
PAIN 882
HYPOTENSION 870
ASTHENIA 789
ECONOMIC PROBLEM 765
NAUSEA 755
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 703
INJURY 687
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 682
CARDIAC FAILURE 667
FALL 644
VOMITING 608
FATIGUE 598
ANXIETY 595

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 35,786 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 3,959
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 3,014
NAUSEA 2,776
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 2,604
ASTHENIA 2,469
DIZZINESS 2,356
PNEUMONIA 2,318
HYPOTENSION 2,279
VOMITING 2,216
FALL 2,163
DIARRHOEA 2,090
FATIGUE 2,068
BRADYCARDIA 1,977
DRUG INTERACTION 1,813
ANAEMIA 1,805
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 1,800
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 1,692
PAIN 1,589
CHEST PAIN 1,519
RENAL FAILURE 1,470

Compare digoxin vs adenosine →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About digoxin Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 70,341 voluntary reports linked to digoxin and its brand equivalents (Lanoxin), spanning 1999 through 2025. Of those, 13,641 (19.4%) listed death as an outcome and 35,786 (50.9%) 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, 53% were female and 47% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 23,317 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is dyspnoea with 6,065 submissions, followed by nausea and dizziness.

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.