HIGH-VOLUME · HOSP-HEAVY
donepezil Side Effects
donepezil (also sold as Aricept) is HIGH-VOLUME in this FAERS book #175 of 524 by FAERS report count. Signature opener: HOSP-HEAVY - 40.2% mention hospitalization (14,136 reports).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 35,138
- FAERS reports
FAERS voluntary reports, 2003 to 2025. High volume tracks exposure and reporting culture; see methodology for de-dup rules.
donepezil: 40.2% mention hospitalization (14,136 reports). Death stamp DEATH-HEAVY; volume band HIGH-VOLUME #175 of 524 by FAERS report count.
High-report extract for donepezil (Aricept): 35,138 FAERS rows (2003-2025). Top named reactions: FALL, DEATH, CONFUSIONAL STATE. Outcome stamps DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED. FAERS is voluntary signal detection, not incidence.
Counts from the openFDA FAERS extract (2003–2025). Stamps CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
FALL leads 2,965 of 35,138 reports
Who reports · age peak 75+ (SEX-BALANCED)
Sex coding · SEX-BALANCED
Age peak 75+ (16,404 reports)
FAERS filings rising toward 2025
Reactions in Death Reports
Death-mentioned subset is HEAVY here (5,622 reports, 16.0%). Top co-reported reactions in that subset - voluntary, not causal.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 2,015 |
| FALL | 598 |
| SEPSIS | 387 |
| DYSPNOEA | 363 |
| ASTHENIA | 361 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 345 |
| FATIGUE | 340 |
| DIZZINESS | 333 |
| DIARRHOEA | 315 |
| DECREASED APPETITE | 310 |
| PNEUMONIA | 303 |
| SOMNOLENCE | 287 |
| NAUSEA | 282 |
| HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE | 280 |
| VOMITING | 276 |
| COMA | 267 |
| INSOMNIA | 265 |
| TACHYCARDIA | 264 |
| ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 260 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 256 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Hospitalization is HEAVY (14,136, 40.2% of the book). Top reactions in those rows:
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| FALL | 1,831 |
| CONFUSIONAL STATE | 842 |
| BRADYCARDIA | 753 |
| URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 728 |
| PNEUMONIA | 683 |
| DIARRHOEA | 682 |
| SYNCOPE | 659 |
| ASTHENIA | 647 |
| NAUSEA | 633 |
| VOMITING | 611 |
| DEHYDRATION | 602 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 593 |
| HYPOTENSION | 577 |
| DIZZINESS | 569 |
| DYSPNOEA | 510 |
| FATIGUE | 484 |
| HALLUCINATION | 465 |
| DEMENTIA | 443 |
| SOMNOLENCE | 438 |
| DECREASED APPETITE | 418 |
How to read donepezil FAERS figures (CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY)
FAERS holds 35,138 voluntary reports linked to donepezil (Aricept), 2003-2025. Death is listed on 5,622 (16.0%). Hospitalization appears on 14,136 (40.2%). Top co-reported indication: Product Used For Unknown Indication.
CASELOAD books overweight common drugs and loud reporting cultures; HOSP-HEAVY is the page opener, not a per-patient risk.
Read with donepezil
Peers ranked by ABS(total_reports), then an ABS(death_share) pole; guide hop follows DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY stamps.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 35,161 FAERS cases (Δ 23 heavier vs donepezil); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-MID · FEMALE-LED vs this page's CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 35,350 FAERS cases (Δ 212 heavier vs donepezil); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 35,897 FAERS cases (Δ 759 heavier vs donepezil); DEATH-MARKED · HOSP-LIGHT · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 36,174 FAERS cases (Δ 1,036 heavier vs donepezil); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's CASELOAD · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(death_share) pole at 62.1% death-mentioned reports (Δ 46.1 pp vs donepezil's DEATH-HEAVY): CASELOAD · HOSP-MID.
donepezil stamps DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY; FAERS outcome shares are signal-detection rates, not incidence. Read them next to caseload CASELOAD and the label guide.