PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

dronedarone Side Effects

Also known as: Multaq

Analysis of 9,899 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2009 to 2025.

Total Reports

9,899

Death-Related

658

6.6% of reports

Hospitalizations

3,327

33.6% of reports

Top Indication

Atrial Fibrillation

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
1,420
DYSPNOEA
838
FATIGUE
615
DIARRHOEA
477
NAUSEA
472
DRUG INTERACTION
467
DIZZINESS
449
OFF LABEL USE
431
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE
420
ASTHENIA
381
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
328
BLOOD CREATININE INCREASED
312
HEADACHE
225
CARDIAC FAILURE
221
OEDEMA PERIPHERAL
219
MALAISE
218
COUGH
215
PALPITATIONS
212
RASH
210
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE
208

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 4,811 (53%)
Male 4,229 (46%)
Unknown 59

Age Distribution

0-17 16 (0%)
18-44 108 (2%)
45-64 1,230 (18%)
65-74 2,414 (36%)
75+ 3,019 (44%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2009 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 658 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 195
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 60
DYSPNOEA 49
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 38
PNEUMONIA 37
RENAL FAILURE 37
CARDIAC ARREST 31
OFF LABEL USE 31
DRUG INTERACTION 28
HYPOTENSION 28
VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION 27
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 25
DIARRHOEA 25
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 25
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 24
SEPSIS 24
NAUSEA 22
FATIGUE 20
HEPATIC FAILURE 19
RECTAL HAEMORRHAGE 19

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 3,327 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 445
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 396
DYSPNOEA 349
DRUG INTERACTION 221
ANAEMIA 155
NAUSEA 147
PNEUMONIA 147
DIARRHOEA 145
ASTHENIA 138
FATIGUE 135
DIZZINESS 133
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 113
FALL 100
RENAL FAILURE ACUTE 96
CARDIAC FAILURE 93
HYPOTENSION 93
RECTAL HAEMORRHAGE 90
BLOOD CREATININE INCREASED 84
HAEMORRHAGIC ANAEMIA 81
HAEMORRHAGE 80

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare dronedarone vs adenosine →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About dronedarone Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 9,899 voluntary reports linked to dronedarone and its brand equivalents (Multaq), spanning 2009 through 2025. Of those, 658 (6.6%) listed death as an outcome and 3,327 (33.6%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Atrial Fibrillation.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 53% were female and 46% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 3,019 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is atrial fibrillation with 1,420 submissions, followed by dyspnoea and fatigue.

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.