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Drug side effects

ethacrynic acid Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

520
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 1997 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 ethacrynic acid come from 520 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 520 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for ethacrynic acid (Edecrin): 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

520

Reports Mentioning Death

64

12.3% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

212

40.8% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS
59
NAUSEA
43
DYSPNOEA
42
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
33
FATIGUE
32
DIARRHOEA
31
VOMITING
31
DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY
28
ASTHENIA
25
DEATH
24
WEIGHT DECREASED
24
DIZZINESS
23
HEADACHE
23
MALAISE
23
HYPOTENSION
21
PNEUMONIA
21
PRURITUS
21
RASH
21

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 295 (61%)
Male 188 (39%)
Unknown 1

Age Distribution

0-17 17 (4%)
18-44 41 (11%)
45-64 85 (22%)
65-74 132 (35%)
75+ 106 (28%)

Reporting Trend by Year

1997 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 64 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 24
FATIGUE 9
PYREXIA 9
CONSTIPATION 6
RESPIRATORY DISTRESS 6
TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS 6
VOMITING 6
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 5
APLASIA PURE RED CELL 5
ASPIRATION 5
CARDIAC FAILURE 5
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY 5
ENTEROCOCCAL INFECTION 5
HAEMOGLOBIN DECREASED 5
LYMPHOCYTOSIS 5
NO THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE 5
RASH 5
STAPHYLOCOCCAL INFECTION 5
TRANSPLANT REJECTION 5
WHEEZING 5

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 212 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS 46
PNEUMONIA 19
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 18
DIARRHOEA 18
DYSPNOEA 18
DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY 17
FATIGUE 16
NAUSEA 14
MALAISE 13
ASTHENIA 12
HYPOTENSION 11
PYREXIA 11
WEIGHT DECREASED 11
SEPSIS 10
VOMITING 10
ANAEMIA 9
CARDIAC FAILURE 9

Compare ethacrynic acid vs adenosine →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About ethacrynic acid Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 520 voluntary reports linked to ethacrynic acid and its brand equivalents (Edecrin), spanning 1997 through 2025. Of those, 64 (12.3%) listed death as an outcome and 212 (40.8%) 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, 61% were female and 39% male; age distribution skews toward 65-74, with 132 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms with 59 submissions, followed by nausea and dyspnoea.

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 ethacrynic acid's 520.