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febuxostat Side Effects

Also known as: Uloric

Analysis of 16,005 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2009 to 2025.

Total Reports

16,005

Death-Related

2,099

13.1% of reports

Hospitalizations

6,835

42.7% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DIARRHOEA
849
NAUSEA
841
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
837
RASH
783
OFF LABEL USE
715
GOUT
686
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
676
DYSPNOEA
620
FATIGUE
598
ANAEMIA
568
HEADACHE
567
PNEUMONIA
532
PYREXIA
526
DEATH
515
RENAL IMPAIRMENT
494
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
467
RENAL FAILURE
457
ARTHRALGIA
449
DECREASED APPETITE
449
PAIN
418

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 4,582 (32%)
Male 9,495 (67%)
Unknown 126

Age Distribution

0-17 431 (4%)
18-44 877 (8%)
45-64 3,105 (27%)
65-74 3,160 (27%)
75+ 3,919 (34%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2009 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 2,099 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 512
PNEUMONIA 166
CARDIAC FAILURE 134
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 128
DYSPNOEA 120
PYREXIA 114
OFF LABEL USE 112
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 102
SEPSIS 102
RENAL FAILURE 96
ANAEMIA 91
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 82
PLATELET COUNT DECREASED 81
MALAISE 77
DIARRHOEA 76
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 75
DECREASED APPETITE 75
FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA 75
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 64
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 61

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 6,835 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 555
DIARRHOEA 429
ANAEMIA 413
PNEUMONIA 411
NAUSEA 395
OFF LABEL USE 395
DYSPNOEA 393
PYREXIA 346
RASH 319
FATIGUE 311
CARDIAC FAILURE 306
DECREASED APPETITE 305
HEADACHE 296
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 275
RENAL IMPAIRMENT 270
FALL 262
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 258
PAIN 241
ERYTHEMA 237
MALAISE 237

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About febuxostat Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 16,005 voluntary reports linked to febuxostat and its brand equivalents (Uloric), spanning 2009 through 2025. Of those, 2,099 (13.1%) listed death as an outcome and 6,835 (42.7%) 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, 32% were female and 67% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 3,919 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is diarrhoea with 849 submissions, followed by nausea and acute kidney injury.

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.