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Drug side effects

galantamine Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

1,577
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2004 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 galantamine come from 1,577 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 1,577 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for galantamine (Razadyne): 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

1,577

Reports Mentioning Death

191

12.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

810

51.4% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

FALL
375
COGNITIVE DISORDER
306
CONSTIPATION
291
BALANCE DISORDER
285
HYPOTENSION
285
ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION
280
SEDATION
263
PAIN
247
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS
246
DEPRESSED LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
245
SEDATION COMPLICATION
232
CREATININE RENAL CLEARANCE DECREASED
231
BLOOD CALCIUM DECREASED
230
MOBILITY DECREASED
226
DRUG INTERACTION
123
DYSPNOEA
84
HALLUCINATION
77
CONFUSIONAL STATE
75

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 852 (60%)
Male 549 (39%)
Unknown 9

Age Distribution

0-17 3 (0%)
18-44 19 (2%)
45-64 122 (11%)
65-74 203 (18%)
75+ 811 (70%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 191 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 53
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 21
CARDIAC ARREST 17
FALL 15
PARKINSON^S DISEASE 12
CONFUSIONAL STATE 11
ASTHENIA 10
DEHYDRATION 10
DRUG INEFFECTIVE FOR UNAPPROVED INDICATION 10
FATIGUE 10
SUDDEN DEATH 10
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 10
DECREASED APPETITE 9
HALLUCINATION 9
DRUG INTERACTION 8
MALAISE 8
OVERDOSE 8
ABDOMINAL PAIN 7

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 810 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
FALL 337
COGNITIVE DISORDER 290
HYPOTENSION 278
ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION 276
CONSTIPATION 272
BALANCE DISORDER 267
SEDATION 254
DEPRESSED LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS 240
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 234
SEDATION COMPLICATION 232
CREATININE RENAL CLEARANCE DECREASED 228
PAIN 228
BLOOD CALCIUM DECREASED 227
MOBILITY DECREASED 220
DRUG INTERACTION 71
DYSPNOEA 68
OVERDOSE 60
RENAL FUNCTION TEST ABNORMAL 43

Compare galantamine vs acamprosate →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About galantamine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 1,577 voluntary reports linked to galantamine and its brand equivalents (Razadyne), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 191 (12.1%) listed death as an outcome and 810 (51.4%) 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, 60% were female and 39% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 811 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fall with 375 submissions, followed by cognitive disorder and constipation.

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 galantamine's 1,577.