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insulin lispro Side Effects

Also known as: Humalog

Analysis of 134,198 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.

Total Reports

134,198

Death-Related

5,906

4.4% of reports

Hospitalizations

33,389

24.9% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED
38,180
INCORRECT DOSE ADMINISTERED
9,067
BLOOD GLUCOSE DECREASED
8,761
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
8,068
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
5,392
NAUSEA
4,787
MALAISE
3,946
HYPOGLYCAEMIA
3,800
FATIGUE
3,754
DRUG DOSE OMISSION
3,751
FALL
3,428
UNDERDOSE
3,374
DIARRHOEA
3,156
GLYCOSYLATED HAEMOGLOBIN INCREASED
3,144
VOMITING
3,121
PAIN
3,088
DYSPNOEA
3,081
HEADACHE
2,974
WEIGHT DECREASED
2,962
DIZZINESS
2,924

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 72,004 (56%)
Male 56,141 (44%)
Unknown 108

Age Distribution

0-17 2,814 (4%)
18-44 9,047 (13%)
45-64 25,559 (37%)
65-74 18,865 (27%)
75+ 13,536 (19%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 5,906 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 2,351
PNEUMONIA 343
RENAL FAILURE 337
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 321
DYSPNOEA 268
SEPSIS 249
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 245
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 224
CARDIAC ARREST 211
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 189
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 185
NAUSEA 181
OFF LABEL USE 180
ANAEMIA 176
ASTHENIA 167
FALL 166
DIARRHOEA 165
HYPOTENSION 162
FATIGUE 157
VOMITING 157

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 33,389 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED 5,579
FALL 2,085
BLOOD GLUCOSE DECREASED 1,931
PNEUMONIA 1,872
HYPOGLYCAEMIA 1,863
DYSPNOEA 1,830
NAUSEA 1,767
VOMITING 1,738
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 1,513
DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS 1,475
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT 1,396
FATIGUE 1,393
DIARRHOEA 1,387
ASTHENIA 1,354
MALAISE 1,323
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 1,232
PAIN 1,168
WEIGHT DECREASED 1,143
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 1,120
HEADACHE 1,056

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About insulin lispro Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 134,198 voluntary reports linked to insulin lispro and its brand equivalents (Humalog), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 5,906 (4.4%) listed death as an outcome and 33,389 (24.9%) 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, 56% were female and 44% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 25,559 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is blood glucose increased with 38,180 submissions, followed by incorrect dose administered and blood glucose decreased.

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.