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

irbesartan Side Effects

Also known as: Avapro

Analysis of 43,004 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2001 to 2025.

Total Reports

43,004

Death-Related

3,218

7.5% of reports

Hospitalizations

18,387

42.8% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

FATIGUE
2,460
NAUSEA
2,420
DIARRHOEA
2,261
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
2,136
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
2,054
DIZZINESS
1,985
DYSPNOEA
1,981
FALL
1,927
HEADACHE
1,871
ASTHENIA
1,683
OFF LABEL USE
1,648
MALAISE
1,592
PAIN
1,513
VOMITING
1,496
BLOOD PRESSURE INCREASED
1,479
COUGH
1,434
HYPOTENSION
1,426
ARTHRALGIA
1,371
HYPERTENSION
1,273
WEIGHT DECREASED
1,193

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 22,574 (57%)
Male 16,925 (43%)
Unknown 39

Age Distribution

0-17 175 (1%)
18-44 1,439 (5%)
45-64 9,213 (30%)
65-74 9,650 (31%)
75+ 10,744 (34%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2001 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 3,218 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 786
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 209
DIARRHOEA 172
PNEUMONIA 165
RENAL FAILURE 155
OFF LABEL USE 152
CARDIAC ARREST 147
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 136
DYSPNOEA 135
FALL 127
NAUSEA 126
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 122
FATIGUE 119
SEPSIS 112
LACTIC ACIDOSIS 110
VOMITING 110
DRUG INTERACTION 107
HYPOTENSION 106
ASTHENIA 105
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT 102

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 18,387 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 1,540
FALL 1,383
NAUSEA 1,147
DIARRHOEA 1,067
DYSPNOEA 995
VOMITING 984
ASTHENIA 970
FATIGUE 947
HYPOTENSION 944
MALAISE 819
PNEUMONIA 817
PYREXIA 814
HYPONATRAEMIA 779
DIZZINESS 754
DRUG INTERACTION 746
HEADACHE 726
PAIN 704
COUGH 651
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT 641
CONFUSIONAL STATE 631

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare irbesartan vs acebutolol →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About irbesartan Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 43,004 voluntary reports linked to irbesartan and its brand equivalents (Avapro), spanning 2001 through 2025. Of those, 3,218 (7.5%) listed death as an outcome and 18,387 (42.8%) 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, 57% were female and 43% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 10,744 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 2,460 submissions, followed by nausea and diarrhoea.

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.