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

linagliptin Side Effects

Also known as: Tradjenta

Analysis of 17,378 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2006 to 2025.

Total Reports

17,378

Death-Related

1,613

9.3% of reports

Hospitalizations

6,542

37.6% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED
1,326
DIARRHOEA
1,196
NAUSEA
1,138
FATIGUE
1,028
DYSPNOEA
998
OFF LABEL USE
921
DIZZINESS
919
VOMITING
875
MALAISE
789
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
772
HEADACHE
745
ARTHRALGIA
723
PRURITUS
720
PYREXIA
687
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
642
PAIN
641
DEHYDRATION
601
ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER
600
BACK PAIN
599
CHEST PAIN
572

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 8,052 (51%)
Male 7,780 (49%)
Unknown 93

Age Distribution

0-17 190 (2%)
18-44 381 (3%)
45-64 3,381 (29%)
65-74 3,506 (30%)
75+ 4,362 (37%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2006 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,613 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 545
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 118
RENAL FAILURE 85
PNEUMONIA 83
DYSPNOEA 75
OFF LABEL USE 70
DIARRHOEA 61
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 60
CARDIAC ARREST 59
SEPSIS 56
VOMITING 56
DECREASED APPETITE 50
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 49
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 48
FALL 48
CARDIAC FAILURE 46
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT 46
ASTHENIA 43
DISEASE PROGRESSION 43
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 42

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 6,542 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 543
DYSPNOEA 475
DIARRHOEA 442
VOMITING 402
FATIGUE 395
OFF LABEL USE 390
FALL 385
PNEUMONIA 380
NAUSEA 379
PYREXIA 351
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED 325
DIZZINESS 320
MALAISE 306
DEHYDRATION 301
ASTHENIA 280
RENAL FAILURE 262
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 247
CHEST PAIN 234
HYPOTENSION 233
HEADACHE 226

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare linagliptin vs acarbose →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About linagliptin Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 17,378 voluntary reports linked to linagliptin and its brand equivalents (Tradjenta), spanning 2006 through 2025. Of those, 1,613 (9.3%) listed death as an outcome and 6,542 (37.6%) 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, 51% were female and 49% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 4,362 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is blood glucose increased with 1,326 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and nausea.

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.