HIGH-VOLUME · HOSP-HEAVY
metformin Side Effects
metformin (also sold as Glucophage, Fortamet) is HIGH-VOLUME in this FAERS book #11 of 524 by FAERS report count. Signature opener: HOSP-HEAVY - 35.8% mention hospitalization (122,330 reports).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 342,023
- FAERS reports
FAERS voluntary reports, 2001 to 2025. High volume tracks exposure and reporting culture; see methodology for de-dup rules.
metformin: 35.8% mention hospitalization (122,330 reports). Death stamp DEATH-HEAVY; volume band HIGH-VOLUME #11 of 524 by FAERS report count.
High-report extract for metformin (Glucophage): 342,023 FAERS rows (2001-2025). Top named reactions: NAUSEA, DIARRHOEA, BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED. Outcome stamps DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED. FAERS is voluntary signal detection, not incidence.
Counts from the openFDA FAERS extract (2001–2025). Stamps MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
NAUSEA leads 21,946 of 342,023 reports
Who reports · age peak 45-64 (SEX-BALANCED)
Sex coding · SEX-BALANCED
Age peak 45-64 (93,985 reports)
FAERS filings rising toward 2025
Reactions in Death Reports
Death-mentioned subset is HEAVY here (28,446 reports, 8.3%). Top co-reported reactions in that subset - voluntary, not causal.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 7,610 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 3,248 |
| LACTIC ACIDOSIS | 2,953 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 2,356 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,891 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 1,343 |
| PNEUMONIA | 1,269 |
| DYSPNOEA | 1,235 |
| DIARRHOEA | 1,127 |
| METABOLIC ACIDOSIS | 1,041 |
| HYPOTENSION | 988 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 982 |
| VOMITING | 929 |
| NAUSEA | 915 |
| ASTHENIA | 872 |
| FATIGUE | 810 |
| FALL | 804 |
| SEPSIS | 792 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 772 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Hospitalization is HEAVY (122,330, 35.8% of the book). Top reactions in those rows:
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 12,194 |
| LACTIC ACIDOSIS | 12,072 |
| DIARRHOEA | 7,796 |
| VOMITING | 7,587 |
| NAUSEA | 7,547 |
| DYSPNOEA | 7,249 |
| FALL | 5,943 |
| PNEUMONIA | 5,755 |
| FATIGUE | 5,432 |
| ASTHENIA | 5,244 |
| HYPOTENSION | 4,816 |
| METABOLIC ACIDOSIS | 4,785 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 4,778 |
| MALAISE | 4,327 |
| PAIN | 4,274 |
| HYPOGLYCAEMIA | 4,232 |
| DIZZINESS | 4,186 |
| DEHYDRATION | 4,129 |
| PYREXIA | 3,864 |
How to read metformin FAERS figures (MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY)
FAERS holds 342,023 voluntary reports linked to metformin (Glucophage, Fortamet, Glumetza), 2001-2025. Death is listed on 28,446 (8.3%). Hospitalization appears on 122,330 (35.8%). Top co-reported indication: Product Used For Unknown Indication.
MEGA-CASE books overweight common drugs and loud reporting cultures; HOSP-HEAVY is the page opener, not a per-patient risk.
Read with metformin
Peers ranked by ABS(total_reports), then an ABS(death_share) pole; guide hop follows DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY stamps.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 351,750 FAERS cases (Δ 9,727 heavier vs metformin); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-MID · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 331,875 FAERS cases (Δ 10,148 lighter vs metformin); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 366,491 FAERS cases (Δ 24,468 heavier vs metformin); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-MID · FEMALE-LED vs this page's MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 304,465 FAERS cases (Δ 37,558 lighter vs metformin); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-MID · FEMALE-LED vs this page's MEGA-CASE · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(death_share) pole at 62.1% death-mentioned reports (Δ 53.8 pp vs metformin's DEATH-HEAVY): CASELOAD · HOSP-MID.
metformin stamps DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY; FAERS outcome shares are signal-detection rates, not incidence. Read them next to caseload MEGA-CASE and the label guide.