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Drug side effects

methocarbamol Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

21,191
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 methocarbamol come from 21,191 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 21,191 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for methocarbamol (Robaxin): 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

21,191

Reports Mentioning Death

1,643

7.8% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

6,345

29.9% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

PAIN
1,639
NAUSEA
1,565
FATIGUE
1,531
HEADACHE
1,201
DIARRHOEA
1,078
FALL
1,046
DYSPNOEA
995
ARTHRALGIA
963
DIZZINESS
909
ANXIETY
884
BACK PAIN
884
DEPRESSION
797
VOMITING
789
PAIN IN EXTREMITY
762
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
761
ASTHENIA
716
MALAISE
628
MUSCLE SPASMS
618

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 13,996 (70%)
Male 5,871 (30%)
Unknown 33

Age Distribution

0-17 183 (1%)
18-44 2,697 (20%)
45-64 6,430 (49%)
65-74 2,486 (19%)
75+ 1,452 (11%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,643 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 528
COMPLETED SUICIDE 323
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 169
CARDIAC ARREST 132
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 109
PNEUMONIA 83
DYSPNOEA 80
RESPIRATORY ARREST 73
RENAL FAILURE 72
FALL 69
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 61
HYPERTENSION 61
OVERDOSE 60
ANXIETY 56
FATIGUE 56
SEPSIS 56
BACK PAIN 54
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 54
PAIN 52
CONFUSIONAL STATE 48

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 6,345 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
FALL 588
PAIN 534
NAUSEA 509
PNEUMONIA 470
DYSPNOEA 466
FATIGUE 434
DIARRHOEA 378
HEADACHE 365
VOMITING 365
BACK PAIN 361
HYPERTENSION 347
ANXIETY 332
ASTHENIA 320
ARTHRALGIA 301
PAIN IN EXTREMITY 300
DEPRESSION 297
DIZZINESS 295
PYREXIA 276

Compare methocarbamol vs baclofen →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About methocarbamol Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 21,191 voluntary reports linked to methocarbamol and its brand equivalents (Robaxin), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 1,643 (7.8%) listed death as an outcome and 6,345 (29.9%) 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, 70% were female and 30% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 6,430 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is pain with 1,639 submissions, followed by nausea and fatigue.

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.