What the label lists and what reports show
Mupirocin side effects
Mupirocin's FDA label lists its adverse reactions in its own words. FAERS holds 13,755 reports naming it through July 30, 2026; the reaction reported most often, leaving out the conditions it is used for, product-use terms and outcomes, is nausea (954 reports).
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the mupirocin FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 28, 2025, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.
What does the patient leaflet say about side effects?
From the patient leaflet: What are the possible side effects of mupirocin ointment?Mupirocin ointment may cause serious side effects, including: • severe allergic reactions. Stop using mupirocin ointment and call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of a severe allergic reaction: • hives • trouble breathing or wheezing • swelling of your face, lips, mouth, or tongue • dizziness, fast heartbeat or pounding in your chest • a rash over your whole body • eye irritation. Do not get mupirocin ointment in your eyes. If mupirocin ointment gets in your eyes, rinse your eyes well with water. • irritation in the area mupirocin ointment is used. Stop using mupirocin ointment and call your healthcare provider if you develop an irritation, severe itching, or a rash while using mupirocin ointment. • a type of diarrhea called clostridium difficile -associated diarrhea (CDAD). […]
Source: FDA drug label, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective October 28, 2025 (SPL set ff7428fb-9ce9-4743-b58c-01a05424a57a), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the label list?
From the label: adverse reactionsThe following adverse reactions are discussed in more detail in other sections of the labeling: • Severe Allergic Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Eye Irritation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Local Irritation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Clostridium difficile -Associated Diarrhea [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • The most frequent adverse reactions (at least 1%) were burning, stinging or pain, and itching. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA at 1 (888) 721-7115 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. …
Source: FDA drug label, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective October 28, 2025 (SPL set ff7428fb-9ce9-4743-b58c-01a05424a57a), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show?
13,755 reports list mupirocin among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 942 are coded as a death and 3,638 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Of the 20 reactions below, 5 are named by the same term (in US spelling) in the label's adverse reactions, warnings or patient leaflet; a reaction the label does not name may still be there under another word, and a report does not show that the medicine caused it.
Reports received each year
The 25 most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026; reactions as MedDRA preferred terms
What next?
- Mupirocin: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Report a side effect to the FDA
- MedWatch
- Side effects hub
- the most reported medicines and reactions