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Drug side effects

nateglinide Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

1,302
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 nateglinide come from 1,302 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 1,302 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for nateglinide (Starlix): 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

1,302

Reports Mentioning Death

141

10.8% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

532

40.9% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED
76
DIARRHOEA
63
DYSPNOEA
62
FATIGUE
56
NAUSEA
54
RENAL FAILURE
51
DEATH
47
DECREASED APPETITE
46
DIZZINESS
43
VOMITING
42
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
41
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
38
HYPOGLYCAEMIA
36
LACTIC ACIDOSIS
36
FALL
35
MALAISE
35
ASTHENIA
32
PNEUMONIA
32
WEIGHT DECREASED
32

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 652 (53%)
Male 587 (47%)
Unknown 1

Age Distribution

0-17 22 (3%)
18-44 20 (2%)
45-64 232 (27%)
65-74 277 (33%)
75+ 299 (35%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 141 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 47
LACTIC ACIDOSIS 19
RENAL FAILURE 16
CARDIAC ARREST 15
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 14
COMA 11
COMPLETED SUICIDE 11
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 11
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 9
BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED 7
DIARRHOEA 7
DYSPNOEA 7
PNEUMONIA 7
RENAL FAILURE ACUTE 7
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 6
RENAL IMPAIRMENT 6
HEART RATE DECREASED 5
INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE 5
INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE 5
MULTI-ORGAN FAILURE 5

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 532 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 34
HYPOGLYCAEMIA 30
LACTIC ACIDOSIS 30
NAUSEA 29
RENAL FAILURE 29
FALL 27
PNEUMONIA 27
VOMITING 27
DECREASED APPETITE 26
DIARRHOEA 23
FATIGUE 22
PYREXIA 22
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 20
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED 20
ASTHENIA 17
CHEST PAIN 17
DIZZINESS 17
HYPOTENSION 17
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 16
ABDOMINAL PAIN 15

Compare nateglinide vs acarbose →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About nateglinide Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 1,302 voluntary reports linked to nateglinide and its brand equivalents (Starlix), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 141 (10.8%) listed death as an outcome and 532 (40.9%) 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, 53% were female and 47% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 299 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is blood glucose increased with 76 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and dyspnoea.

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.