Drug side effects
penicillin V Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for penicillin V (also sold as Pen-Vee K), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 2,398
- 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 penicillin V come from 2,398 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 2,398 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for penicillin V (Pen-Vee K): 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
2,398
Reports Mentioning Death
171
7.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
612
25.5% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 171 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 85 |
| DYSPNOEA | 52 |
| ANXIETY | 48 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 48 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 46 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 44 |
| ARTERIOSCLEROSIS | 40 |
| HAEMOPTYSIS | 40 |
| HYPOXIA | 40 |
| THROMBOSIS | 40 |
| ASTHMA | 39 |
| FULL BLOOD COUNT ABNORMAL | 39 |
| ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODY POSITIVE | 38 |
| ARTERIOSCLEROSIS CORONARY ARTERY | 38 |
| CONJUNCTIVITIS ALLERGIC | 38 |
| DUST ALLERGY | 38 |
| EOSINOPHILIC GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS | 38 |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | 38 |
| MITE ALLERGY | 38 |
| MYCOTIC ALLERGY | 38 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 612 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DYSPNOEA | 118 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 95 |
| ANXIETY | 94 |
| ASTHMA | 84 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 84 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 80 |
| OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAYS DISORDER | 75 |
| WHEEZING | 75 |
| THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT INCOMPLETE | 74 |
| PRODUCTIVE COUGH | 72 |
| LUNG DISORDER | 71 |
| THROMBOSIS | 71 |
| HYPOXIA | 70 |
| PULMONARY FIBROSIS | 70 |
| HAEMOPTYSIS | 69 |
| NEURITIS | 69 |
| NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOM | 69 |
| PULMONARY ALVEOLAR HAEMORRHAGE | 69 |
| SLEEP DISORDER DUE TO A GENERAL MEDICAL CONDITION | 69 |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | 68 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About penicillin V Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,398 voluntary reports linked to penicillin V and its brand equivalents (Pen-Vee K), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 171 (7.1%) listed death as an outcome and 612 (25.5%) 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, 61% were female and 38% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 391 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug hypersensitivity with 457 submissions, followed by dyspnoea and anxiety.
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.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to penicillin V's 2,398.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.