Drug side effects
permethrin Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for permethrin (also sold as Elimite, Nix), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 1,707
- 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 permethrin come from 1,707 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 1,707 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for permethrin (Elimite): 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
1,707
Reports Mentioning Death
59
3.5% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
228
13.4% of reports
Top Indication
Lice Infestation
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 59 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 28 |
| VISION BLURRED | 12 |
| FATIGUE | 10 |
| CELLULITIS | 6 |
| CONSTIPATION | 6 |
| HEADACHE | 6 |
| INCORRECT ROUTE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION | 6 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 6 |
| SKIN INFECTION | 6 |
| URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 6 |
| ACARODERMATITIS | 5 |
| CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 5 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 5 |
| PULMONARY MASS | 5 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 4 |
| END STAGE RENAL DISEASE | 4 |
| LYMPHOEDEMA | 4 |
| METASTASES TO CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM | 4 |
| NEPHROGENIC ANAEMIA | 4 |
| DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS | 3 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 228 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| PAIN | 23 |
| DYSPNOEA | 22 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 21 |
| ANXIETY | 19 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 18 |
| VOMITING | 17 |
| ASTHENIA | 16 |
| CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 14 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 13 |
| HYPERTENSION | 12 |
| PYELONEPHRITIS | 12 |
| RASH | 12 |
| DEPRESSION | 11 |
| HEADACHE | 11 |
| NAUSEA | 11 |
| CHOLECYSTITIS CHRONIC | 9 |
| DIARRHOEA | 9 |
| INSOMNIA | 9 |
| PAPULE | 9 |
| PRURITUS | 9 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About permethrin Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 1,707 voluntary reports linked to permethrin and its brand equivalents (Elimite, Nix), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 59 (3.5%) listed death as an outcome and 228 (13.4%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Lice Infestation.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 68% were female and 32% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 354 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is pruritus with 139 submissions, followed by pain and rash.
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 permethrin's 1,707.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.