permethrin Side Effects
Also known as: Elimite, Nix
Analysis of 1,707 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
1,707
Death-Related
59
3.5% of reports
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 drug ineffective with 347 submissions, followed by pruritus and off label use.
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.