MID-VOLUME · HOSP-HEAVY
phenobarbital Side Effects
phenobarbital (also sold as Luminal) sits MID-VOLUME #279 of 524 by FAERS report count. Lead signal: HOSP-HEAVY - 38.6% mention hospitalization (5,401 reports). Demographics and serious-outcome tables follow.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 13,998
- FAERS reports
FDA Adverse Event Reporting System extract for phenobarbital. Stamp set WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY. How figures are compiled.
phenobarbital: 38.6% mention hospitalization (5,401 reports). Death stamp DEATH-HEAVY; volume band MID-VOLUME #279 of 524 by FAERS report count.
Mid-book FAERS page for phenobarbital (Luminal) (13,998 reports). Signature HOSP-HEAVY. Dominant age band on file: 0-17. Educational reference only.
Counts from the openFDA FAERS extract (2004–2025). Stamps WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
SEIZURE leads 1,534 of 13,998 reports
Who reports · age peak 0-17 (SEX-BALANCED)
Sex coding · SEX-BALANCED
Age peak 0-17 (3,224 reports)
FAERS filings rising toward 2025
Reactions in Death Reports
Death-mentioned subset is HEAVY here (1,733 reports, 12.4%). Top co-reported reactions in that subset - voluntary, not causal.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 327 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 257 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 215 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 145 |
| DRUG ABUSE | 89 |
| OVERDOSE | 83 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 79 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 77 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 73 |
| SEIZURE | 73 |
| SEPSIS | 71 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 70 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 64 |
| TACHYCARDIA | 58 |
| STATUS EPILEPTICUS | 57 |
| HYPOTENSION | 54 |
| PNEUMONIA | 54 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE FOR UNAPPROVED INDICATION | 47 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Hospitalization is HEAVY (5,401, 38.6% of the book). Top reactions in those rows:
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| SEIZURE | 643 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 322 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 305 |
| PNEUMONIA | 259 |
| FALL | 252 |
| HYPOTENSION | 246 |
| PYREXIA | 238 |
| STATUS EPILEPTICUS | 230 |
| DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS | 213 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 210 |
| OVERDOSE | 193 |
| VOMITING | 184 |
| COMA | 180 |
| SOMNOLENCE | 164 |
| DYSPNOEA | 163 |
| PAIN | 161 |
How to read phenobarbital FAERS figures (WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY)
FAERS holds 13,998 voluntary reports linked to phenobarbital (Luminal), 2004-2025. Death is listed on 1,733 (12.4%). Hospitalization appears on 5,401 (38.6%). Top co-reported indication: Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Mid-volume extract - treat DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY as signal-detection rates next to 38.6% mention hospitalization (5,401 reports).
Read with phenobarbital
Peers ranked by ABS(total_reports), then an ABS(death_share) pole; guide hop follows DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY stamps.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 14,085 FAERS cases (Δ 87 heavier vs phenobarbital); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 14,210 FAERS cases (Δ 212 heavier vs phenobarbital); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 13,667 FAERS cases (Δ 331 lighter vs phenobarbital); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(total_reports) peer at 14,399 FAERS cases (Δ 401 heavier vs phenobarbital); DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED vs this page's WATCHLIST · DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY · SEX-BALANCED.
ABS(death_share) pole at 62.1% death-mentioned reports (Δ 49.7 pp vs phenobarbital's DEATH-HEAVY): CASELOAD · HOSP-MID.
phenobarbital stamps DEATH-HEAVY · HOSP-HEAVY; FAERS outcome shares are signal-detection rates, not incidence. Read them next to caseload WATCHLIST and the label guide.