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Drug side effects

phytonadione Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for phytonadione (also sold as Vitamin K1, Mephyton), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

8,078
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 1999 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 phytonadione come from 8,078 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 8,078 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for phytonadione (Vitamin K1): 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

8,078

Reports Mentioning Death

1,508

18.7% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

3,758

46.5% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

NAUSEA
630
VOMITING
533
FATIGUE
523
DYSPNOEA
486
SEPSIS
446
DIARRHOEA
436
ABDOMINAL PAIN
428
CONSTIPATION
405
HEADACHE
372
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION
368
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
364
PYREXIA
346
ANAEMIA
344
ASCITES
337
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION
314
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME
313
PAIN
303
PNEUMONIA
302

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 4,012 (53%)
Male 3,520 (47%)
Unknown 17

Age Distribution

0-17 932 (15%)
18-44 992 (16%)
45-64 1,708 (28%)
65-74 1,205 (20%)
75+ 1,185 (20%)

Reporting Trend by Year

1999 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,508 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
SEPSIS 344
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 304
DEATH 279
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 279
VOMITING 278
ASCITES 274
NAUSEA 269
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 265
ABDOMINAL PAIN 265
HYPONATRAEMIA 256
STRESS 240
APPENDICITIS 238
APPENDICOLITH 237
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK 235
CONSTIPATION 233
VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION 219
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 205
ANAEMIA 183
SOMNOLENCE 179

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 3,758 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 323
VOMITING 315
NAUSEA 311
SEPSIS 284
ANAEMIA 281
PNEUMONIA 259
PYREXIA 250
ABDOMINAL PAIN 246
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 234
DIARRHOEA 220
FATIGUE 214
ASCITES 206
CONSTIPATION 190
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 188
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 180
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 180
PULMONARY EMBOLISM 179
HYPONATRAEMIA 174

Compare phytonadione vs ascorbic acid →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About phytonadione Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 8,078 voluntary reports linked to phytonadione and its brand equivalents (Vitamin K1, Mephyton), spanning 1999 through 2025. Of those, 1,508 (18.7%) listed death as an outcome and 3,758 (46.5%) 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, 53% were female and 47% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,708 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is nausea with 630 submissions, followed by vomiting and fatigue.

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.