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Drug side effects

pindolol Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for pindolol (also sold as Visken), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

774
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 pindolol come from 774 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 774 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for pindolol (Visken): 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

774

Reports Mentioning Death

63

8.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

261

33.7% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

FATIGUE
43
NAUSEA
43
URINARY TRACT INFECTION
42
DIZZINESS
41
DRUG INTERACTION
40
DYSPNOEA
40
FALL
31
DIARRHOEA
30
RHABDOMYOLYSIS
28
PAIN
26
HEADACHE
25
MUSCULAR WEAKNESS
24
MYALGIA
24
SEPSIS
24
DEPRESSION
22
PNEUMONIA
21
HYPERTENSION
20
OESOPHAGITIS
20
ARTHRALGIA
19

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 489 (66%)
Male 249 (34%)

Age Distribution

0-17 10 (2%)
18-44 86 (18%)
45-64 127 (26%)
65-74 90 (19%)
75+ 168 (35%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 63 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 19
COMPLETED SUICIDE 11
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 6
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 5
AGRANULOCYTOSIS 3
CARDIAC ARREST 3
DYSPNOEA 3
SEPTIC SHOCK 3
ANAEMIA 2
ARRHYTHMIA 2
BRONCHOPNEUMONIA 2
CARDIAC FAILURE 2
CARDIOPULMONARY FAILURE 2
CATARACT 2
DEMENTIA ALZHEIMER'S TYPE 2
DIZZINESS 2
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 2
HOSPITALISATION 2
HYPERKALAEMIA 2
HYPERTENSION 2

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 261 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DRUG INTERACTION 26
RHABDOMYOLYSIS 21
FALL 18
PNEUMONIA 18
MUSCULAR WEAKNESS 15
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 15
DYSPNOEA 14
MYALGIA 13
CHROMATURIA 12
HYPOTENSION 12
NAUSEA 12
DIZZINESS 11
BACK PAIN 10
HAEMOGLOBIN DECREASED 10
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 10
BLOOD CREATININE INCREASED 9
HOSPITALISATION 9
PAIN 9
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 8
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT 8

Compare pindolol vs acebutolol →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About pindolol Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 774 voluntary reports linked to pindolol and its brand equivalents (Visken), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 63 (8.1%) listed death as an outcome and 261 (33.7%) 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, 66% were female and 34% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 168 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 43 submissions, followed by nausea and urinary tract infection.

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 pindolol's 774.