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Drug side effects

prasugrel Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

2,254
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2009 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 prasugrel come from 2,254 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 2,254 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for prasugrel (Effient): 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

2,254

Reports Mentioning Death

251

11.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

1,074

47.6% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
172
DYSPNOEA
106
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
102
CHEST PAIN
90
NAUSEA
90
DRUG INTERACTION
79
DIZZINESS
78
FATIGUE
71
VASCULAR STENT THROMBOSIS
67
DIARRHOEA
64
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE
64
MYALGIA
63
HEADACHE
60
EPISTAXIS
59
HYPERTENSION
59
HAEMORRHAGE
56
LABELLED DRUG-DRUG INTERACTION MEDICATION ERROR
54
ASTHENIA
53

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 649 (33%)
Male 1,318 (66%)
Unknown 20

Age Distribution

0-17 14 (1%)
18-44 103 (6%)
45-64 712 (41%)
65-74 635 (37%)
75+ 263 (15%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2009 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 251 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 40
COMPLETED SUICIDE 24
CEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE 22
SEPSIS 21
RENAL FAILURE 16
CARDIAC ARREST 15
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 13
INTRAVENTRICULAR HAEMORRHAGE 12
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 12
DYSPNOEA 11
SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE SYNDROME 11
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 11
DISEASE PROGRESSION 10
RHABDOMYOLYSIS 10
VASCULAR STENT THROMBOSIS 10
BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED 9
DRUG INTERACTION 9
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 9
HAEMORRHAGE 9

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 1,074 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 109
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 80
DYSPNOEA 63
CHEST PAIN 61
GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE 56
NAUSEA 54
HYPERTENSION 44
DIZZINESS 38
VOMITING 36
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE 34
HEADACHE 33
VASCULAR STENT THROMBOSIS 33
ASTHENIA 32
ANAEMIA 31
PNEUMONIA 31
RHABDOMYOLYSIS 30
DIARRHOEA 29
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 27

Compare prasugrel vs apixaban →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About prasugrel Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,254 voluntary reports linked to prasugrel and its brand equivalents (Effient), spanning 2009 through 2025. Of those, 251 (11.1%) listed death as an outcome and 1,074 (47.6%) 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, 33% were female and 66% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 712 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is myocardial infarction with 172 submissions, followed by dyspnoea and acute myocardial infarction.

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 prasugrel's 2,254.