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Drug side effects

terbinafine Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

6,848
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2003 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 terbinafine come from 6,848 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 6,848 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for terbinafine (Lamisil): 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

6,848

Reports Mentioning Death

428

6.3% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

1,849

27.0% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

RASH
391
PRURITUS
316
FATIGUE
300
NAUSEA
280
AGEUSIA
270
PAIN
267
HEADACHE
229
DRUG INTERACTION
224
DIARRHOEA
217
MALAISE
217
DRUG RESISTANCE
196
ANXIETY
194
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
194
DYSPNOEA
190
DIZZINESS
181
ARTHRALGIA
179
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
177

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 3,101 (51%)
Male 2,919 (48%)
Unknown 33

Age Distribution

0-17 197 (4%)
18-44 1,317 (26%)
45-64 1,917 (38%)
65-74 990 (20%)
75+ 636 (13%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2003 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 428 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 76
SCEDOSPORIUM INFECTION 37
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 29
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 29
RENAL FAILURE 27
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 25
DISEASE PROGRESSION 25
DRUG INEFFECTIVE FOR UNAPPROVED INDICATION 23
SEPTIC SHOCK 23
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 22
FUNGAEMIA 17
DRUG RESISTANCE 16
PNEUMONIA 16
PYREXIA 16
CARDIAC ARREST 15
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 15
INFECTION 14

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 1,849 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 100
DRUG INTERACTION 97
ACUTE GENERALISED EXANTHEMATOUS PUSTULOSIS 93
RASH 91
PAIN 90
DYSPNOEA 88
FATIGUE 85
PYREXIA 83
MALAISE 81
PRURITUS 81
NAUSEA 67
PNEUMONIA 64
ABDOMINAL PAIN 63
RENAL FAILURE 60
ANXIETY 59
COUGH 57
VOMITING 57
DIARRHOEA 56

Compare terbinafine vs acyclovir →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About terbinafine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 6,848 voluntary reports linked to terbinafine and its brand equivalents (Lamisil), spanning 2003 through 2025. Of those, 428 (6.3%) listed death as an outcome and 1,849 (27.0%) 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, 51% were female and 48% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,917 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is rash with 391 submissions, followed by pruritus 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.