Drug side effects
ticagrelor Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for ticagrelor (also sold as Brilinta), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 30,895
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2008 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 ticagrelor come from 30,895 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 30,895 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for ticagrelor (Brilinta): 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
30,895
Reports Mentioning Death
3,383
10.9% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
11,745
38.0% of reports
Top Indication
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 3,383 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 1,714 |
| MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 168 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 159 |
| CEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE | 114 |
| DYSPNOEA | 110 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 95 |
| ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 94 |
| HAEMORRHAGE | 92 |
| HAEMORRHAGE INTRACRANIAL | 90 |
| GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE | 82 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 78 |
| CARDIOGENIC SHOCK | 68 |
| PNEUMONIA | 67 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 65 |
| RHABDOMYOLYSIS | 64 |
| FALL | 59 |
| CARDIAC FAILURE | 57 |
| CHEST PAIN | 57 |
| CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 56 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 11,745 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 1,571 |
| DYSPNOEA | 1,470 |
| CHEST PAIN | 882 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 538 |
| ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 528 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 522 |
| DIZZINESS | 510 |
| RHABDOMYOLYSIS | 469 |
| FATIGUE | 433 |
| CORONARY ARTERY OCCLUSION | 427 |
| GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE | 425 |
| ASTHENIA | 419 |
| ANAEMIA | 378 |
| NAUSEA | 374 |
| VASCULAR STENT THROMBOSIS | 361 |
| CHEST DISCOMFORT | 327 |
| WEIGHT DECREASED | 326 |
| FALL | 325 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About ticagrelor Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 30,895 voluntary reports linked to ticagrelor and its brand equivalents (Brilinta), spanning 2008 through 2025. Of those, 3,383 (10.9%) listed death as an outcome and 11,745 (38.0%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Acute Coronary Syndrome.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 38% were female and 61% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 6,398 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is dyspnoea with 3,952 submissions, followed by myocardial infarction and death.
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 ticagrelor's 30,895.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.