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tigecycline Side Effects

Also known as: Tygacil

Analysis of 5,878 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2005 to 2025.

Total Reports

5,878

Death-Related

1,597

27.2% of reports

Hospitalizations

2,363

40.2% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
720
OFF LABEL USE
649
NAUSEA
390
VOMITING
267
SEPSIS
265
THROMBOCYTOPENIA
254
DEATH
252
SEPTIC SHOCK
227
DRUG RESISTANCE
210
DIARRHOEA
202
PATHOGEN RESISTANCE
202
COAGULOPATHY
195
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
190
PLATELET COUNT DECREASED
167
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION
167
PYREXIA
166
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
158
PANCREATITIS ACUTE
149
PANCREATITIS
147
TREATMENT FAILURE
139

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 2,229 (43%)
Male 2,948 (56%)
Unknown 41

Age Distribution

0-17 302 (7%)
18-44 980 (22%)
45-64 1,376 (31%)
65-74 932 (21%)
75+ 864 (19%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2005 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,597 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 387
DEATH 252
SEPTIC SHOCK 176
OFF LABEL USE 160
SEPSIS 160
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 98
THROMBOCYTOPENIA 92
PATHOGEN RESISTANCE 85
MULTI-ORGAN FAILURE 76
TREATMENT FAILURE 75
PNEUMONIA 70
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 65
DRUG RESISTANCE 60
KLEBSIELLA INFECTION 58
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 58
HYPOTENSION 57
NEUTROPENIA 50
RENAL FAILURE 49
DRUG INEFFECTIVE FOR UNAPPROVED INDICATION 47
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 45

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 2,363 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 306
OFF LABEL USE 266
THROMBOCYTOPENIA 156
NAUSEA 149
SEPSIS 139
SEPTIC SHOCK 119
VOMITING 118
DIARRHOEA 112
PYREXIA 103
PANCREATITIS ACUTE 95
PNEUMONIA 85
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 82
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 80
PANCREATITIS 76
DRUG RESISTANCE 72
HYPOTENSION 72
PATHOGEN RESISTANCE 72
ANAEMIA 71
COAGULOPATHY 71
DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS 71

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare tigecycline vs amikacin →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About tigecycline Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 5,878 voluntary reports linked to tigecycline and its brand equivalents (Tygacil), spanning 2005 through 2025. Of those, 1,597 (27.2%) listed death as an outcome and 2,363 (40.2%) 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, 43% were female and 56% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,376 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 720 submissions, followed by off label use and nausea.

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.