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Drug side effects

tranylcypromine Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

329
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 tranylcypromine come from 329 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 329 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for tranylcypromine (Parnate): 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

329

Reports Mentioning Death

49

14.9% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

116

35.3% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INTERACTION
68
DEPRESSION
36
SEROTONIN SYNDROME
27
HEADACHE
24
HYPERTENSION
24
SUICIDAL IDEATION
24
ATRIOVENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT
23
HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS
23
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED
22
DYSMORPHISM
22
HYPERHIDROSIS
22
MUSCLE SPASMS
21
INSOMNIA
20
NAUSEA
20
FOETAL EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY
19
TREMOR
19
COMPLETED SUICIDE
18
FATIGUE
18
MEMORY IMPAIRMENT
18

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 170 (63%)
Male 95 (35%)
Unknown 5

Age Distribution

0-17 3 (1%)
18-44 58 (26%)
45-64 86 (39%)
65-74 40 (18%)
75+ 34 (15%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 49 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
COMPLETED SUICIDE 18
DYSMORPHISM 12
ATRIOVENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT 11
FOETAL EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY 10
DRUG INTERACTION 9
FOETAL DEATH 8
HYPERTHERMIA 7
SEROTONIN SYNDROME 7
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 7
HYPERTELORISM OF ORBIT 6
RESPIRATORY ARREST 6
RHABDOMYOLYSIS 6
ACIDOSIS 5
MYOCLONUS 5
PLACENTAL INFARCTION 5
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED 4
DEATH 4
DRUG DOSE TITRATION NOT PERFORMED 4
HAEMORRHAGE INTRACRANIAL 4
HYPOTENSION 4

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 116 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DRUG INTERACTION 20
DEPRESSION 18
SEROTONIN SYNDROME 14
HYPERTENSION 13
HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS 13
BLOOD PRESSURE FLUCTUATION 12
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED 11
OVERDOSE 11
COMPLETED SUICIDE 10
HEADACHE 10
HYPERTHERMIA 10
PARAESTHESIA 10
POTENTIATING DRUG INTERACTION 10
SUICIDAL IDEATION 10
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 9
MUSCULAR WEAKNESS 9
PRESCRIBED OVERDOSE 9
THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE UNEXPECTED 9

Compare tranylcypromine vs acamprosate →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About tranylcypromine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 329 voluntary reports linked to tranylcypromine and its brand equivalents (Parnate), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 49 (14.9%) listed death as an outcome and 116 (35.3%) 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, 63% were female and 35% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 86 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug interaction with 68 submissions, followed by depression and serotonin syndrome.

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 tranylcypromine's 329.