vancomycin Side Effects
Also known as: Vancocin
Analysis of 55,549 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 1999 to 2025.
Total Reports
55,549
Death-Related
11,029
19.9% of reports
Hospitalizations
30,109
54.2% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 11,029 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 2,117 |
| DEATH | 1,233 |
| SEPSIS | 1,034 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 990 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 956 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 895 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 866 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 833 |
| PNEUMONIA | 780 |
| PYREXIA | 721 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 675 |
| HYPOTENSION | 629 |
| MULTI-ORGAN FAILURE | 579 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 508 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 507 |
| PAIN | 492 |
| DIARRHOEA | 456 |
| RENAL IMPAIRMENT | 422 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 420 |
| DYSPNOEA | 413 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 30,109 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 3,463 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 2,777 |
| PYREXIA | 2,442 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 2,030 |
| SEPSIS | 1,441 |
| PNEUMONIA | 1,436 |
| DIARRHOEA | 1,361 |
| DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS | 1,348 |
| HYPOTENSION | 1,295 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 1,239 |
| DYSPNOEA | 1,116 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 1,087 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 1,054 |
| NAUSEA | 1,049 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 1,027 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 974 |
| VOMITING | 933 |
| RASH | 922 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 920 |
| ANAEMIA | 875 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About vancomycin Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 55,549 voluntary reports linked to vancomycin and its brand equivalents (Vancocin), spanning 1999 through 2025. Of those, 11,029 (19.9%) listed death as an outcome and 30,109 (54.2%) 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, 46% were female and 54% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 15,132 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 6,107 submissions, followed by acute kidney injury and off label use.
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.