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Drug side effects

vasopressin Side Effects

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

Data updated 2026-05-15

4,135
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 vasopressin come from 4,135 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 4,135 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for vasopressin (Vasostrict): 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

4,135

Reports Mentioning Death

1,633

39.5% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

2,378

57.5% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

HYPOTENSION
486
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK
389
SEPSIS
380
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME
375
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
359
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS
317
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
308
STRESS
290
VOMITING
289
ABDOMINAL PAIN
263
HYPONATRAEMIA
260
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION
259
NAUSEA
256
ASCITES
255
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION
250
CARDIAC ARREST
246
APPENDICITIS
234
APPENDICOLITH
233

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 1,600 (42%)
Male 2,168 (57%)
Unknown 5

Age Distribution

0-17 380 (11%)
18-44 872 (24%)
45-64 1,251 (35%)
65-74 523 (15%)
75+ 551 (15%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,633 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 354
SEPSIS 338
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK 273
STRESS 262
VOMITING 256
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 248
ASCITES 247
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 243
ABDOMINAL PAIN 241
NAUSEA 239
HYPONATRAEMIA 237
APPENDICITIS 234
APPENDICOLITH 233
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 232
CONSTIPATION 230
DEATH 217
VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION 205
HYPOTENSION 185

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 2,378 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
HYPOTENSION 344
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 268
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 253
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK 237
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 216
INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE 203
SEPSIS 201
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 199
CARDIAC ARREST 164
VOMITING 164
LACTIC ACIDOSIS 145
ABDOMINAL PAIN 142
SOMNOLENCE 138
NAUSEA 136
OVERDOSE 136
SHOCK 134
ANAEMIA 133
STRESS 131

Compare vasopressin vs adenosine →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About vasopressin Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 4,135 voluntary reports linked to vasopressin and its brand equivalents (Vasostrict), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 1,633 (39.5%) listed death as an outcome and 2,378 (57.5%) 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, 42% were female and 57% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,251 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is hypotension with 486 submissions, followed by cardiogenic shock and sepsis.

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.