Prescription medication · Vasopressin Receptor Agonist
vasopressin
Also sold as Vasostrict. Vasopressin injection is used to increase blood pressure.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 4,135
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 9
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 2
- Recall records
What the data shows
vasopressin (Vasostrict) is a prescription Vasopressin Receptor Agonist, among the least-reported drugs the FDA tracks (4,135 FDA reports), with 9 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
vasopressin (Vasostrict) is a prescription Vasopressin Receptor Agonist. Vasopressin injection is used to increase blood pressure.
Vasopressin injection helps raise blood pressure in adults with shock. It is used when fluids and other medicines don't work well enough.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
What it does
Vasopressin injection is used to increase blood pressure.
Common side effects
Decreased heart output, Slow heart rate, Fast or irregular heart rate
Key warnings
Vasopressin can worsen heart function.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from vasopressin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Vasopressin is a hormone that makes blood vessels get tighter. This helps to increase blood pressure. It can also affect how your kidneys handle water.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 4,135 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for vasopressin, by number of reports
- Hypotension
Hypotension
486 reports
- Cardiogenic Shock
Cardiogenic Shock
389 reports
- Sepsis
Sepsis
380 reports
- Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
375 reports
- Condition Aggravated
Condition Aggravated
359 reports
- Toxicity To Various Agents
Toxicity To Various Agents
317 reports
- Acute Kidney Injury
Acute Kidney Injury
308 reports
- Stress
Stress
290 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
289 reports
- Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain
263 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for vasopressin each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where vasopressin sits
vasopressin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 23% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is vasopressin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 4,135 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
4,135
Reports Mentioning Death
1,633
39.5% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
2,378
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | HYPOTENSION | 486 |
| 4 | CARDIOGENIC SHOCK | 389 |
| 5 | SEPSIS | 380 |
| 6 | MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 375 |
| 7 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 359 |
| 8 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 317 |
| 9 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 308 |
| 10 | STRESS | 290 |
| 11 | VOMITING | 289 |
| 12 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 263 |
| 13 | HYPONATRAEMIA | 260 |
| 14 | GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION | 259 |
| 15 | NAUSEA | 256 |
| 16 | ASCITES | 255 |
| 17 | ABDOMINAL DISTENSION | 250 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Vasopressin can worsen heart function. It can also cause a type of diabetes where you pee a lot. Your doctor will check your electrolytes and urine after you stop taking it.
Known Drug Interactions
Vasopressin receptor antagonists tolvaptan ↑ tolvaptan Co-administration contraindicated due to potential for dehydration, hypovolemia and hyperkalemia [see Contraindications (4) ] .
Mechanism: This combination causes tolvaptan levels to rise because the body cannot get rid of it fast enough. This can lead to severe fluid loss and high potassium levels.
Vasopressin Receptor Antagonists Conivaptan Tolvaptan Not recommended during and 2 weeks after itraconazole treatment.
Mechanism: Itraconazole slows down the process of clearing these medicines from your body. This can lead to higher amounts of the drug in your system and a higher risk of side effects.
7.5 Drugs Suspected of Causing Diabetes Insipidus Use with drugs suspected of causing diabetes insipidus (e.g., demeclocycline, lithium, foscarnet, clozapine) may decrease the pressor effect in addition to the antidiuretic effect of Vasopressin injection.
Mechanism: Lithium can block the effects of vasopressin, making it less able to raise blood pressure or manage water levels.
7.4 Drugs Suspected of Causing SIADH Use with drugs suspected of causing SIADH (e.g., SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, haloperidol, chlorpropamide, enalapril, methyldopa, pentamidine, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, felbamate) may increase the pressor effect in addition to the antidiuretic effect of Vasopressin injection.
Mechanism: Enalapril can cause the body to hold onto more water, which adds to the effects of vasopressin. This can lead to higher blood pressure and more water retention.
7.4 Drugs Suspected of Causing SIADH Use with drugs suspected of causing SIADH (e.g., SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, haloperidol, chlorpropamide, enalapril, methyldopa, pentamidine, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, felbamate) may increase the pressor effect in addition to the antidiuretic effect of Vasopressin injection.
Mechanism: Haloperidol may cause the body to keep too much water, which makes the effects of vasopressin stronger. This can increase blood pressure and water buildup in the body.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking vasopressin?
How will I know if the medicine is working?
Can vasopressin interact with other medicines?
What if I have side effects?
Will I need any tests while taking vasopressin?
Can vasopressin cause diabetes?
How long will I need to take vasopressin?
What is the strength of this medicine?
How is vasopressin given?
What should I avoid while taking vasopressin?
What are the common side effects of vasopressin?
Does vasopressin interact with other medications?
What drug class is vasopressin?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for vasopressin?
Has vasopressin been recalled?
Active Recalls
Sub-potent drug: failure to maintain potency through the duration of the labeled expiration/beyond-use date.
IntegraDose Compounding Services LLC
Superpotent Drug: Assay from the 3-month and 6-month stability intervals exceeded the upper specification limit.
Par Sterile Products LLC
Related Medications in Vasopressin Receptor Agonist
Other drugs grouped near vasopressin - same-class peers and common alternatives.
adenosine
Adenocard
Adenosine (Adenocard) is a medicine used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeats.
Compare with vasopressin →
amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
Compare with vasopressin →
atropine
AtroPen
Atropine is a medicine that can temporarily block severe effects on your body.
Compare with vasopressin →
bumetanide
Bumex
Bumetanide is a water pill (diuretic).
Compare with vasopressin →
carvedilol
Coreg
Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better.
Compare with vasopressin →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for vasopressin: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 4,135.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 39.49%.
- dobutamine Δ 1.20 pts · 3,554 reports · Inotropic Agent (Beta-1 Agonist) 38.29%death share
- phenylephrine Δ 2.45 pts · 3,669 reports · Alpha-1 Agonist 41.95%death share
- amphotericin B Δ 2.91 pts · 17,512 reports · Polyene Antifungal 36.59%death share
- micafungin Δ 3.67 pts · 4,779 reports · Echinocandin Antifungal 35.82%death share
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What the FDA Data Shows for vasopressin
The FDA label for vasopressin (sold under brand names such as Vasostrict) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Vasopressin Receptor Agonist class. Vasopressin injection is used to increase blood pressure. Official labeling lists 8 commonly reported side effects, including Decreased heart output, Slow heart rate, Fast or irregular heart rate.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 4,135 voluntary reports. The database also lists 9 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: February 15, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages