Albuterol vs Epinephrine: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Albuterol | Epinephrine | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | alpha-Adrenergic Agonist, beta-Adrenergic Agonist, Catecholamine |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 291,833 | 65,037 |
| Serious | 57% | 57% |
| Death outcome | 18,583 | 4,076 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Albuterol | Epinephrine | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronchopulmonary aspergillosis allergic | 456 · PRR 70.2 | 66 · PRR 24.9 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
Labeled signals distinctive to Albuterol
- Asthma — n=24,781, PRR 20.0 Labeled adverse reaction
Labeled signals distinctive to Epinephrine
- Infusion site pain — n=901, PRR 24.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site erythema — n=618, PRR 25.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site extravasation — n=467, PRR 26.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site haemorrhage — n=381, PRR 42.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site discharge — n=333, PRR 77.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site bruising — n=320, PRR 57.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site mass — n=171, PRR 61.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Infusion site rash — n=144, PRR 38.0 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Albuterol or Epinephrine?
Albuterol has 291,833 FAERS reports and Epinephrine 65,037. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (57% vs 57%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Albuterol and Epinephrine share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for bronchopulmonary aspergillosis allergic. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Albuterol or Epinephrine safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.