Hydrocortisone vs Anti-Pruritic: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Hydrocortisone | Anti-Pruritic | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| Brand names | – | Hydrocortisone |
| FAERS reports | 88,710 | 66,627 |
| Serious | 82% | 83% |
| Death outcome | 11,614 | 9,795 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Hydrocortisone | Anti-Pruritic | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duodenal ulcer perforation | 2,466 · PRR 119.8 | 1,804 · PRR 102.6 | Labeled (related wording) / No label text to screen |
| Steroid withdrawal syndrome | 250 · PRR 76.9 | 232 · PRR 92.9 | Labeled (related wording) / No label text to screen |
| Secondary immunodeficiency | 223 · PRR 54.2 | 222 · PRR 71.8 | Labeled (related wording) / No label text to screen |
| Adrenal suppression | 148 · PRR 50.2 | 147 · PRR 66.3 | Labeled (related wording) / No label text to screen |
| Topical steroid withdrawal reaction | 146 · PRR 145.5 | 143 · PRR 187.5 | Labeled (related wording) / No label text to screen |
| Pemphigus | 2,770 · PRR 67.7 | 1,984 · PRR 59.7 | Likely indication confounding / No label text to screen |
| Helicobacter infection | 2,454 · PRR 74.9 | 1,788 · PRR 66.9 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Rheumatic fever | 1,890 · PRR 181.2 | 1,490 · PRR 163.4 | Likely indication confounding / No label text to screen |
| Facet joint syndrome | 1,230 · PRR 151.7 | 1,018 · PRR 150.4 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Deep vein thrombosis postoperative | 947 · PRR 222.3 | 723 · PRR 184.5 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Peripheral venous disease | 895 · PRR 68.2 | 760 · PRR 73.9 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Adjustment disorder with depressed mood | 757 · PRR 142.6 | 558 · PRR 120.6 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Dislocation of vertebra | 728 · PRR 115.1 | 548 · PRR 102.9 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Lupus vulgaris | 553 · PRR 206.4 | 430 · PRR 178.6 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Adrenocortical insufficiency acute | 492 · PRR 81.5 | 414 · PRR 86.6 | Likely indication confounding / No label text to screen |
| Retinitis | 427 · PRR 81.2 | 345 · PRR 81.9 | Likely indication confounding / No label text to screen |
| Steroid dependence | 219 · PRR 82.0 | 209 · PRR 102.7 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Catarrh | 169 · PRR 55.3 | 162 · PRR 70.0 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Vaginal flatulence | 191 · PRR 399.5 | 138 · PRR 260.4 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Subcutaneous drug absorption impaired | 187 · PRR 123.7 | 134 · PRR 102.6 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
Labeled signals distinctive to Hydrocortisone
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Labeled signals distinctive to Anti-Pruritic
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Hydrocortisone or Anti-Pruritic?
Hydrocortisone has 88,710 FAERS reports and Anti-Pruritic 66,627. 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 (82% vs 83%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Hydrocortisone and Anti-Pruritic share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for duodenal ulcer perforation, steroid withdrawal syndrome, secondary immunodeficiency, adrenal suppression, topical steroid withdrawal reaction. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Hydrocortisone or Anti-Pruritic 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.