Prednisone vs Dexamethasone: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Prednisone | Dexamethasone | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 499,794 | 294,871 |
| Serious | 79% | 84% |
| Death outcome | 52,153 | 47,727 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Prednisone | Dexamethasone | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary immunodeficiency | 420 · PRR 22.4 | 260 · PRR 19.6 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Deep vein thrombosis postoperative | 1,287 · PRR 80.1 | 352 · PRR 15.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Diffuse large b-cell lymphoma recurrent | 957 · PRR 33.2 | 529 · PRR 23.0 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
Labeled signals distinctive to Prednisone
- Duodenal ulcer perforation — n=4,860, PRR 82.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Nocardiosis — n=888, PRR 21.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Steroid diabetes — n=492, PRR 21.0 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Dexamethasone
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Prednisone or Dexamethasone?
Prednisone has 499,794 FAERS reports and Dexamethasone 294,871. 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 (79% vs 84%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Prednisone and Dexamethasone share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for secondary immunodeficiency, deep vein thrombosis postoperative, diffuse large b-cell lymphoma recurrent. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Prednisone or Dexamethasone 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.