Drug · FAERS side-effect profile with label screen

Chlorpheniramine side effects: what 795 FDA adverse event reports show

Chlorpheniramine Maleate And Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide · 16 reaction terms · 360 drug–reaction co-reports · data 2026-09-14

Drug class

Not stated in label

Label matched

Chlorpheniramine Maleate And Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide (Cvs Nighttime Childrens Cold And Cough Multi-Symptom Relief)

closest FDA label found for this product string; brand list suppressed because the label is a related product, not an exact match

Who reports

795 reports · 26% serious · 17 with death outcome · 64% female

openFDA FAERS counts, all years, deduplication not applied

Used for

temporarily relieves cold symptoms: ▪ cough due to minor throat & bronchial irritation ▪ sneezing ▪ runny nose

FDA label, Indications and Usage

Boxed warning

None in the current label

How to read this page. FAERS is a spontaneous-reporting system: counts are not incidence rates and a signal is not proof of causation. Each reaction below is run through an automated screen — is the term in the FDA label (known), in the indications (the disease being treated), an administrative/coding term, or none of these (unlabeled)? That screen is mechanical text matching, not a causality assessment. The 30 hand-written Bradford Hill assessments are on the causality assessment page. Not medical advice.

Causality screen of the 15 strongest signals

Reporting / coding artifact 8No label text to screen 7

What the badges mean

Reporting / coding artifact An administrative, monitoring or exposure term (product issue, off-label use, 'test normal', overdose...). Not a biological reaction; a high PRR here reflects how reports are coded.
Not in label — unassessed Not found in the label text, not an artifact pattern. This is a genuine candidate for a formal causality assessment (Bradford Hill / WHO-UMC); it has NOT had one here.
No label text to screen No validated FDA label was retrievable for this product, so the screen could not run. Disproportionality only.

Strongest disproportionality signals

Flagged terms (PRR ≥ 2, χ² ≥ 4, n ≥ 10), ranked by PRR; infinite PRRs (no comparator reports) excluded. The EBGM column is a second, shrinkage-based estimate (MGPS) with its 5th percentile EB05 and the BCPNN IC025; a pair flagged by PRR alone is marked PRR-only and should be read as fragile. The strata column recomputes the PRR on serious reports only and flags pairs whose reports are unusually skewed by sex or come mostly from consumers rather than clinicians. 1 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.

Show: hide coding/lab/outcome terms hide indication terms unlabeled only hide PRR-only

Reaction	Reports	PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p	EBGM EB05 · IC025	Label screen	Serious-only & strata	Trial cross-check
Drug effect decreased	74	35.7 28.7–44.3ROR 39.2 · χ² 2,462 / p <1e-300	35.3 EB05 29.1 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	100% consumer	no trial data cached
Euphoric mood	12	30.7 17.5–53.8ROR 31.1 · χ² 315 / p 8e-71	29.3 EB05 17.8 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious n=8	no trial data cached
Intentional overdose	42	17.3 12.9–23.3ROR 18.3 · χ² 632 / p 9e-140	17.2 EB05 13.2 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 21.3 · ♀ 39% (drug 64%) · 71% consumer	no trial data cached
Drug abuse	51	16.0 12.3–20.9ROR 17.1 · χ² 707 / p 4e-156	15.9 EB05 12.5 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 30.2 · ♀ 40% (drug 64%) · 76% consumer	no trial data cached
Choking	8	10.8 5.4–21.6ROR 10.9 · χ² 62 / p 2e-15	8.2 EB05 4.0 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 28.8	no trial data cached
Mydriasis	5	10.3 4.3–24.6ROR 10.3 · χ² 33 / p 4e-9	6.5 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +0.9 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 30.0	no trial data cached
Delusion	6	10.2 4.6–22.6ROR 10.3 · χ² 41 / p 8e-11	7.0 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 27.8	no trial data cached
Drug effect incomplete	13	9.3 5.4–15.9ROR 9.4 · χ² 88 / p 3e-21	7.7 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	–	no trial data cached
Overdose	71	8.6 6.9–10.8ROR 9.4 · χ² 476 / p 9e-106	8.3 EB05 6.8 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 10.7 · 88% consumer	no trial data cached
Serotonin syndrome	6	8.3 3.7–18.3ROR 8.3 · χ² 31 / p 1e-8	5.6 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 18.8	no trial data cached
Inappropriate schedule of drug administration	22	8.0 5.3–12.1ROR 8.2 · χ² 129 / p 4e-30	7.1 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 2.9 · 100% consumer	no trial data cached
Abnormal behaviour	11	7.3 4.0–13.1ROR 7.3 · χ² 53 / p 1e-13	5.8 EB05 3.4 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 14.4	no trial data cached
Expired product administered	7	5.6 2.7–11.6ROR 5.6 · χ² 22 / p 2e-6	4.2 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +0.8 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	–	no trial data cached
Dependence	8	3.8 1.9–7.6ROR 3.8 · χ² 14 / p 1e-4	3.2 EB05 1.8 · IC025 +0.5	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 4.3	no trial data cached
Drug dependence	21	3.4 2.2–5.2ROR 3.5 · χ² 33 / p 4e-9	3.2 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 6.3 · 95% consumer	no trial data cached

Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)

Trial cross-check not yet run for this drug (ClinicalTrials.gov pull covers the 800 most-reported drugs first).

Most frequently reported reactions

By raw co-report count, regardless of disproportionality. Common terms here are often the illness itself or generic outcomes.

Reaction	Reports	PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p	EBGM EB05 · IC025	Label screen	Serious-only & strata	Trial cross-check
Drug effect decreased	74	35.7 28.7–44.3ROR 39.2 · χ² 2,462 / p <1e-300	35.3 EB05 29.1 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	100% consumer	no trial data cached
Overdose	71	8.6 6.9–10.8ROR 9.4 · χ² 476 / p 9e-106	8.3 EB05 6.8 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 10.7 · 88% consumer	no trial data cached
Drug abuse	51	16.0 12.3–20.9ROR 17.1 · χ² 707 / p 4e-156	15.9 EB05 12.5 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 30.2 · ♀ 40% (drug 64%) · 76% consumer	no trial data cached
Intentional overdose	42	17.3 12.9–23.3ROR 18.3 · χ² 632 / p 9e-140	17.2 EB05 13.2 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 21.3 · ♀ 39% (drug 64%) · 71% consumer	no trial data cached
Inappropriate schedule of drug administration	22	8.0 5.3–12.1ROR 8.2 · χ² 129 / p 4e-30	7.1 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 2.9 · 100% consumer	no trial data cached
Drug dependence	21	3.4 2.2–5.2ROR 3.5 · χ² 33 / p 4e-9	3.2 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	serious PRR 6.3 · 95% consumer	no trial data cached
Drug effect incomplete	13	9.3 5.4–15.9ROR 9.4 · χ² 88 / p 3e-21	7.7 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	–	no trial data cached
Euphoric mood	12	30.7 17.5–53.8ROR 31.1 · χ² 315 / p 8e-71	29.3 EB05 17.8 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious n=8	no trial data cached
Abnormal behaviour	11	7.3 4.0–13.1ROR 7.3 · χ² 53 / p 1e-13	5.8 EB05 3.4 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 14.4	no trial data cached
Dependence	8	3.8 1.9–7.6ROR 3.8 · χ² 14 / p 1e-4	3.2 EB05 1.8 · IC025 +0.5	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 4.3	no trial data cached
Choking	8	10.8 5.4–21.6ROR 10.9 · χ² 62 / p 2e-15	8.2 EB05 4.0 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 28.8	no trial data cached
Expired product administered	7	5.6 2.7–11.6ROR 5.6 · χ² 22 / p 2e-6	4.2 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +0.8 3/3 methods agree	Reporting / coding artifact	–	no trial data cached
Serotonin syndrome	6	8.3 3.7–18.3ROR 8.3 · χ² 31 / p 1e-8	5.6 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 18.8	no trial data cached
Delusion	6	10.2 4.6–22.6ROR 10.3 · χ² 41 / p 8e-11	7.0 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 27.8	no trial data cached
Mydriasis	5	10.3 4.3–24.6ROR 10.3 · χ² 33 / p 4e-9	6.5 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +0.9 3/3 methods agree	No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text	serious PRR 30.0	no trial data cached

Unlabeled candidate signals

Every screened signal with n ≥ 20 was either labeled, an indication term, or an artifact pattern — no unlabeled candidate stood out in the top signals.

Want to assess one of these properly? The runbook describes the Bradford Hill / trial-evidence workflow used on the assessment page, and handoff_top1000_signals.csv lists the strongest unassessed pairs across all drugs.

Common questions

What are the most reported side effects of Chlorpheniramine?

In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Chlorpheniramine are euphoric mood, abnormal behaviour, dependence, choking, serotonin syndrome, delusion. These are report counts, not rates: FAERS has no denominator, reporting is voluntary and uneven, and a term can be reported because of the illness being treated rather than the drug.

Does Chlorpheniramine have an FDA boxed warning?

No. The FDA label retrieved for Chlorpheniramine has no boxed warning; see the label's Warnings and Precautions for the recognised risks.

Do FAERS signals prove that Chlorpheniramine causes these side effects?

No. A disproportionality signal (PRR, ROR) means a reaction is reported more often with this drug than with others in the database. That can reflect a real effect, but also the disease being treated, stimulated reporting after news or litigation, co-medications, or how reports are coded. Causality needs temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across data sources and, ideally, trial or cohort evidence. This page screens each term against the FDA label and ClinicalTrials.gov results; it does not establish causation.

Sources & methods

FDA label via openFDA (set ID d66b1a2e-49b6-473b-acec-2694c73ce8b4, effective 20260819; matched on openfda.generic_name.exact:"CHLORPHENIRAMINE MALEATE AND DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE")
Bayesian shrinkage measures computed offline over all 1,317,300 cached pairs: BCPNN information component (IC, with Norén closed-form IC025) and MGPS empirical-Bayes geometric mean (EBGM, EB05) with a two-component gamma prior fitted by maximum marginal likelihood (α₁=0.57, β₁=0.02, α₂=1.42, β₂=0.70, w=0.17); unstratified
FAERS pair statistics from the OpenPV build of 2026-09-14 (openFDA count= aggregation, field patient.drug.openfda.generic_name.exact, 16 reaction terms, min 3 co-reports); PRR/ROR with 95% CI, chi-square with Yates correction
Serious-only and stratified counts (serious:1, patient.patientsex, primarysource.qualification) from openFDA count queries; serious-only PRR uses the drug serious report total and the term global serious total (N_serious=11,882,979); strata shown only when n ≥ 20
Seriousness and sex counts from openFDA count=serious, patient.patientsex, seriousnessdeath

Page generated 2026-10-08. Label and PubChem text are retrieved automatically and may lag the current label; always check the current prescribing information. OpenPV is a beta research tool of the Open Source Medicine Foundation.