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Drug · FAERS side-effect profile with label screen

Insulin side effects: what 55,432 FDA adverse event reports show

Insulin · Insulin 1556 · 1,202 reaction terms · 221,823 drug–reaction co-reports · data 2026-09-14
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Drug class

Insulin Analog

FDA label (Established Pharmacologic Class) · compare the class

Brand names

Insulin 1556

openFDA label

Who reports

55,432 reports · 78% serious · 7,568 with death outcome · 52% female

openFDA FAERS counts, all years, deduplication not applied

Used for

For the temporary relief of general weakness, debilitation, excessive sweating, or minor skin rash or hives due to sensitivity to phenolic compounds found in foods or other products.

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 40 strongest signals

Reporting / coding artifact 2Lab value / disease marker 3No label text to screen 35
What the badges mean

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, for the 300 most-reported drugs, adjusted for age band), and flags pairs whose reports are unusually skewed by sex or come mostly from consumers. Each row also shows the PRR against the other drugs of the same FDA class, which removes most confounding by the condition being treated, and a calibrated p-value: on validation, known non-causes average an ROR of about 2, so significance is judged against that empirical null (✓ = p < 0.05 after calibration). 1,162 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.

Show:
ReactionReportsPRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/pEBGM EB05 · IC025Label screenSerious-only & strataTrial cross-check
Large for dates baby5123.0
17.4–30.6ROR 23.1 · calibrated p 0.001 ✓
21.6 EB05 17.1 · IC025 +3.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 18.9 (12.9–27.7)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=51 · ♀ 0% (drug 52%) · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Diabetic retinopathy16619.4
16.6–22.6ROR 19.4 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓
18.4 EB05 16.2 · IC025 +3.9
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.7 (1.4–1.9)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=162no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic ketoacidosis99516.3
15.4–17.4ROR 16.6 · calibrated p 0.005 ✓
15.7 EB05 14.9 · IC025 +3.9
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.9 (2.7–3.1)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 11.7no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic neuropathy20616.3
14.2–18.7ROR 16.3 · calibrated p 0.005 ✓
15.6 EB05 13.9 · IC025 +3.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.7 (2.3–3.1)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=189no trial arm names this drug
Hypoglycaemia neonatal6616.2
12.7–20.7ROR 16.2 · calibrated p 0.006 ✓
15.5 EB05 12.5 · IC025 +3.4
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 6.0 (4.5–7.9)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=66no trial arm names this drug
Diabetes mellitus inadequate control72916.2
15.1–17.4ROR 16.4 · calibrated p 0.005 ✓
15.6 EB05 14.6 · IC025 +3.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.9 (1.7–2.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 12.7no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic metabolic decompensation5415.3
11.7–20.1ROR 15.3 · calibrated p 0.007 ✓
14.6 EB05 11.5 · IC025 +3.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.6 (1.2–2.2)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=54no trial arm names this drug
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)1,82014.7
14.0–15.4ROR 15.2 · calibrated p 0.007 ✓
14.2 EB05 13.6 · IC025 +3.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.2 (2.1–2.3)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 10.8no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic nephropathy7914.0
11.2–17.5ROR 14.0 · calibrated p 0.010 ✓
13.4 EB05 11.0 · IC025 +3.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.8 (3.0–4.8)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=78no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic foot10813.8
11.4–16.7ROR 13.8 · calibrated p 0.010 ✓
13.2 EB05 11.2 · IC025 +3.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.8 (2.3–3.4)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=105 · ♀ 23% (drug 52%)no trial arm names this drug
Ketoacidosis25513.3
11.8–15.1ROR 13.4 · calibrated p 0.011 ✓
12.9 EB05 11.6 · IC025 +3.4
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.3 (2.9–3.8)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 9.5no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic coma9613.3
10.8–16.3ROR 13.3 · calibrated p 0.012 ✓
12.7 EB05 10.7 · IC025 +3.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.5 (2.0–3.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=95no trial arm names this drug
Blood glucose fluctuation36212.9
11.6–14.3ROR 12.9 · calibrated p 0.013 ✓
12.4 EB05 11.4 · IC025 +3.4
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.2 (1.1–1.3)
Lab value / disease markerserious n=255no trial arm names this drug
Ischaemic cardiomyopathy9812.3
10.1–15.1ROR 12.4 · calibrated p 0.016 ✓
11.8 EB05 9.9 · IC025 +3.2
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 18.7 (14.2–24.5)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=99 · ♀ 32% (drug 52%)no trial arm names this drug
Glycosuria4212.1
8.9–16.4ROR 12.1 · calibrated p 0.019 ✓
11.4 EB05 8.6 · IC025 +2.9
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 50.4 (28.7–88.5)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=41 · ♀ 100% (drug 52%) · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar)1,11211.9
11.2–12.6ROR 12.1 · calibrated p 0.016 ✓
11.6 EB05 11.0 · IC025 +3.4
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.4 (2.2–2.5)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 9.2no trial arm names this drug
Diabetic complication7611.5
9.2–14.5ROR 11.5 · calibrated p 0.021 ✓
11.0 EB05 9.0 · IC025 +3.0
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.6 (2.0–3.2)
Reporting / coding artifactserious n=75no trial arm names this drug
Renal failure chronic22611.3
9.9–12.9ROR 11.3 · calibrated p 0.021 ✓
10.9 EB05 9.7 · IC025 +3.2
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 7.1 (6.1–8.2)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 8.2no trial arm names this drug
Multi-organ failure48510.7
9.8–11.7ROR 10.8 · calibrated p 0.025 ✓
10.4 EB05 9.7 · IC025 +3.2
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 31.5 (27.3–36.3)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 7.7no trial arm names this drug
Gestational diabetes12910.6
8.9–12.7ROR 10.7 · calibrated p 0.027 ✓
10.2 EB05 8.8 · IC025 +3.0
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: only this drug
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=123 · ♀ 100% (drug 52%)no trial arm names this drug
Insulin resistance5510.4
8.0–13.6ROR 10.4 · calibrated p 0.031 ✓
9.8 EB05 7.7 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.0 (0.8–1.3)
Reporting / coding artifactserious n=48no trial arm names this drug
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis8110.3
8.2–12.8ROR 10.3 · calibrated p 0.031 ✓
9.8 EB05 8.1 · IC025 +2.9
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: only this drug
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=80 · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Left ventricular hypertrophy11310.2
8.5–12.3ROR 10.2 · calibrated p 0.031 ✓
9.8 EB05 8.3 · IC025 +3.0
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 8.6 (6.9–10.7)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=113no trial arm names this drug
Vitreous haemorrhage719.9
7.8–12.5ROR 9.9 · calibrated p 0.035 ✓
9.4 EB05 7.6 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 8.6 (6.5–11.4)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=69 · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Blood glucose decreased1,1989.6
9.1–10.2ROR 9.8 · calibrated p 0.035 ✓
9.4 EB05 8.9 · IC025 +3.1
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.0 (0.9–1.0)
Lab value / disease markerserious PRR 9.2no trial arm names this drug
Type 1 diabetes mellitus1419.1
7.7–10.7ROR 9.1 · calibrated p 0.046 ✓
8.7 EB05 7.6 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 4.4 (3.7–5.3)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=137no trial arm names this drug
Heart injury578.7
6.7–11.3ROR 8.7 · calibrated p 0.054
8.2 EB05 6.5 · IC025 +2.6
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: only this drug
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=57no trial arm names this drug
Mucormycosis588.7
6.7–11.3ROR 8.7 · calibrated p 0.055
8.2 EB05 6.5 · IC025 +2.6
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: only this drug
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=58 · ♀ 0% (drug 52%) · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Hypoglycaemic coma638.4
6.5–10.8ROR 8.4 · calibrated p 0.061
7.9 EB05 6.4 · IC025 +2.5
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 0.9 (0.7–1.2)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=63 · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Angina unstable1408.2
7.0–9.7ROR 8.2 · calibrated p 0.062
7.9 EB05 6.9 · IC025 +2.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 10.8 (8.8–13.3)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=139no trial arm names this drug
Euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis858.2
6.6–10.2ROR 8.2 · calibrated p 0.064
7.8 EB05 6.5 · IC025 +2.6
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.2 (2.5–4.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=84 · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Leg amputation868.0
6.5–9.9ROR 8.0 · calibrated p 0.069
7.6 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.6
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.8 (2.3–3.6)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=86no trial arm names this drug
Orthopnoea668.0
6.2–10.2ROR 8.0 · calibrated p 0.071
7.5 EB05 6.1 · IC025 +2.5
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 38.4 (25.5–57.9)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=63no trial arm names this drug
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia1007.8
6.4–9.5ROR 7.8 · calibrated p 0.075
7.4 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.6
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: only this drug
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=91 · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug
Peripheral vascular disorder1037.6
6.3–9.3ROR 7.7 · calibrated p 0.079
7.3 EB05 6.2 · IC025 +2.5
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 5.8 (4.7–7.2)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=100no trial arm names this drug
Hyperkalaemia (high potassium)6937.6
7.1–8.2ROR 7.7 · calibrated p 0.074
7.5 EB05 7.0 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 5.9 (5.5–6.5)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 5.6no trial arm names this drug
Renal failure acute8197.3
6.8–7.8ROR 7.4 · calibrated p 0.084
7.2 EB05 6.8 · IC025 +2.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 9.7 (8.9–10.5)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 5.3no trial arm names this drug
Hyperparathyroidism secondary487.3
5.5–9.7ROR 7.3 · calibrated p 0.094
6.8 EB05 5.3 · IC025 +2.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.5 (1.1–2.1)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=47no trial arm names this drug
Blood glucose increased3,5787.3
7.0–7.5ROR 7.7 · calibrated p 0.074
7.1 EB05 7.0 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 0.8 (0.7–0.8)
Lab value / disease markerserious PRR 8.1no trial arm names this drug
Pancreatic carcinoma metastatic547.3
5.6–9.5ROR 7.3 · calibrated p 0.094
6.8 EB05 5.4 · IC025 +2.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.0 (2.3–4.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious n=54 · ♀ 0% (drug 52%) · 100% clinicianno trial arm names this drug

Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)

ClinicalTrials.gov returned results-bearing trials mentioning Insulin only as a background or rescue medication (NCT05214573); no trial listing it as the tested intervention was cached, so no trial cross-check is shown.

Most frequently reported reactions

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

ReactionReportsPRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/pEBGM EB05 · IC025Label screenSerious-only & strataTrial cross-check
Blood glucose increased3,5787.3
7.0–7.5ROR 7.7 · calibrated p 0.074
7.1 EB05 7.0 · IC025 +2.8
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 0.8 (0.7–0.8)
Lab value / disease markerserious PRR 8.1no trial arm names this drug
Drug ineffective (drug did not work)2,8660.8
0.8–0.9ROR 0.8 · calibrated p 0.191
0.8 EB05 0.8 · IC025 -0.3
PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.4 (2.3–2.4)
Reporting / coding artifactserious PRR 1.0no trial arm names this drug
Nausea2,8391.4
1.3–1.4ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.563
1.4 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.7 (2.6–2.8)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.4no trial arm names this drug
Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)2,4621.6
1.6–1.7ROR 1.7 · calibrated p 0.757
1.6 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.7
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.5 (3.4–3.6)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.5no trial arm names this drug
Fatigue (tiredness)2,3261.1
1.1–1.2ROR 1.1 · calibrated p 0.399
1.1 EB05 1.1 · IC025 +0.1
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.0 (2.9–3.2)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.2no trial arm names this drug
Diarrhoea (diarrhea)2,2481.3
1.3–1.4ROR 1.3 · calibrated p 0.533
1.3 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.3
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.0 (2.9–3.1)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.3no trial arm names this drug
Pain2,2211.4
1.3–1.4ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.563
1.4 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 4.0 (3.8–4.1)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.3no trial arm names this drug
Vomiting1,9951.6
1.5–1.7ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.729
1.6 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.6
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.9 (2.7–3.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.5no trial arm names this drug
Asthenia (weakness)1,9081.9
1.8–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.920
1.9 EB05 1.8 · IC025 +0.9
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 3.4 (3.3–3.6)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.8no trial arm names this drug
Dizziness1,8391.4
1.3–1.5ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.584
1.4 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.9 (2.8–3.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.4no trial arm names this drug
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)1,82014.7
14.0–15.4ROR 15.2 · calibrated p 0.007 ✓
14.2 EB05 13.6 · IC025 +3.7
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.2 (2.1–2.3)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 10.8no trial arm names this drug
Off label use (used outside approved label)1,8180.8
0.8–0.8ROR 0.8 · calibrated p 0.175
0.8 EB05 0.8 · IC025 -0.4
PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 1.8 (1.7–1.9)
Reporting / coding artifactserious PRR 0.8no trial arm names this drug
Renal failure (kidney failure)1,8125.2
5.0–5.4ROR 5.3 · calibrated p 0.202
5.1 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.3
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 4.4 (4.2–4.6)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 3.8no trial arm names this drug
Weight decreased (weight loss)1,7192.3
2.2–2.5ROR 2.4 · calibrated p 0.865
2.3 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.1
3/3 methods agree
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.8 (2.7–2.9)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.8no trial arm names this drug
Headache1,6741.0
1.0–1.1ROR 1.0 · calibrated p 0.314
1.0 EB05 1.0 · IC025 -0.1
PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC
vs other Insulin Analogs: PRR 2.9 (2.7–3.0)
No label text to screen
label has no adverse-reaction text
serious PRR 1.1no trial arm names this drug

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.

✓ A hand-written Bradford Hill causality assessment exists for this drug: Insulin glargine ↔ Hypoglycaemia (blood glucose decreased).

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 Insulin?

In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Insulin are blood glucose increased, nausea, dyspnoea, fatigue, diarrhoea, pain. 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 Insulin have an FDA boxed warning?

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

Do FAERS signals prove that Insulin 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

Page generated 2026-10-14. 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.