Irbesartan side effects: what 44,394 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker
Who reports
44,394 reports · 78% serious · 3,301 with death outcome · 57% female
Used for
Irbesartan tablets are angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) indicated for: Treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. (1.1) Treatment of diabetic nephropathy in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes, an elevated serum creatinine, and proteinuria.
What it is
Irbesartan, USP is an angiotensin II receptor (AT 1 subtype) antagonist. Irbesartan, USP is a non-peptide compound, chemically described as a 2-butyl-3-[ p -( o -1 H -tetrazol-5-ylphenyl)benzyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]non-1-en-4-one.
Boxed warning
FETAL TOXICITY • When pregnancy is detected, discontinue irbesartan tablets as soon as possible [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ]. • Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ].
Causality screen of the 40 strongest signals
What the badges mean
- Labeled — boxed warning The term (or its clinical synonym) appears in the FDA boxed warning: causality is regulator-recognised and considered serious.
- Likely indication confounding The term appears in the label's indications: reports probably describe the disease being treated (or its progression), not a drug effect. Classic confounding by indication.
- 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.
- Lab value / disease marker A laboratory result, investigation or disease-activity marker (antibody positive, CRP abnormal, swollen joint count) not described in the label. These usually mirror the monitored disease or testing protocol rather than a drug effect; not screened further.
- 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.
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). 1,139 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amyloid arthropathy | 59 | 5,487.1 2,202.3–13,671.0ROR 5,494.4 · calibrated p 8e-20 ✓ | 376.9 EB05 302.9 · IC025 +6.1 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=59 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Neurologic neglect syndrome | 293 | 524.0 443.6–619.1ROR 527.5 · calibrated p 5e-14 ✓ | 243.0 EB05 220.5 · IC025 +7.3 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 15.7 (13.1–18.9) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=293 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Radiation inflammation | 39 | 442.3 285.4–685.6ROR 442.7 · calibrated p 2e-12 ✓ | 204.5 EB05 156.1 · IC025 +5.3 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=39 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Carotid artery thrombosis | 303 | 260.9 226.7–300.2ROR 262.7 · calibrated p 4e-11 ✓ | 165.8 EB05 150.7 · IC025 +6.8 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 16.0 (13.3–19.2) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=303 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction | 70 | 173.1 131.6–227.8ROR 173.4 · calibrated p 3e-9 ✓ | 122.3 EB05 100.1 · IC025 +5.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=70 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Adjustment disorder | 291 | 135.7 119.1–154.6ROR 136.6 · calibrated p 1e-8 ✓ | 104.6 EB05 94.9 · IC025 +6.3 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 16.0 (13.3–19.3) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=291 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,062 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Central nervous system lupus | 42 | 113.5 81.0–159.1ROR 113.7 · calibrated p 1e-7 ✓ | 87.9 EB05 67.8 · IC025 +5.0 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=42 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Body mass index abnormal | 42 | 105.0 75.1–146.7ROR 105.1 · calibrated p 2e-7 ✓ | 82.7 EB05 63.8 · IC025 +4.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=42 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Gastrointestinal procedural complication | 35 | 72.0 50.4–102.8ROR 72.1 · calibrated p 2e-6 ✓ | 60.5 EB05 45.5 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Reporting / coding artifact | serious n=35 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Personality disorder | 304 | 61.5 54.6–69.3ROR 61.9 · calibrated p 4e-6 ✓ | 54.3 EB05 49.3 · IC025 +5.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 16.3 (13.6–19.6) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=303 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,064 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Serositis | 43 | 39.9 29.2–54.5ROR 39.9 · calibrated p 8e-5 ✓ | 36.3 EB05 28.1 · IC025 +4.2 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=43 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure systolic abnormal | 165 | 33.5 28.6–39.2ROR 33.6 · calibrated p 2e-4 ✓ | 31.2 EB05 27.4 · IC025 +4.6 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 8.6 (7.0–10.6) | Likely indication confounding term in indications | serious n=162 · ♀ 88% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure diastolic abnormal | 153 | 29.8 25.3–35.1ROR 29.9 · calibrated p 3e-4 ✓ | 28.0 EB05 24.5 · IC025 +4.4 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 12.8 (10.0–16.2) | Likely indication confounding term in indications | serious n=152 · ♀ 88% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Pulmonary pain | 124 | 21.3 17.8–25.5ROR 21.3 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 20.3 EB05 17.5 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=121 | not reported in cached trials |
| Hemiplegia | 338 | 19.9 17.8–22.2ROR 20.0 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.1 EB05 17.5 · IC025 +4.0 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 7.7 (6.7–8.8) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 14.3 · ♀ 94% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 2/2,062 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Sensory loss | 326 | 19.8 17.8–22.1ROR 20.0 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.0 EB05 17.4 · IC025 +4.0 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 13.6 (11.5–16.1) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 16.5 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,062 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Seronegative arthritis | 39 | 17.0 12.3–23.3ROR 17.0 · calibrated p 0.005 ✓ | 16.2 EB05 12.3 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=38 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Left atrial dilatation | 42 | 15.9 11.7–21.7ROR 15.9 · calibrated p 0.007 ✓ | 15.3 EB05 11.7 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 11.0 (7.1–17.1) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=42 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Gangrene | 198 | 15.9 13.8–18.3ROR 16.0 · calibrated p 0.006 ✓ | 15.4 EB05 13.7 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 8.1 (6.7–9.8) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=198 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) · 92% clinician | NCT00249795: 2/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan; 3/4,498 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Affect lability | 311 | 15.7 14.0–17.5ROR 15.8 · calibrated p 0.006 ✓ | 15.2 EB05 13.8 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 11.8 (10.0–13.9) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 15.6 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Motor dysfunction | 315 | 15.1 13.5–16.9ROR 15.3 · calibrated p 0.007 ✓ | 14.7 EB05 13.4 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 9.4 (8.1–11.0) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 13.6 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,064 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Carotid arteriosclerosis | 30 | 14.2 9.9–20.4ROR 14.2 · calibrated p 0.011 ✓ | 13.5 EB05 9.6 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.8 (1.9–4.3) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=30 · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Arterial occlusive disease | 224 | 13.8 12.0–15.7ROR 13.8 · calibrated p 0.010 ✓ | 13.4 EB05 11.9 · IC025 +3.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 3.7 (3.1–4.3) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 10.3 · ♀ 94% (drug 57%) | NCT00249795: 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Muscle spasticity | 341 | 13.3 12.0–14.8ROR 13.4 · calibrated p 0.011 ✓ | 13.0 EB05 11.8 · IC025 +3.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 9.0 (7.8–10.4) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 13.6 · ♀ 91% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Lupus nephritis | 47 | 12.4 9.3–16.5ROR 12.4 · calibrated p 0.017 ✓ | 11.8 EB05 9.1 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=46 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Haematoma muscle | 30 | 12.3 8.6–17.7ROR 12.3 · calibrated p 0.019 ✓ | 11.5 EB05 8.2 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=30 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure systolic increased | 483 | 11.9 10.9–13.0ROR 12.0 · calibrated p 0.017 ✓ | 11.6 EB05 10.8 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 3.2 (2.9–3.5) | Likely indication confounding term in indications | serious PRR 9.0 | not reported in cached trials |
| Coordination abnormal | 330 | 11.3 10.2–12.6ROR 11.4 · calibrated p 0.020 ✓ | 11.0 EB05 10.1 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 7.8 (6.8–9.1) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 11.3 · ♀ 93% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,064 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Tachyarrhythmia | 58 | 11.2 8.6–14.5ROR 11.2 · calibrated p 0.024 ✓ | 10.7 EB05 8.4 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 3.6 (2.7–4.9) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=58 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 2/2,064 (0.1%) on Irbesartan; 2/2,062 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 57 | 10.9 8.3–14.1ROR 10.9 · calibrated p 0.026 ✓ | 10.3 EB05 8.2 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.8 (1.3–2.3) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=57 | NCT00249795: 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Hemiparesis | 379 | 10.7 9.7–11.9ROR 10.8 · calibrated p 0.025 ✓ | 10.5 EB05 9.6 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 7.0 (6.2–8.0) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 8.4 · ♀ 88% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 2/2,062 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Wrong patient received product | 62 | 10.4 8.1–13.4ROR 10.5 · calibrated p 0.030 ✓ | 9.9 EB05 7.9 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Reporting / coding artifact | serious n=61 · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Conduction disorder | 39 | 10.3 7.5–14.1ROR 10.3 · calibrated p 0.033 ✓ | 9.6 EB05 7.2 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=39 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) | NCT00095238: 1/2,064 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Blood pressure diastolic decreased | 151 | 9.8 8.3–11.5ROR 9.8 · calibrated p 0.035 ✓ | 9.5 EB05 8.3 · IC025 +3.0 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.4 (2.0–2.9) | Likely indication confounding term in indications | serious PRR 7.4 · ♀ 91% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure inadequately controlled | 122 | 9.7 8.1–11.6ROR 9.7 · calibrated p 0.037 ✓ | 9.3 EB05 8.0 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.0 (0.9–1.2) | Likely indication confounding shares a disease stem with the indications wording | serious n=85 | not reported in cached trials |
| Hyperkalaemia (high potassium) | 700 | 9.6 9.0–10.4ROR 9.8 · calibrated p 0.035 ✓ | 9.4 EB05 8.9 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.3 (2.1–2.5) | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 6.9 | NCT00249795: 5/4,518 (0.1%) on Irbesartan; 4/4,498 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Sinus congestion | 267 | 9.5 8.4–10.7ROR 9.5 · calibrated p 0.038 ✓ | 9.2 EB05 8.3 · IC025 +3.0 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 5.6 (4.8–6.5) | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=260 · ♀ 100% (drug 57%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 92 | 9.5 7.7–11.6ROR 9.5 · calibrated p 0.041 ✓ | 9.1 EB05 7.6 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.3 (1.1–1.7) | Likely indication confounding shares a disease stem with the indications wording | serious n=92 | NCT00249795: 1/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Lipoma | 48 | 8.9 6.7–11.8ROR 8.9 · calibrated p 0.052 | 8.3 EB05 6.4 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: only this drug | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=47 · ♀ 0% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | NCT00249795: 1/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan; 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Hyperlactacidaemia | 48 | 8.7 6.6–11.6ROR 8.7 · calibrated p 0.055 | 8.2 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 30.9 (17.3–55.2) | Likely indication confounding shares a disease stem with the indications wording | serious n=48 · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)
✓ Trial adverse-event data found on ClinicalTrials.gov
Largest completed trials with posted results that list Irbesartan as a study intervention. The right-hand column of the signal table shows whether each FAERS term was also recorded in these trials, with a real denominator (15 of 40 signal terms matched).
- NCT00249795 — Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial With Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events (ACTIVE I) (N=9016, PHASE3; 1044 AE terms posted; arms: Irbesartan; Placebo)
- NCT00095238 — Irbesartan in Heart Failure With Preserved Systolic Function (I-Preserve) (N=4128, PHASE3; 981 AE terms posted; arms: IRBESARTAN; PLACEBO)
Caveats: trial populations, doses and follow-up differ from the reporting population; AE terms are sponsor-coded and matched here by wording; absence from a trial list means the term was not reported above the sponsor's frequency threshold, not that it cannot occur.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue (tiredness) | 2,547 | 1.6 1.5–1.6ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.696 | 1.5 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.6 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.3 (1.3–1.4) | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 1.7 | NCT00095238: 4/2,064 (0.2%) on Irbesartan; 3/2,062 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Nausea | 2,486 | 1.5 1.4–1.5ROR 1.5 · calibrated p 0.654 | 1.5 EB05 1.4 · IC025 +0.5 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.1 (2.0–2.2) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.6 | NCT00249795: 2/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan; 2/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Diarrhoea (diarrhea) | 2,338 | 1.7 1.7–1.8ROR 1.8 · calibrated p 0.805 | 1.7 EB05 1.7 · IC025 +0.7 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.0 (1.9–2.1) | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 1.7 | NCT00249795: 1/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan (serious AE) |
| Drug ineffective (drug did not work) | 2,204 | 0.8 0.8–0.8ROR 0.8 · calibrated p 0.172 | 0.8 EB05 0.8 · IC025 -0.4 PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.5 (1.4–1.6) | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 1.0 | not reported in cached trials |
| Acute kidney injury (sudden kidney damage) | 2,151 | 6.8 6.5–7.0ROR 7.0 · calibrated p 0.097 | 6.7 EB05 6.4 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.6 (2.5–2.7) | Labeled — boxed warning synonym match | serious PRR 4.9 · 93% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Dizziness | 2,032 | 1.9 1.9–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.931 | 1.9 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.1 (1.1–1.2) | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 1.8 | NCT00249795: 8/4,518 (0.2%) on Irbesartan; 11/4,498 (0.2%) control (serious AE) |
| Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) | 2,025 | 1.7 1.6–1.8ROR 1.7 · calibrated p 0.785 | 1.7 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.7 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.1 (1.0–1.1) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.5 | NCT00249795: 3/4,518 (0.1%) on Irbesartan; 4/4,498 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Fall | 2,005 | 2.9 2.7–3.0ROR 2.9 · calibrated p 0.644 | 2.8 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.1 (2.0–2.2) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 2.4 | NCT00249795: 26/4,518 (0.6%) on Irbesartan; 24/4,498 (0.5%) control (serious AE) |
| Headache | 1,942 | 1.5 1.4–1.5ROR 1.5 · calibrated p 0.633 | 1.5 EB05 1.4 · IC025 +0.5 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.9 (1.8–2.0) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.7 | NCT00249795: 1/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan; 3/4,498 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Asthenia (weakness) | 1,744 | 2.2 2.1–2.3ROR 2.2 · calibrated p 0.930 | 2.2 EB05 2.1 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.6 (1.5–1.7) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 2.0 | NCT00249795: 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Off label use (used outside approved label) | 1,739 | 0.9 0.9–1.0ROR 0.9 · calibrated p 0.271 | 0.9 EB05 0.9 · IC025 -0.2 PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.1 (2.0–2.2) | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 1.1 | not reported in cached trials |
| Malaise (feeling unwell) | 1,677 | 1.8 1.7–1.9ROR 1.8 · calibrated p 0.851 | 1.8 EB05 1.7 · IC025 +0.8 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.5 (1.4–1.6) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 2.0 | NCT00249795: 1/4,518 (0.0%) on Irbesartan; 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
| Pain | 1,571 | 1.2 1.1–1.3ROR 1.2 · calibrated p 0.450 | 1.2 EB05 1.2 · IC025 +0.2 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.8 (1.7–1.9) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.2 | NCT00249795: 8/4,518 (0.2%) on Irbesartan; 7/4,498 (0.2%) control (serious AE) |
| Vomiting | 1,571 | 1.6 1.5–1.7ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.710 | 1.6 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.6 vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 2.3 (2.1–2.4) | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.6 | NCT00249795: 6/4,518 (0.1%) on Irbesartan; 5/4,498 (0.1%) control (serious AE) |
| Blood pressure increased | 1,526 | 4.7 4.5–5.0ROR 4.9 · calibrated p 0.249 | 4.7 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree vs other Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blockers: PRR 1.7 (1.7–1.8) | Likely indication confounding term in indications | serious PRR 4.0 | NCT00249795: 1/4,498 (0.0%) control (serious AE) |
Unlabeled candidate signals
These flagged terms were not found in the FDA label text and do not match an artifact pattern. They are the pairs that would merit a structured assessment (temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across databases, trial or cohort evidence). The screen has not done that; string-matching misses label wording, and a strong PRR can still be stimulated reporting, co-medication, or the disease itself.
- Amyloid arthropathy — n=59, PRR 5,487.1
- Neurologic neglect syndrome — n=293, PRR 524.0
- Radiation inflammation — n=39, PRR 442.3
- Carotid artery thrombosis — n=303, PRR 260.9
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction — n=70, PRR 173.1
- Adjustment disorder — n=291, PRR 135.7 (also seen in trial arm)
- Central nervous system lupus — n=42, PRR 113.5
- Personality disorder — n=304, PRR 61.5 (also seen in trial arm)
- Serositis — n=43, PRR 39.9
- Pulmonary pain — n=124, PRR 21.3
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 Irbesartan?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Irbesartan are fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, acute kidney injury, dizziness, dyspnoea. 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 Irbesartan have an FDA boxed warning?
Yes. The current FDA label carries a boxed warning: FETAL TOXICITY • When pregnancy is detected, discontinue irbesartan tablets as soon as possible [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ]. • Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ].
Do FAERS signals prove that Irbesartan 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 068224c4-a34d-32d7-bb2a-7eed44ccf7d3, effective 20260421; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"IRBESARTAN") - 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, fieldpatient.drug.openfda.generic_name.exact, 1,179 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 - ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 (query
IRBESARTAN, results-bearing studies sorted by enrollment)
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.