Drug · FAERS side-effect profile with label screen
Loratadine side effects: what 106,935 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Not stated in label
Who reports
106,935 reports · 47% serious · 4,661 with death outcome · 66% female
openFDA FAERS counts, all years, deduplication not applied
Used for
(S) temporarily relieves these symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies: runny nose sneezing itchy, water eyes itching of the nose or throat
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 5Lab value / disease marker 2No label text to screen 33
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.
- 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.
- 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, 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). 1,113 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.
Show:
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failure of child resistant mechanism for pharmaceutical product | 86 | 47.0 37.1–59.5ROR 47.0 · calibrated p 3e-5 ✓ | 37.7 EB05 31.5 · IC025 +4.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | – | not reported in cached trials |
| Human rhinovirus test positive | 67 | 42.8 32.9–55.8ROR 42.9 · calibrated p 5e-5 ✓ | 34.9 EB05 28.4 · IC025 +4.4 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=66 · ♀ 100% (drug 66%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Accidental exposure to product by child | 925 | 30.6 28.6–32.8ROR 30.9 · calibrated p 2e-4 ✓ | 26.6 EB05 25.1 · IC025 +4.6 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious n=61 · 82% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Respiratory syncytial virus test positive | 71 | 21.9 17.1–27.9ROR 21.9 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.6 EB05 16.1 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=67 · ♀ 100% (drug 66%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Chronic spontaneous urticaria | 99 | 19.3 15.7–23.7ROR 19.3 · calibrated p 0.003 ✓ | 17.5 EB05 14.8 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=94 | not reported in cached trials |
| Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder | 80 | 15.7 12.5–19.7ROR 15.7 · calibrated p 0.006 ✓ | 14.5 EB05 12.0 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=80 | not reported in cached trials |
| Mast cell activation syndrome | 86 | 13.6 10.9–16.9ROR 13.6 · calibrated p 0.011 ✓ | 12.6 EB05 10.5 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=82 · ♀ 100% (drug 66%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 287 | 12.8 11.3–14.4ROR 12.8 · calibrated p 0.013 ✓ | 12.0 EB05 10.9 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=287 | not reported in cached trials |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 146 | 11.9 10.1–14.1ROR 12.0 · calibrated p 0.018 ✓ | 11.2 EB05 9.7 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=146 | not reported in cached trials |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 152 | 10.2 8.6–12.0ROR 10.2 · calibrated p 0.031 ✓ | 9.6 EB05 8.3 · IC025 +3.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=152 | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site discharge | 74 | 8.8 7.0–11.1ROR 8.8 · calibrated p 0.052 | 8.2 EB05 6.7 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=49 · 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Extra dose administered | 1,645 | 8.4 8.0–8.8ROR 8.5 · calibrated p 0.055 | 8.1 EB05 7.7 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 8.1 · serious n=45 · 85% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Product package associated injury | 84 | 7.7 6.2–9.6ROR 7.7 · calibrated p 0.078 | 7.2 EB05 6.0 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Drug effect delayed | 172 | 7.6 6.5–8.8ROR 7.6 · calibrated p 0.080 | 7.2 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Pre-existing condition improved | 235 | 7.5 6.6–8.6ROR 7.6 · calibrated p 0.080 | 7.2 EB05 6.5 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=117 | not reported in cached trials |
| Patient dissatisfaction with treatment | 67 | 7.2 5.6–9.1ROR 7.2 · calibrated p 0.097 | 6.7 EB05 5.4 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | ♀ 0% (drug 66%) · 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Expired product administered | 1,166 | 7.1 6.7–7.5ROR 7.2 · calibrated p 0.092 | 6.9 EB05 6.5 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | age-adj. PRR 7.3 · serious n=43 · 95% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Seasonal allergy | 491 | 7.0 6.4–7.7ROR 7.1 · calibrated p 0.097 | 6.8 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=253 | not reported in cached trials |
| Rhinitis allergic | 154 | 7.0 6.0–8.2ROR 7.0 · calibrated p 0.100 | 6.7 EB05 5.8 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=127 | not reported in cached trials |
| Essential hypertension | 85 | 6.6 5.3–8.2ROR 6.6 · calibrated p 0.119 | 6.2 EB05 5.2 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=79 | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site pruritus | 99 | 6.4 5.2–7.8ROR 6.4 · calibrated p 0.130 | 6.1 EB05 5.1 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=51 · 73% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Infective pulmonary exacerbation of cystic fibrosis | 173 | 6.4 5.5–7.4ROR 6.4 · calibrated p 0.131 | 6.1 EB05 5.4 · IC025 +2.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=161 | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site infection | 71 | 6.3 5.0–8.0ROR 6.3 · calibrated p 0.136 | 5.9 EB05 4.8 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Tongue biting | 64 | 6.2 4.8–8.0ROR 6.2 · calibrated p 0.142 | 5.8 EB05 4.7 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=61 · ♀ 100% (drug 66%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site haemorrhage | 100 | 6.2 5.1–7.6ROR 6.2 · calibrated p 0.141 | 5.9 EB05 5.0 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=58 · 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Multiple allergies | 221 | 5.7 4.9–6.5ROR 5.7 · calibrated p 0.176 | 5.5 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=119 | not reported in cached trials |
| Chronic sinusitis | 102 | 5.5 4.5–6.6ROR 5.5 · calibrated p 0.194 | 5.2 EB05 4.4 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=87 | not reported in cached trials |
| End stage renal disease | 498 | 5.4 5.0–5.9ROR 5.4 · calibrated p 0.193 | 5.3 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 6.5 | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site swelling | 164 | 5.3 4.6–6.2ROR 5.3 · calibrated p 0.203 | 5.1 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=76 | not reported in cached trials |
| Cholecystitis chronic | 176 | 5.2 4.5–6.0ROR 5.2 · calibrated p 0.216 | 5.0 EB05 4.4 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 6.3 · ♀ 100% (drug 66%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Nasal dryness | 160 | 5.1 4.4–6.0ROR 5.1 · calibrated p 0.225 | 4.9 EB05 4.3 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=45 · 82% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Device infusion issue | 60 | 4.9 3.8–6.3ROR 4.9 · calibrated p 0.253 | 4.6 EB05 3.7 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | ♀ 100% (drug 66%) · 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Upper-airway cough syndrome | 198 | 4.8 4.2–5.6ROR 4.8 · calibrated p 0.255 | 4.7 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=98 | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site erythema | 200 | 4.8 4.2–5.5ROR 4.8 · calibrated p 0.256 | 4.7 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=95 · 70% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Infusion site pain | 304 | 4.8 4.2–5.3ROR 4.8 · calibrated p 0.263 | 4.6 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 4.1 · serious n=148 · 77% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Sneezing | 505 | 4.5 4.1–4.9ROR 4.5 · calibrated p 0.294 | 4.4 EB05 4.1 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 3.6 · serious PRR 3.6 · 80% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Paranasal sinus discomfort | 85 | 4.5 3.6–5.6ROR 4.5 · calibrated p 0.301 | 4.3 EB05 3.6 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | – | not reported in cached trials |
| Ear congestion | 59 | 4.4 3.4–5.6ROR 4.4 · calibrated p 0.326 | 4.1 EB05 3.3 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | ♀ 100% (drug 66%) · 100% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1,659 | 4.3 4.1–4.5ROR 4.4 · calibrated p 0.316 | 4.2 EB05 4.1 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 4.3 · serious PRR 5.3 | not reported in cached trials |
| Spinal osteoarthritis | 191 | 4.3 3.7–5.0ROR 4.3 · calibrated p 0.326 | 4.2 EB05 3.7 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.2 | not reported in cached trials |
Clinical concept groups
MedDRA splits one clinical problem across several terms (e.g. "neutropenia", "neutrophil count decreased", "agranulocytosis"), which dilutes term-level signals. These rows count reports with any term in a concept group (an exact union, not a sum), compared with all other drugs. Groups are hand-built and listed in the methods.
| Concept | Reports | PRR 95% CI | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaphylaxis / angioedema | 1,154 | 1.81.7–1.9 | raised |
| Depression | 2,480 | 1.71.7–1.8 | raised |
| Serious infection | 5,672 | 1.41.4–1.5 | raised |
| Tendon disorder | 268 | 1.41.2–1.6 | raised |
| Fall / fracture | 2,535 | 1.31.3–1.4 | raised |
| Arrhythmia / qt | 1,249 | 1.31.2–1.3 | raised |
| Kidney injury | 2,943 | 1.31.2–1.3 | raised |
| Venous thromboembolism | 1,393 | 1.31.2–1.3 | raised |
| Anaemia | 1,863 | 1.21.2–1.3 | raised |
| Hyponatraemia | 453 | 1.11.0–1.2 | raised |
| Seizure | 1,063 | 1.11.0–1.1 | no difference |
| Gi bleeding | 988 | 1.11.0–1.1 | no difference |
| Thrombocytopenia | 1,177 | 1.01.0–1.1 | no difference |
| Opportunistic infection | 723 | 1.01.0–1.1 | no difference |
| Neutropenia / agranulocytosis | 1,270 | 1.01.0–1.1 | no difference |
| Heart failure | 889 | 1.00.9–1.0 | no difference |
Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)
✓ Trial adverse-event data found on ClinicalTrials.gov
Largest completed trials with posted results that list Loratadine 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 (0 of 40 signal terms matched).
- NCT00979901 — Montelukast in Patients With Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis - Spring 2000 Study (MK-0476A-162)(COMPLETED) (N=1577, PHASE3; 1 AE terms posted; arms: Placebo; Montelukast 10mg; Loratadine 10mg; Montelukast 10 mg + Loratadine 10 mg)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug ineffective (drug did not work) | 12,992 | 1.9 1.9–2.0ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.984 | 1.9 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | Reporting / coding artifact | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 1.0 · 86% consumer | not reported in cached trials |
| Fatigue (tiredness) | 6,654 | 1.7 1.6–1.7ROR 1.7 · calibrated p 0.788 | 1.7 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.7 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.2 | not reported in cached trials |
| Nausea | 5,871 | 1.5 1.4–1.5ROR 1.5 · calibrated p 0.634 | 1.5 EB05 1.4 · IC025 +0.5 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.5 · serious PRR 2.0 | not reported in cached trials |
| Headache | 5,354 | 1.7 1.6–1.7ROR 1.7 · calibrated p 0.780 | 1.7 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.7 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.2 | not reported in cached trials |
| Diarrhoea (diarrhea) | 4,847 | 1.5 1.4–1.5ROR 1.5 · calibrated p 0.644 | 1.5 EB05 1.4 · IC025 +0.5 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.5 · serious PRR 1.8 | not reported in cached trials |
| Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) | 4,829 | 1.7 1.6–1.7ROR 1.7 · calibrated p 0.776 | 1.7 EB05 1.6 · IC025 +0.7 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.1 | not reported in cached trials |
| Off label use (used outside approved label) | 4,620 | 1.0 1.0–1.1ROR 1.0 · calibrated p 0.336 | 1.0 EB05 1.0 · IC025 +0.0 | Reporting / coding artifact | age-adj. PRR 1.0 · serious PRR 1.0 | not reported in cached trials |
| Dizziness | 4,357 | 1.7 1.7–1.8ROR 1.8 · calibrated p 0.801 | 1.7 EB05 1.7 · IC025 +0.7 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.1 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pain | 4,104 | 1.3 1.3–1.3ROR 1.3 · calibrated p 0.523 | 1.3 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.3 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 1.7 | not reported in cached trials |
| Rash | 3,470 | 1.6 1.5–1.6ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.701 | 1.6 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.6 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.2 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pruritus (itching) | 3,365 | 1.8 1.7–1.8ROR 1.8 · calibrated p 0.816 | 1.7 EB05 1.7 · IC025 +0.7 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.6 | not reported in cached trials |
| Cough | 3,090 | 2.2 2.1–2.3ROR 2.2 · calibrated p 0.945 | 2.2 EB05 2.1 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 2.1 · serious PRR 2.8 | not reported in cached trials |
| Vomiting | 3,011 | 1.3 1.2–1.3ROR 1.3 · calibrated p 0.486 | 1.3 EB05 1.2 · IC025 +0.3 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.2 · serious PRR 1.5 | not reported in cached trials |
| Somnolence (drowsiness) | 2,950 | 2.9 2.8–3.0ROR 3.0 · calibrated p 0.640 | 2.9 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 2.4 · serious PRR 2.7 | not reported in cached trials |
| Arthralgia (joint pain) | 2,900 | 1.4 1.3–1.4ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.565 | 1.4 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | age-adj. PRR 1.4 · serious PRR 2.0 | not reported in cached trials |
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 Loratadine?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Loratadine are fatigue, nausea, headache, diarrhoea, dyspnoea, dizziness. 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 Loratadine have an FDA boxed warning?
No. The FDA label retrieved for Loratadine has no boxed warning; see the label's Warnings and Precautions for the recognised risks.
Do FAERS signals prove that Loratadine 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 0d74af21-3ef7-418b-a2ef-78737b0af288, effective 20250613; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"LORATADINE" AND openfda.product_type:"HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG") - 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, 1,153 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
LORATADINE, 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.