Rabeprazole side effects: what 22,026 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Not stated in label
Brand names
Rabeprazole Sodium
Who reports
22,026 reports · 92% serious · 2,526 with death outcome · 58% female
Used for
Rabeprazole sodium delayed-release tablets are a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) indicated in adults for: Healing of Erosive or Ulcerative Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). ( 1.1 ) Maintenance of Healing of Erosive or Ulcerative GERD. ( 1.2 ) Treatment of Symptomatic GERD. ( 1.3 ) Healing of Duodenal Ulcers. ( 1.4 ) Helicobacter pylori Eradication to Reduce Risk of Duodenal Ulcer Recurrence.
What it is
The active ingredient in rabeprazole sodium delayed-release tablets is rabeprazole sodium, USP which is a proton pump inhibitor. It is a substituted benzimidazole known chemically as 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl]-methyl]sulfinyl]-1 H –benzimidazole sodium salt.
Boxed warning
None in the current label
Causality screen of the 40 strongest signals
What the badges mean
- Labeled adverse reaction The exact term appears in the label's warnings or adverse-reactions sections: a known, expected effect. The FAERS signal confirms the label rather than discovering anything.
- Labeled (related wording) The label describes this effect under different wording (e.g. 'neutropenia' for 'neutrophil count decreased'). Treated as known.
- 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). 1,170 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sputum culture | 23 | 1,541.4 793.3–2,995.1ROR 1,543.0 · calibrated p 2e-16 ✓ | 392.6 EB05 275.5 · IC025 +4.7 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=23 | not reported in cached trials |
| Eosinophilic bronchitis | 83 | 665.6 502.6–881.5ROR 668.1 · calibrated p 8e-15 ✓ | 357.6 EB05 297.6 · IC025 +6.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=83 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Cestode infection | 18 | 324.8 190.1–555.0ROR 325.0 · calibrated p 9e-11 ✓ | 192.5 EB05 128.8 · IC025 +4.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=18 | not reported in cached trials |
| Gait spastic | 86 | 314.0 246.0–400.7ROR 315.2 · calibrated p 1e-11 ✓ | 223.8 EB05 186.9 · IC025 +6.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=86 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Vital capacity decreased | 90 | 237.9 188.8–299.7ROR 238.8 · calibrated p 1e-10 ✓ | 182.6 EB05 153.1 · IC025 +6.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=90 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Needle fatigue | 86 | 220.5 174.4–278.7ROR 221.3 · calibrated p 3e-10 ✓ | 171.9 EB05 143.5 · IC025 +6.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=86 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Reversible airways obstruction | 96 | 218.6 175.1–272.9ROR 219.6 · calibrated p 3e-10 ✓ | 171.5 EB05 144.6 · IC025 +6.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=96 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Parathyroid gland enlargement | 23 | 179.8 115.1–280.9ROR 180.0 · calibrated p 5e-9 ✓ | 134.4 EB05 94.4 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=23 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Cerebral hypoperfusion | 67 | 162.9 125.7–211.0ROR 163.4 · calibrated p 4e-9 ✓ | 133.7 EB05 108.9 · IC025 +5.7 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=67 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Upper respiratory fungal infection | 23 | 129.2 83.6–199.8ROR 129.4 · calibrated p 6e-8 ✓ | 104.1 EB05 73.1 · IC025 +4.4 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=23 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Sputum culture positive | 94 | 122.5 98.8–151.8ROR 123.0 · calibrated p 3e-8 ✓ | 106.2 EB05 89.3 · IC025 +5.8 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=93 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Binocular eye movement disorder | 28 | 105.5 71.4–155.9ROR 105.6 · calibrated p 2e-7 ✓ | 89.3 EB05 64.9 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=28 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis | 86 | 105.3 84.3–131.6ROR 105.7 · calibrated p 1e-7 ✓ | 92.9 EB05 77.6 · IC025 +5.6 3/3 methods agree | Likely indication confounding shares a disease stem with the indications wording | serious n=86 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Coombs positive haemolytic anaemia | 44 | 99.7 73.1–136.0ROR 99.9 · calibrated p 2e-7 ✓ | 86.9 EB05 67.4 · IC025 +5.0 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=44 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Muscle tone disorder | 28 | 92.8 63.0–136.8ROR 92.9 · calibrated p 5e-7 ✓ | 80.1 EB05 58.2 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=28 | not reported in cached trials |
| Bronchial secretion retention | 109 | 89.8 73.8–109.2ROR 90.2 · calibrated p 3e-7 ✓ | 80.9 EB05 68.9 · IC025 +5.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=109 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Cerebellar stroke | 29 | 79.8 54.6–116.6ROR 79.9 · calibrated p 1e-6 ✓ | 70.3 EB05 51.4 · IC025 +4.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=29 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood folate decreased | 44 | 61.5 45.4–83.4ROR 61.6 · calibrated p 6e-6 ✓ | 56.5 EB05 43.8 · IC025 +4.6 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=44 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) · 91% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Sputum purulent | 34 | 51.5 36.4–72.6ROR 51.5 · calibrated p 2e-5 ✓ | 47.6 EB05 35.6 · IC025 +4.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=34 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Lung diffusion test decreased | 20 | 50.6 32.3–79.3ROR 50.6 · calibrated p 3e-5 ✓ | 46.1 EB05 31.5 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=20 | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure systolic abnormal | 125 | 50.3 42.0–60.2ROR 50.6 · calibrated p 1e-5 ✓ | 47.4 EB05 40.9 · IC025 +5.0 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=124 | not reported in cached trials |
| Monoparesis | 86 | 47.2 38.0–58.5ROR 47.3 · calibrated p 2e-5 ✓ | 44.5 EB05 37.2 · IC025 +4.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=86 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Hypertonic bladder | 133 | 46.1 38.7–54.8ROR 46.4 · calibrated p 2e-5 ✓ | 43.7 EB05 37.8 · IC025 +5.0 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=133 · ♀ 31% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Lichen sclerosus | 30 | 44.5 30.8–64.1ROR 44.5 · calibrated p 5e-5 ✓ | 41.5 EB05 30.4 · IC025 +4.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=30 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Magnesium deficiency | 20 | 42.6 27.2–66.7ROR 42.7 · calibrated p 8e-5 ✓ | 39.4 EB05 27.0 · IC025 +3.6 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=18 | not reported in cached trials |
| Bronchopulmonary aspergillosis allergic | 34 | 36.6 26.0–51.6ROR 36.7 · calibrated p 1e-4 ✓ | 34.7 EB05 25.9 · IC025 +4.0 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=34 · ♀ 32% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Secondary immunodeficiency | 44 | 36.4 26.9–49.1ROR 36.4 · calibrated p 1e-4 ✓ | 34.6 EB05 26.8 · IC025 +4.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=44 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure diastolic abnormal | 94 | 36.1 29.4–44.3ROR 36.3 · calibrated p 1e-4 ✓ | 34.6 EB05 29.1 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=94 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pneumothorax spontaneous | 22 | 31.8 20.8–48.6ROR 31.8 · calibrated p 3e-4 ✓ | 30.0 EB05 20.9 · IC025 +3.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=22 · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Tonsillar disorder | 34 | 29.5 21.0–41.5ROR 29.5 · calibrated p 4e-4 ✓ | 28.2 EB05 21.1 · IC025 +3.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=34 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Hypoparathyroidism | 23 | 29.5 19.5–44.6ROR 29.5 · calibrated p 5e-4 ✓ | 28.0 EB05 19.7 · IC025 +3.5 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious n=23 · 100% clinician | not reported in cached trials |
| Obstructive airways disorder | 303 | 26.5 23.7–29.7ROR 26.9 · calibrated p 5e-4 ✓ | 25.8 EB05 23.5 · IC025 +4.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 16.8 · ♀ 84% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Loss of employment | 75 | 24.0 19.1–30.2ROR 24.1 · calibrated p 9e-4 ✓ | 23.3 EB05 19.2 · IC025 +4.0 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=75 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Eosinophil count increased | 196 | 23.0 20.0–26.5ROR 23.2 · calibrated p 0.001 ✓ | 22.4 EB05 19.9 · IC025 +4.2 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 16.8 · ♀ 95% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Dyschromatopsia | 19 | 22.7 14.4–35.8ROR 22.8 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 21.8 EB05 14.6 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=19 | not reported in cached trials |
| Medication overuse headache | 19 | 21.6 13.7–34.0ROR 21.6 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 20.7 EB05 13.9 · IC025 +3.0 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=19 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pulmonary function test abnormal | 34 | 21.2 15.1–29.7ROR 21.2 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 20.5 EB05 15.3 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious n=34 | not reported in cached trials |
| Product ineffective for unapproved use | 30 | 20.9 14.5–29.9ROR 20.9 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 20.2 EB05 14.8 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious n=30 · ♀ 100% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Lymphadenitis | 50 | 20.1 15.2–26.6ROR 20.1 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.5 EB05 15.4 · IC025 +3.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=49 · ♀ 0% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Blood pressure diastolic decreased | 152 | 19.9 17.0–23.4ROR 20.0 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.5 EB05 17.0 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 13.0 | 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 Rabeprazole 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).
- NCT00658632 — Rabeprazole Extended-Release 50 mg Versus Esomeprazole 40 mg for Healing and Symptomatic Relief of Mild to Mod (N=1397, PHASE3; 12 AE terms posted; arms: ESO 40 mg; RAB ER 50 mg)
- NCT00464308 — A Study to Compare the Number of Patients With Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) Achieving Heartburn an (N=1392, PHASE4; 27 AE terms posted; arms: Rabeprazole 20 mg/Day; Esomeprazole 40 mg/Day; Esomeprazole 20 mg/Day)
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) | 1,926 | 1.4 1.3–1.5ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.596 | 1.4 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4 | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 2.2 · ♀ 80% (drug 58%) | not reported in cached trials |
| Off label use (used outside approved label) | 1,867 | 2.0 2.0–2.1ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.978 | 2.0 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +1.0 | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 2.3 | not reported in cached trials |
| Nausea | 1,583 | 1.9 1.8–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.934 | 1.9 EB05 1.8 · IC025 +0.9 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.2 | not reported in cached trials |
| Diarrhoea (diarrhea) | 1,368 | 2.0 1.9–2.1ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.995 | 2.0 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.1 | not reported in cached trials |
| Headache | 1,357 | 2.1 2.0–2.2ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.984 | 2.1 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +1.0 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.5 · ♀ 78% (drug 58%) | NCT00658632: 1/676 (0.1%) on Rabeprazole (serious AE) |
| Pain | 1,339 | 2.1 2.0–2.2ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.980 | 2.1 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +1.0 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.0 | NCT00464308: 1/459 (0.2%) on Rabeprazole (serious AE) |
| Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) | 1,323 | 2.2 2.1–2.3ROR 2.3 · calibrated p 0.899 | 2.2 EB05 2.1 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.9 | not reported in cached trials |
| Arthralgia (joint pain) | 1,305 | 3.0 2.8–3.2ROR 3.1 · calibrated p 0.586 | 3.0 EB05 2.9 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 3.3 | not reported in cached trials |
| Fatigue (tiredness) | 1,241 | 1.5 1.4–1.6ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.676 | 1.5 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.5 | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.7 | not reported in cached trials |
| Malaise (feeling unwell) | 1,193 | 2.6 2.4–2.7ROR 2.7 · calibrated p 0.741 | 2.6 EB05 2.5 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.6 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pneumonia (lung infection) | 1,143 | 3.4 3.2–3.6ROR 3.5 · calibrated p 0.484 | 3.4 EB05 3.2 · IC025 +1.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 2.2 | NCT00658632: 1/676 (0.1%) on Rabeprazole (serious AE) |
| Fall | 973 | 2.8 2.6–3.0ROR 2.9 · calibrated p 0.669 | 2.8 EB05 2.6 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 2.1 | not reported in cached trials |
| Cough | 962 | 3.3 3.1–3.5ROR 3.4 · calibrated p 0.514 | 3.3 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 3.5 | not reported in cached trials |
| Dizziness | 915 | 1.8 1.6–1.9ROR 1.8 · calibrated p 0.820 | 1.7 EB05 1.7 · IC025 +0.7 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 1.8 | not reported in cached trials |
| Pyrexia (fever) | 837 | 2.3 2.2–2.5ROR 2.4 · calibrated p 0.877 | 2.3 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious PRR 1.8 | not reported in cached trials |
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.
- Eosinophilic bronchitis — n=83, PRR 665.6
- Gait spastic — n=86, PRR 314.0
- Vital capacity decreased — n=90, PRR 237.9
- Needle fatigue — n=86, PRR 220.5
- Reversible airways obstruction — n=96, PRR 218.6
- Parathyroid gland enlargement — n=23, PRR 179.8
- Cerebral hypoperfusion — n=67, PRR 162.9
- Binocular eye movement disorder — n=28, PRR 105.5
- Muscle tone disorder — n=28, PRR 92.8
- Bronchial secretion retention — n=109, PRR 89.8
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 Rabeprazole?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Rabeprazole are nausea, diarrhoea, headache, pain, dyspnoea, arthralgia. 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 Rabeprazole have an FDA boxed warning?
No. The FDA label retrieved for Rabeprazole has no boxed warning; see the label's Warnings and Precautions for the recognised risks.
Do FAERS signals prove that Rabeprazole 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 951caefe-6e18-48ff-9567-beb545b09c25, effective 20231130; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"RABEPRAZOLE") - 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, 1,210 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
RABEPRAZOLE, 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.