Turmeric side effects: what 5,335 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Non-Standardized Food Allergenic Extract
Who reports
5,335 reports · 51% serious · 142 with death outcome · 71% female
Used for
Apply it to the uncomfortable area, and leave it on for 3-5hours each time.
Boxed warning
None in the current label
Causality screen of the 40 strongest signals
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 flags pairs whose reports are unusually skewed by sex or come mostly from consumers rather than clinicians. 407 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increased tendency to bruise | 18 | 7.7 4.8–12.2ROR 7.7 · χ² 98 / p 2e-23 | 6.6 EB05 4.4 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=10 | no trial data cached |
| Vitreous floaters | 18 | 7.3 4.6–11.5ROR 7.3 · χ² 91 / p 7e-22 | 6.3 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=14 | no trial data cached |
| Rotator cuff syndrome | 23 | 7.0 4.7–10.6ROR 7.0 · χ² 113 / p 1e-26 | 6.3 EB05 4.4 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 8.8 · 82% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Tendonitis | 25 | 6.3 4.3–9.4ROR 6.4 · χ² 107 / p 3e-25 | 5.7 EB05 4.1 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.7 | no trial data cached |
| Hair texture abnormal | 21 | 6.1 4.0–9.4ROR 6.1 · χ² 85 / p 2e-20 | 5.5 EB05 3.8 · IC025 +1.7 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=3 | no trial data cached |
| Vitamin d deficiency | 15 | 6.1 3.7–10.0ROR 6.1 · χ² 58 / p 1e-14 | 5.2 EB05 3.3 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.2 | no trial data cached |
| Tendon rupture (torn tendon) | 19 | 6.0 3.9–9.5ROR 6.1 · χ² 75 / p 3e-18 | 5.3 EB05 3.6 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.5 | no trial data cached |
| Carpal tunnel syndrome | 21 | 5.9 3.8–9.0ROR 5.9 · χ² 80 / p 2e-19 | 5.3 EB05 3.6 · IC025 +1.7 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.8 | no trial data cached |
| Neuralgia | 36 | 5.8 4.2–8.1ROR 5.9 · χ² 140 / p 2e-32 | 5.5 EB05 4.1 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 6.8 · 76% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Full blood count decreased | 29 | 5.7 3.9–8.1ROR 5.7 · χ² 107 / p 3e-25 | 5.2 EB05 3.8 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 6.1 · 93% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Nerve compression | 13 | 5.6 3.2–9.6ROR 5.6 · χ² 44 / p 2e-11 | 4.7 EB05 2.9 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.2 | no trial data cached |
| Intervertebral disc degeneration | 13 | 5.5 3.2–9.5ROR 5.5 · χ² 43 / p 2e-11 | 4.7 EB05 2.9 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 6.0 | no trial data cached |
| Hair colour changes | 17 | 5.3 3.3–8.5ROR 5.3 · χ² 55 / p 5e-14 | 4.7 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=4 | no trial data cached |
| Ocular discomfort | 14 | 5.1 3.0–8.6ROR 5.1 · χ² 42 / p 5e-11 | 4.4 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=7 | no trial data cached |
| Musculoskeletal pain | 68 | 5.1 4.0–6.4ROR 5.1 · χ² 218 / p 1e-49 | 4.9 EB05 4.0 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 6.3 | no trial data cached |
| Poor quality sleep | 27 | 5.0 3.4–7.2ROR 5.0 · χ² 82 / p 9e-20 | 4.6 EB05 3.3 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 5.7 | no trial data cached |
| Myoclonus | 15 | 4.9 3.0–8.2ROR 5.0 · χ² 43 / p 2e-11 | 4.3 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.5 | no trial data cached |
| Serotonin syndrome | 24 | 4.9 3.3–7.4ROR 5.0 · χ² 71 / p 1e-17 | 4.5 EB05 3.2 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.6 · ♀ 13% (drug 71%) | no trial data cached |
| Eye infection | 14 | 4.9 2.9–8.3ROR 4.9 · χ² 40 / p 1e-10 | 4.3 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=12 | no trial data cached |
| Neuropathy peripheral (nerve damage in hands/feet) | 114 | 4.7 4.0–5.7ROR 4.8 · χ² 334 / p 6e-75 | 4.7 EB05 4.0 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.0 | no trial data cached |
| Limb discomfort | 37 | 4.7 3.4–6.5ROR 4.7 · χ² 104 / p 9e-25 | 4.5 EB05 3.4 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.6 | no trial data cached |
| Lymphocyte count decreased | 21 | 4.7 3.0–7.2ROR 4.7 · χ² 57 / p 2e-14 | 4.3 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 4.9 | no trial data cached |
| Muscle tightness | 19 | 4.6 2.9–7.2ROR 4.6 · χ² 50 / p 7e-13 | 4.2 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 3.7 | no trial data cached |
| Tooth disorder | 26 | 4.6 3.1–6.7ROR 4.6 · χ² 69 / p 5e-17 | 4.3 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.9 | no trial data cached |
| Musculoskeletal chest pain | 18 | 4.6 2.9–7.3ROR 4.6 · χ² 47 / p 4e-12 | 4.1 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.9 | no trial data cached |
| Scab | 13 | 4.5 2.6–7.8ROR 4.5 · χ² 32 / p 7e-9 | 3.9 EB05 2.5 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=6 | no trial data cached |
| Ear pain | 22 | 4.5 2.9–6.8ROR 4.5 · χ² 55 / p 5e-14 | 4.1 EB05 2.9 · IC025 +1.3 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.2 · 73% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Muscle twitching | 26 | 4.4 3.0–6.5ROR 4.4 · χ² 66 / p 3e-16 | 4.1 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 5.7 · 77% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Blood count abnormal | 17 | 4.3 2.7–7.0ROR 4.4 · χ² 41 / p 1e-10 | 3.9 EB05 2.6 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 5.3 | no trial data cached |
| Gastrointestinal pain | 12 | 4.3 2.4–7.6ROR 4.3 · χ² 27 / p 9e-8 | 3.8 EB05 2.3 · IC025 +0.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.9 | no trial data cached |
| Sciatica | 17 | 4.2 2.6–6.8ROR 4.2 · χ² 39 / p 3e-10 | 3.8 EB05 2.5 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.1 | no trial data cached |
| Burning sensation | 75 | 4.2 3.4–5.3ROR 4.3 · χ² 181 / p 2e-41 | 4.1 EB05 3.4 · IC025 +1.7 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 7.4 · 75% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Feeling jittery | 20 | 4.1 2.7–6.4ROR 4.1 · χ² 44 / p 2e-11 | 3.8 EB05 2.6 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious n=7 | no trial data cached |
| Blood potassium decreased | 31 | 4.1 2.9–5.8ROR 4.1 · χ² 68 / p 7e-17 | 3.8 EB05 2.8 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 3.9 | no trial data cached |
| Spinal pain | 12 | 4.0 2.3–7.1ROR 4.0 · χ² 24 / p 4e-7 | 3.6 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +0.9 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.0 | no trial data cached |
| Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) | 47 | 4.0 3.0–5.3ROR 4.0 · χ² 104 / p 1e-24 | 3.9 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.6 · 85% consumer | no trial data cached |
| White blood cell count decreased | 109 | 4.0 3.3–4.8ROR 4.0 · χ² 238 / p 5e-54 | 3.9 EB05 3.3 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 3.5 | no trial data cached |
| Intervertebral disc protrusion | 22 | 3.9 2.6–6.0ROR 4.0 · χ² 46 / p 8e-12 | 3.7 EB05 2.6 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.7 · 71% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Ageusia (loss of taste) | 25 | 3.9 2.7–5.8ROR 3.9 · χ² 52 / p 3e-13 | 3.7 EB05 2.6 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.7 | no trial data cached |
| Product dose omission | 66 | 3.9 3.1–5.0ROR 4.0 · χ² 141 / p 8e-33 | 3.8 EB05 3.1 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 4.9 | no trial data cached |
Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)
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) | 644 | 3.3 3.0–3.5ROR 3.6 · χ² 1,045 / p 2e-229 | 3.3 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 3.4 | no trial data cached |
| Diarrhoea (diarrhea) | 389 | 2.4 2.2–2.6ROR 2.5 · χ² 319 / p 1e-71 | 2.4 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.3 | no trial data cached |
| Pain | 349 | 2.2 2.0–2.5ROR 2.3 · χ² 243 / p 5e-55 | 2.2 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.5 | no trial data cached |
| Headache | 345 | 2.2 2.0–2.4ROR 2.2 · χ² 222 / p 2e-50 | 2.2 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +0.9 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.4 | no trial data cached |
| Arthralgia (joint pain) | 312 | 3.0 2.7–3.3ROR 3.1 · χ² 411 / p 1e-91 | 2.9 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.0 | no trial data cached |
| Dizziness | 261 | 2.1 1.8–2.3ROR 2.1 · χ² 145 / p 1e-33 | 2.1 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.8 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.3 · 71% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Pain in extremity | 229 | 3.1 2.7–3.5ROR 3.1 · χ² 318 / p 2e-71 | 3.0 EB05 2.7 · IC025 +1.4 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.0 | no trial data cached |
| Asthenia (weakness) | 228 | 2.4 2.1–2.7ROR 2.4 · χ² 185 / p 2e-42 | 2.4 EB05 2.1 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.4 | no trial data cached |
| Insomnia (trouble sleeping) | 218 | 3.2 2.8–3.7ROR 3.3 · χ² 334 / p 6e-75 | 3.2 EB05 2.9 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 3.5 · 74% consumer | no trial data cached |
| Rash | 190 | 1.7 1.5–2.0ROR 1.7 · χ² 58 / p 1e-14 | 1.7 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.5 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 1.8 | no trial data cached |
| Fall | 183 | 2.2 1.9–2.5ROR 2.2 · χ² 115 / p 4e-27 | 2.2 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.2 | no trial data cached |
| Gait disturbance | 170 | 3.5 3.0–4.0ROR 3.6 · χ² 301 / p 1e-67 | 3.5 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.5 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.0 | no trial data cached |
| Muscle spasms | 169 | 3.6 3.1–4.2ROR 3.7 · χ² 321 / p 5e-72 | 3.6 EB05 3.2 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 4.7 | no trial data cached |
| Pruritus (itching) | 167 | 1.7 1.5–2.0ROR 1.8 · χ² 52 / p 2e-13 | 1.7 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.5 | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 2.1 | no trial data cached |
| Back pain | 166 | 2.8 2.4–3.3ROR 2.9 · χ² 193 / p 3e-44 | 2.8 EB05 2.5 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | No label text to screen label has no adverse-reaction text | serious PRR 3.5 | 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 Turmeric?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Turmeric are fatigue, diarrhoea, pain, headache, arthralgia, 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 Turmeric have an FDA boxed warning?
No. The FDA label retrieved for Turmeric has no boxed warning; see the label's Warnings and Precautions for the recognised risks.
Do FAERS signals prove that Turmeric 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 523a1363-b9b1-6460-e063-6294a90a4306, effective 20260520; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"TURMERIC") - 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, 447 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.