Vancomycin
63,525 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA (1999–2026)
Top Reported Adverse Events
The most frequently reported events in association with Vancomycin in the FAERS database. These are events reported by patients taking this medication, not necessarily caused by it. A single report may include multiple events.
Show these terms with plain-language definitions
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Drug Ineffective 7,082 reports
A report that the medication did not work as expected for the person taking it. This is a reporting category, not a sign the drug is defective. It simply means someone felt it was not helping their condition.
Full definition in the glossary →Acute Kidney Injury 4,716 reports
A sudden drop in how well the kidneys are working. It is often temporary and can have many causes.
Full definition in the glossary →Off Label Use 4,513 reports
Using a medication for a condition or in a way that the FDA has not officially approved. This is common and often legal, and a report of it does not mean something went wrong. Doctors sometimes prescribe drugs off label based on their judgment.
Full definition in the glossary →Pyrexia 3,952 reports
The medical term for fever, meaning a raised body temperature.
Full definition in the glossary → See all drugs reporting this event →Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms 2,637 reports
A rare but serious reaction to a medication, sometimes called DRESS, involving rash, fever, and effects on internal organs.
Full definition in the glossary →Renal Failure 2,398 reports
A serious decline in kidney function, where the kidneys can no longer filter waste properly.
Full definition in the glossary →Sepsis 2,323 reports
A serious, body-wide response to an infection that can become life threatening and needs urgent care.
Full definition in the glossary →Diarrhoea 2,311 reports
Loose or watery bowel movements, often frequent. Also spelled diarrhea in American English.
Full definition in the glossary → See all drugs reporting this event →Pneumonia 2,168 reports
An infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs, which can cause cough, fever, and difficulty breathing.
Full definition in the glossary →Rash 2,134 reports
An area of irritated, red, or bumpy skin.
Full definition in the glossary → See all drugs reporting this event →Condition Aggravated 2,114 reports
A report that the person's existing health condition got worse. This describes a worsening of something the person already had, not necessarily a new problem caused by the drug.
Full definition in the glossary →Hypotension 2,108 reports
Dyspnoea 1,808 reports
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Also spelled dyspnea in American English.
Full definition in the glossary → See all drugs reporting this event →Septic Shock 1,762 reports
A life-threatening drop in blood pressure caused by a severe infection. It needs urgent medical care.
Full definition in the glossary →Nausea 1,729 reports
The feeling of sickness in your stomach that often comes before vomiting.
Full definition in the glossary → See all drugs reporting this event →
Ranked by frequency of reports, not severity. The most-reported event is not necessarily the most dangerous or the most common in patients taking this drug.
Who Is Reporting
Demographics of patients in FAERS reports that included this information. Not all reports include patient demographics.
By Sex
View reporter sex data as a table
| Sex | Reports |
|---|---|
| Male | 30,837 |
| Female | 25,992 |
| Unknown | 338 |
By Age Group
View age group data as a table
| Age group | Reports |
|---|---|
| 0-17 | 6,411 |
| 18-34 | 5,727 |
| 35-49 | 7,548 |
| 50-64 | 14,002 |
| 65-74 | 9,898 |
| 75+ | 7,265 |
This shows who filed reports, reflecting who takes this drug and who tends to report, not who is at greatest risk.
Reported Outcomes
Outcomes recorded in FAERS reports that included Vancomycin. A single report may involve multiple reactions, each with a different outcome. These categories are defined by FDA reporting guidelines, not by PillSignal.
View outcome data as a table
| Outcome | Reports |
|---|---|
| Other Serious | 35,908 |
| Hospitalization | 33,739 |
| Death | 12,572 |
| Life-Threatening | 9,086 |
| Non-Serious | 4,989 |
| Disability | 1,370 |
Serious outcomes are far more likely to be reported than mild ones, so this overstates how often outcomes are serious. A recorded death does not mean the drug caused it.
Report Volume Over Time
Number of FAERS reports received per quarter for Vancomycin. Changes in volume may reflect shifts in prescribing rates, media attention, or reporting behavior, not changes in the medication's safety profile.
View report trend as a table
| Year | Reports |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 859 |
| 2005 | 913 |
| 2006 | 1,010 |
| 2007 | 869 |
| 2008 | 1,115 |
| 2009 | 1,029 |
| 2010 | 1,332 |
| 2011 | 1,904 |
| 2012 | 1,898 |
| 2013 | 1,859 |
| 2014 | 1,939 |
| 2015 | 2,456 |
| 2016 | 2,759 |
| 2017 | 3,352 |
| 2018 | 4,560 |
| 2019 | 4,399 |
| 2020 | 5,226 |
| 2021 | 5,111 |
| 2022 | 4,839 |
| 2023 | 4,911 |
| 2024 | 5,144 |
| 2025 | 4,979 |
| 2026 (partial) | 1,057 |
The steep increase around 2004 reflects the FDA's move to electronic submission, not a change in this drug's safety. Trends track reporting volume, not risk.
Medications commonly reported with Vancomycin
In FDA adverse event reports that mention Vancomycin, these medications appeared most often in the same report.
- Meropenem (10,025 reports)
- Furosemide (7,170 reports)
- Metronidazole (6,955 reports)
- Piperacillin Tazobactam (6,831 reports)
- Ceftriaxone (6,595 reports)
This reflects co-occurrence in submitted reports, not evidence of drug interaction or combined risk. People often report several medications taken for the same condition or for unrelated reasons. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your specific medications.
Related Drugs
Other medications with similar adverse event profiles in FDA FAERS reports.
Data Source
This data is sourced from the FDA's Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS), formerly FAERS, via the OpenFDA API. PillSignal is not affiliated with the FDA.
View this data on the FDA website →Data last updated: June 2026