Reported Reactions

Drugs › Cephalosporin antibacterial

Generic name

Cefdinir: adverse event reports filed with FDA

1,614 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Cephalosporin antibacterial. Also reported as Cefdinir 300mg, Cefdinir Oral Suspension, Cefdinir Capsules.

1,614
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 73 a year
83
reports, 12 months to June 2026
146 in the 12 months before
50.3%
marked serious by the reporter
89.1% across the class
3.2%
record death among outcomes, as reported
52 reports · not verified by FDA

Between April 2004 and June 2026, 1,614 adverse event reports received by FDA list cefdinir, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (6,012) are left out of every figure here.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 83 reports listed it, down 43% from 146 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 73 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 2.8% of the reports for the cephalosporin antibacterial class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

The MedDRA terms listed most often are diarrhoea (12.3%), drug hypersensitivity (10.5%) and rash (6.6%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 376 different terms appear across these reports. Diarrhoea is recorded in 12.3% of these reports, a larger share than in the median cephalosporin antibacterial drug (2.5%).

50.3% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (89.1% across the class); 3.2% record death among the outcomes and 21.9% record hospitalisation, as reported. 41.8% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (14.3%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

01836Jul 2021: 2Aug 2021: 6Sep 2021: 8Oct 2021: 5Nov 2021: 3Dec 2021: 52022Jan 2022: 9Feb 2022: 15Mar 2022: 10Apr 2022: 6May 2022: 8Jun 2022: 11Jul 2022: 3Aug 2022: 12Sep 2022: 9Oct 2022: 4Nov 2022: 3Dec 2022: 112023Jan 2023: 10Feb 2023: 19Mar 2023: 8Apr 2023: 9May 2023: 8Jun 2023: 14Jul 2023: 7Aug 2023: 1Sep 2023: 3Oct 2023: 5Nov 2023: 6Dec 2023: 122024Jan 2024: 30Feb 2024: 11Mar 2024: 17Apr 2024: 10May 2024: 10Jun 2024: 36Jul 2024: 13Aug 2024: 13Sep 2024: 7Oct 2024: 13Nov 2024: 12Dec 2024: 102025Jan 2025: 23Feb 2025: 13Mar 2025: 5Apr 2025: 17May 2025: 15Jun 2025: 5Jul 2025: 7Aug 2025: 10Sep 2025: 7Oct 2025: 4Nov 2025: 4Dec 2025: 82026Jan 2026: 6Feb 2026: 15Mar 2026: 7Apr 2026: 9May 2026: 4Jun 2026: 2

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

0911822004: 220042005: 102006: 32007: 1520072008: 722009: 652010: 6220102011: 722012: 442013: 3720132014: 512015: 742016: 6220162017: 932018: 1102019: 12420192020: 1042021: 682022: 10120222023: 1022024: 1822025: 11820252026: 43

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Cefdinir reports recording the termmedian drug in cephalosporin antibacterial

  1. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools12.3%198
  2. Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine10.5%170
  3. Rashskin rash6.6%107
  4. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected6.1%98
  5. Urticariahives5.9%95
  6. No adverse eventno adverse event was reported5.8%93
  7. Product storage errorthe product was stored wrongly5.6%90
  8. Nauseafeeling sick5%80
  9. Vomitingbeing sick5%80
  10. Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction3.5%57
  11. Headachehead pain3.4%55
  12. Pruritusitching3.4%55
  13. Pyrexiafever3%49
  14. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness2.7%44
  15. Fatiguetiredness2.7%44
  16. Painpain, site not specified2.5%41
  17. Dyspnoeashortness of breath2.5%40
  18. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.4%38
  19. Arthralgiajoint pain2%32
  20. Astheniaweakness or lack of energy1.9%30
  21. Abdominal discomfortstomach discomfort1.8%29
  22. Abdominal pain upperupper stomach pain1.8%29
  23. Coughcough1.7%28
  24. Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell1.7%27
  25. Abdominal painstomach or belly pain1.6%26
  26. Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse1.6%26
  27. Insomniadifficulty sleeping1.6%26
  28. Urinary tract infectionbladder or urinary infection1.6%26

Top 30 of 376 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 17 drugs in the cephalosporin antibacterial class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Death3.2%52
Life-threatening5.5%88
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)21.9%354
Disability3%49
Congenital anomaly0.3%5
Other serious31.5%509
Not serious49.7%802

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 57,006 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 25.6%91
2 to 1113.2%213
12 to 173.9%63
18 to 4411.1%179
45 to 6414.3%231
65 to 747.4%120
75 and over6.4%104
Age not given38%613

Patient sex

Female52.2%842
Male31.4%507
Not given16.4%265

Who reported

Physician17.7%286
Pharmacist12.3%198
Other health professional19.2%310
Lawyer0%0
Consumer or non-health professional41.8%675
Not given9%145

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 87.7% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Sinusitis1207.4%
Ear infection1177.2%
Urinary tract infection583.6%
Bronchitis352.2%
Infection211.3%
Upper respiratory tract infection211.3%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,614 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Cefdinir reports
Prednisone563.5%
Amoxicillin543.3%
Azithromycin533.3%
Ceftriaxone523.2%
Ciprofloxacin412.5%
Levofloxacin412.5%
Acetaminophen382.4%
Aspirin382.4%
Ibuprofen372.3%
Doxycycline291.8%

Other products listed in reports where Cefdinir is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

MeasureCefdinirCephalosporin antibacterialAll reports
Reports as suspect product1,61457,00620,646,523
Share of that pool—2.8%0%
Reports, latest 12 months83—1,332,454
Marked serious50.3%89.1%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports3213391
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports219454213
Consumer-filed share41.8%11.7%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsDiarrhoea 12.3%median 2.5%3.1%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the cephalosporin antibacterial class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Ceftriaxonegeneric17,1551,29493.7%
Cephalexingeneric5,64747270.6%
Cefepimegeneric5,41950595%
Cefuroximegeneric5,07829393.9%
Cefazolingeneric4,19329392%
Ceftriaxone sodiumgeneric3,77931193.3%
Ceftazidimegeneric3,31624196.7%
Cefotaximegeneric2,21010498.1%
Cefuroxime axetilgeneric2,10017275.7%
Cefazolin sodiumgeneric1,33119195.5%
Cefepime hydrochloridegeneric1,0215186.6%
Cefiximegeneric9338689.8%
Zerbaxabrand8911866.1%
Cefuroxime sodiumgeneric8655197.3%
Cefaclorgeneric7293878.9%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Cefdinir reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Cefdinir?

1,614 reports list Cefdinir as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 83 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 6,012 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Cefdinir reports?

diarrhoea (12.3%), drug hypersensitivity (10.5%), rash (6.6%), drug ineffective (6.1%) and urticaria (5.9%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Cefdinir was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

50.3% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 3.2% of reports include death and 21.9% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

consumer or non-health professional (41.8%), other health professional (19.2%) and physician (17.7%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Cefdinir rising?

83 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 43% from 146 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Cefdinir was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Cefdinir?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Cefdinir as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (6,012) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.