Drugs › Fluoroquinolone antibacterial
Generic name
Ciprofloxacin hcl: adverse event reports filed with FDA
2,025 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2022. Class: Fluoroquinolone antibacterial.
- 2,025
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 90 a year
- 0
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 0 in the 12 months before
- 81.7%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 89.7% across the class
- 8.7%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 176 reports · not verified by FDA
2,025 adverse event reports received by FDA list ciprofloxacin hcl, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to August 2022. A further 2,786 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 0 reports listed it, and none 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 90 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 2.3% of the reports for the fluoroquinolone antibacterial class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are arthralgia (10.8%), pain in extremity (8.7%) and drug hypersensitivity (6%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 545 different terms appear across these reports. Arthralgia is recorded in 10.8% of these reports, a larger share than in the median fluoroquinolone antibacterial drug (7%).
81.7% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (89.7% across the class); 8.7% record death among the outcomes and 33% record hospitalisation, as reported. 34% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (25%). 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
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
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Ciprofloxacin hcl reports recording the termmedian drug in fluoroquinolone antibacterial
- Arthralgiajoint pain10.8%219
- Pain in extremitypain in an arm or leg8.7%177
- Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine6%122
- Nauseafeeling sick5.4%110
- Paraesthesiatingling or pins and needles5%101
- Painpain, site not specified4.9%99
- Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness4.8%98
- Insomniadifficulty sleeping4.8%98
- Tendonitisinflammation of a tendon4.8%98
- Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools4.8%97
- Drug interactionan interaction between medicines4.6%93
- Rashskin rash4.5%91
- Myalgiamuscle pain4.4%89
- Tendon pain4.3%87
- Headachehead pain4.2%85
- Fatiguetiredness4.1%83
- Gait disturbancedifficulty walking4.1%83
- Hypoaesthesianumbness3.9%79
- Pyrexiafever3.9%79
- Anxietyanxiety3.9%78
- Astheniaweakness or lack of energy3.7%75
- Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet3.3%67
- Vomitingbeing sick3.3%66
- Muscular weaknessmuscle weakness3.1%62
- Tendon rupturea torn tendon3%61
- Feeling abnormalfeeling odd or not right2.7%55
- Musculoskeletal painpain in muscles or bones2.7%55
- Confusional stateconfusion2.7%54
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell2.7%54
Top 30 of 545 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 7 drugs in the fluoroquinolone 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
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 88,718 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
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 51.8% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Urinary tract infection | 329 | 16.2% |
| Infection | 62 | 3.1% |
| Cystitis | 60 | 3% |
| Prostatitis | 41 | 2% |
| Diverticulitis | 25 | 1.2% |
| Antibiotic prophylaxis | 24 | 1.2% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 2,025 reports.
In context
| Measure | Ciprofloxacin hcl | Fluoroquinolone antibacterial | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 2,025 | 88,718 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 2.3% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 0 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 81.7% | 89.7% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 87 | 92 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 330 | 384 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 34% | 23% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Arthralgia 10.8% | median 7% | 2% |
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 fluoroquinolone antibacterial class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciprofloxacin | generic | 39,570 | 2,405 | 88.2% |
| Levofloxacin | generic | 30,690 | 1,912 | 91.1% |
| Moxifloxacin | generic | 8,863 | 918 | 91.4% |
| Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride | generic | 3,653 | 375 | 94.2% |
| Moxifloxacin hydrochloride | generic | 3,116 | 542 | 96.7% |
| Vigamox | brand | 801 | 37 | 70.7% |
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 Ciprofloxacin hcl reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Ciprofloxacin hcl?
2,025 reports list Ciprofloxacin hcl as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 0 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 2,786 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Ciprofloxacin hcl reports?
arthralgia (10.8%), pain in extremity (8.7%), drug hypersensitivity (6%), nausea (5.4%) and paraesthesia (5%). 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 Ciprofloxacin hcl was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
81.7% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 8.7% of reports include death and 33% 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 (34%), other health professional (25.6%) and physician (19%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Ciprofloxacin hcl rising?
0 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, and none 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 Ciprofloxacin hcl 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 Ciprofloxacin hcl?
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 Ciprofloxacin hcl as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (2,786) 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.