Reported Reactions

Drugs › Histamine-1 receptor antagonist

Generic name

Fexofenadine hydrochloride: adverse event reports filed with FDA

1,499 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Histamine-1 receptor antagonist. Also reported as Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Tablets, Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Tablets Usp, Fexofenadine Hcl Tablets Usp.

1,499
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 68 a year
208
reports, 12 months to June 2026
165 in the 12 months before
49.4%
marked serious by the reporter
57.7% across the class
1.3%
record death among outcomes, as reported
19 reports · not verified by FDA

1,499 adverse event reports received by FDA list fexofenadine hydrochloride, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from May 2004 to June 2026. A further 4,657 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, 208 reports listed it, up 26% from 165 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 68 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 1.1% of the reports for the histamine-1 receptor antagonist class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

Reporters most often recorded drug ineffective (16.9%), pruritus (5.9%) and dizziness (5.3%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 342 different terms appear across these reports. Drug ineffective is recorded in 16.9% of these reports, about the same share as in the median histamine-1 receptor antagonist drug (15.9%).

49.4% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (57.7% across the class); 1.3% record death among the outcomes and 10.2% record hospitalisation, as reported. 68.6% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (21.1%). 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

03264Jul 2021: 27Aug 2021: 8Sep 2021: 10Oct 2021: 21Nov 2021: 10Dec 2021: 132022Jan 2022: 6Feb 2022: 4Mar 2022: 10Apr 2022: 15May 2022: 10Jun 2022: 17Jul 2022: 6Aug 2022: 4Sep 2022: 12Oct 2022: 4Nov 2022: 6Dec 2022: 222023Jan 2023: 4Feb 2023: 4Mar 2023: 19Apr 2023: 16May 2023: 15Jun 2023: 12Jul 2023: 9Aug 2023: 16Sep 2023: 16Oct 2023: 14Nov 2023: 16Dec 2023: 252024Jan 2024: 10Feb 2024: 14Mar 2024: 36Apr 2024: 8May 2024: 13Jun 2024: 2Jul 2024: 8Aug 2024: 4Sep 2024: 15Oct 2024: 10Nov 2024: 7Dec 2024: 62025Jan 2025: 9Feb 2025: 6Mar 2025: 7Apr 2025: 53May 2025: 21Jun 2025: 19Jul 2025: 28Aug 2025: 16Sep 2025: 10Oct 2025: 10Nov 2025: 20Dec 2025: 72026Jan 2026: 5Feb 2026: 10Mar 2026: 64Apr 2026: 11May 2026: 14Jun 2026: 13

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

01032062004: 520042005: 32006: 22007: 420072008: 32009: 52010: 320102011: 102012: 292013: 3520132014: 642015: 362016: 6220162017: 452018: 832019: 10420192020: 932021: 1752022: 11620222023: 1662024: 1332025: 20620252026: 117

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Fexofenadine hydrochloride reports recording the termmedian drug in histamine-1 receptor antagonist

  1. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected16.9%254
  2. Pruritusitching5.9%89
  3. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness5.3%80
  4. Headachehead pain5.2%78
  5. Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse4.3%65
  6. Insomniadifficulty sleeping4.1%61
  7. Nauseafeeling sick3.3%50
  8. Fatiguetiredness3.3%49
  9. Vomitingbeing sick3.2%48
  10. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label3%45
  11. Somnolencedrowsiness3%45
  12. Dyspnoeashortness of breath2.7%41
  13. Anxietyanxiety2.7%40
  14. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools2.6%39
  15. Urticariahives2.6%39
  16. Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction2.4%36
  17. Rashskin rash2.4%36
  18. Palpitationsawareness of the heartbeat2%30
  19. Incorrect dose administeredthe wrong dose was given1.9%29
  20. Feeling abnormalfeeling odd or not right1.9%28
  21. Angioedemadeep swelling of skin or mucous membranes1.7%26
  22. Abdominal pain upperupper stomach pain1.7%25
  23. Constipationconstipation1.7%25
  24. Wrong technique in product usage processthe product was used in the wrong way1.7%25
  25. No adverse eventno adverse event was reported1.6%24
  26. Rhinorrhoeaa runny nose1.6%24
  27. Drug interactionan interaction between medicines1.4%21
  28. Inappropriate schedule of product administrationthe product was taken at the wrong times1.4%21

Top 30 of 342 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 34 drugs in the histamine-1 receptor antagonist 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

Death1.3%19
Life-threatening2%30
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)10.2%153
Disability3.7%55
Congenital anomaly0.5%8
Other serious41.4%621
Not serious50.6%759

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 135,666 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 20.4%6
2 to 114.7%71
12 to 172.7%40
18 to 4421.1%316
45 to 6413.2%198
65 to 748.6%129
75 and over8.5%128
Age not given40.8%611

Patient sex

Female54.4%815
Male28.2%422
Not given17.5%262

Who reported

Physician13.7%206
Pharmacist5%75
Other health professional11.5%172
Lawyer0%0
Consumer or non-health professional68.6%1,028
Not given1.2%18

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 55.4% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Hypersensitivity19613.1%
Seasonal allergy1308.7%
Urticaria493.3%
Pruritus281.9%
Rhinitis allergic281.9%
Chronic spontaneous urticaria201.3%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,499 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Fexofenadine hydrochloride reports
Cetirizine hydrochloride453%
Ranitidine412.7%
Acetaminophen372.5%
Ibuprofen362.4%
Prednisolone352.3%
Omeprazole332.2%
Cetirizine322.1%
Pregabalin271.8%
Hydroxyzine261.7%
Loratadine261.7%

Other products listed in reports where Fexofenadine hydrochloride 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

MeasureFexofenadine hydrochlorideHistamine-1 receptor antagonistAll reports
Reports as suspect product1,499135,66620,646,523
Share of that pool—1.1%0%
Reports, latest 12 months208—1,332,454
Marked serious49.4%57.7%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports1319091
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports102203213
Consumer-filed share68.6%50.8%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsDrug ineffective 16.9%median 15.9%6.3%

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 histamine-1 receptor antagonist class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Zyrtecbrand20,34292916.7%
Cetirizine hydrochloridegeneric19,0922,04377.5%
Diphenhydraminegeneric15,3391,15796%
Cetirizinegeneric12,5221,54891.7%
Benadrylbrand9,61243266.6%
Allegra Allergybrand7,8683043.6%
Diphenhydramine hydrochloridegeneric5,55653894.6%
Xyzal Allergy 24HRbrand5,3021473.3%
Cetirizine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine hydrochloridegeneric4,91490999.3%
Xyzalbrand3,82418144.6%
Fexofenadinegeneric3,14233562.5%
Diphenhydramine hclgeneric2,741091%
Desloratadinegeneric2,69919093.6%
Azelastine hydrochloridegeneric2,5021515.7%
Aleve PMbrand1,877136.4%

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 Fexofenadine hydrochloride reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Fexofenadine hydrochloride?

1,499 reports list Fexofenadine hydrochloride as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 208 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 4,657 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Fexofenadine hydrochloride reports?

drug ineffective (16.9%), pruritus (5.9%), dizziness (5.3%), headache (5.2%) and condition aggravated (4.3%). 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 Fexofenadine hydrochloride was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

49.4% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 1.3% of reports include death and 10.2% 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 (68.6%), physician (13.7%) and other health professional (11.5%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Fexofenadine hydrochloride rising?

208 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, up 26% from 165 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 Fexofenadine hydrochloride 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 Fexofenadine hydrochloride?

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 Fexofenadine hydrochloride as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (4,657) 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.