Reported Reactions

Drugs › Antiarrhythmic

Brand name · Dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate

Nuedexta: adverse event reports filed with FDA

2,517 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2011–2026. Class: Antiarrhythmic.

2,517
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 166 a year
155
reports, 12 months to June 2026
204 in the 12 months before
26.1%
marked serious by the reporter
73.5% across the class
6.8%
record death among outcomes, as reported
170 reports · not verified by FDA

Between May 2011 and June 2026, 2,517 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Nuedexta (dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate) as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (1,115) are left out of every figure here.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 155 reports listed it, down 24% from 204 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 166 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 8.2% of the reports for the antiarrhythmic 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 product use in unapproved indication (7.5%), off label use (6.8%) and therapy interrupted (6.1%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 323 different terms appear across these reports. Product use in unapproved indication is recorded in 7.5% of these reports, a larger share than in the median antiarrhythmic drug (0.5%).

26.1% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (73.5% across the class); 6.8% record death among the outcomes and 8.3% record hospitalisation, as reported. 65.6% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (9.9%). 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

084167Jul 2021: 1Aug 2021: 2Sep 2021: 2Oct 2021: 6Nov 2021: 77Dec 2021: 12022Jan 2022: 0Feb 2022: 2Mar 2022: 2Apr 2022: 3May 2022: 3Jun 2022: 1Jul 2022: 1Aug 2022: 2Sep 2022: 3Oct 2022: 4Nov 2022: 42Dec 2022: 12023Jan 2023: 5Feb 2023: 6Mar 2023: 3Apr 2023: 3May 2023: 5Jun 2023: 0Jul 2023: 5Aug 2023: 4Sep 2023: 3Oct 2023: 6Nov 2023: 90Dec 2023: 62024Jan 2024: 7Feb 2024: 9Mar 2024: 2Apr 2024: 4May 2024: 2Jun 2024: 1Jul 2024: 0Aug 2024: 4Sep 2024: 4Oct 2024: 4Nov 2024: 167Dec 2024: 52025Jan 2025: 4Feb 2025: 3Mar 2025: 3Apr 2025: 4May 2025: 3Jun 2025: 3Jul 2025: 1Aug 2025: 1Sep 2025: 6Oct 2025: 1Nov 2025: 129Dec 2025: 12026Jan 2026: 1Feb 2026: 4Mar 2026: 2Apr 2026: 5May 2026: 1Jun 2026: 3

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

02434862011: 1320112012: 192013: 1520132014: 412015: 48620152016: 4012017: 25420172018: 2382019: 22620192020: 1322021: 10820212022: 642023: 13620232024: 2092025: 15920252026: 16

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Nuedexta reports recording the termmedian drug in antiarrhythmic

  1. Product use in unapproved indicationused for a purpose not on the label7.5%189
  2. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label6.8%171
  3. Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term5.1%129
  4. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected4.9%124
  5. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness4.8%121
  6. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools3.6%90
  7. Product use issuea problem in how the product was used3.2%81
  8. Dysphagiadifficulty swallowing3.1%78
  9. Falla fall3.1%77
  10. Somnolencedrowsiness3%75
  11. Cryingcrying2.7%67
  12. Nauseafeeling sick2.5%62
  13. Disease recurrencethe disease came back2.4%61
  14. Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse2.3%59
  15. Product dose omission issuea dose was missed2.3%59
  16. Aggressionaggressive behaviour2%51
  17. Agitationrestlessness2%51
  18. Fatiguetiredness1.9%48
  19. Seizurea fit or convulsion1.8%45
  20. Lethargysluggishness1.7%44
  21. Weight decreasedweight loss1.7%44
  22. Drug interactionan interaction between medicines1.7%42
  23. Wrong technique in product usage processthe product was used in the wrong way1.7%42
  24. Vomitingbeing sick1.5%39
  25. Confusional stateconfusion1.5%38
  26. Drug dose omissiona dose was missed1.5%38

Top 30 of 323 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 11 drugs in the antiarrhythmic 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

Death6.8%170
Life-threatening0.5%12
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)8.3%210
Disability0.5%12
Congenital anomaly0%0
Other serious15.2%382
Not serious73.9%1,859

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 30,807 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%0
2 to 110.3%8
12 to 170.6%16
18 to 445%125
45 to 649.9%250
65 to 745.3%134
75 and over7.7%193
Age not given71.2%1,791

Patient sex

Female47.6%1,199
Male26.9%676
Not given25.5%642

Who reported

Physician14.6%367
Pharmacist5%127
Other health professional13.8%348
Lawyer0%1
Consumer or non-health professional65.6%1,650
Not given1%24

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 99.6% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Affect lability90936.1%
Crying652.6%
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis411.6%
Dementia alzheimer's type281.1%
Dementia241%
Craniocerebral injury180.7%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 2,517 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Nuedexta reports
Seroquel562.2%
Depakote552.2%
Trazodone542.1%
Aspirin512%
Baclofen471.9%
Xanax461.8%
Lisinopril451.8%
Lorazepam451.8%
Ativan431.7%
Gabapentin421.7%

Other products listed in reports where Nuedexta 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

MeasureNuedextaAntiarrhythmicAll reports
Reports as suspect product2,51730,80720,646,523
Share of that pool—8.2%0%
Reports, latest 12 months155—1,332,454
Marked serious26.1%73.5%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports6810191
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports83339213
Consumer-filed share65.6%36.5%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsProduct use in unapproved indication 7.5%median 0.5%1.2%

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 antiarrhythmic class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Tikosynbrand6,1933057.5%
Multaqbrand5,77328970.9%
Amiodarone hydrochloridegeneric5,28638292.7%
Sotalolbrand3,16812791.9%
Dofetilidegeneric1,7283464.4%
Sotalol hydrochloridegeneric1,6415787.9%
Flecainide acetategeneric1,4477887.6%
Propafenonegeneric1,2665692.5%
Propafenone hydrochloridegeneric1,0711880.4%
Dronedaronegeneric7173392.6%

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 Nuedexta reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Nuedexta?

2,517 reports list Nuedexta as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 155 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 1,115 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Nuedexta reports?

product use in unapproved indication (7.5%), off label use (6.8%), therapy interrupted (6.1%), death (5.1%) and drug ineffective (4.9%). 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 Nuedexta was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

26.1% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 6.8% of reports include death and 8.3% 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 (65.6%), physician (14.6%) and other health professional (13.8%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Nuedexta rising?

155 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 24% from 204 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 Nuedexta 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 Nuedexta?

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 Nuedexta as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (1,115) 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.