Generic name
Phenobarbital: adverse event reports filed with FDA
7,631 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Also reported as Phenobarbital Tab, Phenobarbital Tablets, Phenobarbital /00023202/.
- 7,631
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 339 a year
- 442
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 626 in the 12 months before
- 93%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 57.4% across all reports
- 16.2%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 1,240 reports · not verified by FDA
7,631 adverse event reports received by FDA list phenobarbital, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 9,786 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, 442 reports listed it, down 29% from 626 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 339 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database. 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 drug ineffective (23.3%), off label use (10.7%) and seizure (7.5%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 1,148 different terms appear across these reports. Drug ineffective is recorded in 23.3% of these reports, against 6.3% of all reports in the database.
93% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter; 16.2% record death among the outcomes and 39.9% record hospitalisation, as reported. 50.8% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (22.9%). 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
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
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Phenobarbital reports recording the termall reports in the database
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected23.3%1,777
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label10.7%817
- Seizurea fit or convulsion7.5%573
- Drug interactionan interaction between medicines7.3%557
- Toxicity to various agentspoisoning or toxic effect of one or more substances6.6%500
- Multiple-drug resistance5.4%409
- Status epilepticus4.7%361
- Hypotensionlow blood pressure3.9%294
- Completed suicidedeath by suicide3.8%287
- Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptomsDRESS, a severe reaction with rash, fever and organ involvement3.6%273
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse3.5%268
- Epilepsy3.5%268
- Foetal exposure during pregnancythe unborn baby was exposed to the medicine3.3%249
- Drug abusemisuse of a medicine3.2%246
- Overdosea dose above the recommended amount3.2%246
- Drug resistance3%228
- Product use in unapproved indicationused for a purpose not on the label2.9%225
- Convulsion2.8%210
- Product use issuea problem in how the product was used2.7%207
- Pyrexiafever2.6%202
- Somnolencedrowsiness2.5%191
- Sedationdrowsiness from a medicine2.4%185
- Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine2.3%178
- Coma2.3%175
- Treatment failurethe treatment did not work2.3%172
- Cognitive disorderproblems with thinking or memory2.2%168
- Falla fall2.2%165
- Respiratory depressionslow or shallow breathing2%155
- Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy1.9%146
Top 30 of 1,148 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 share of all reports in the database; 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 20,646,523 reports. 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. 37.5% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Epilepsy | 1,234 | 16.2% |
| Seizure | 1,008 | 13.2% |
| Status epilepticus | 595 | 7.8% |
| Partial seizures | 269 | 3.5% |
| Convulsion | 241 | 3.2% |
| Generalised tonic-clonic seizure | 145 | 1.9% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 7,631 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Phenobarbital reports |
|---|---|---|
| Levetiracetam | 3,011 | 39.5% |
| Phenytoin | 1,660 | 21.8% |
| Topiramate | 1,371 | 18% |
| Clobazam | 1,287 | 16.9% |
| Lacosamide | 1,260 | 16.5% |
| Midazolam | 1,256 | 16.5% |
| Valproic acid | 1,248 | 16.4% |
| Carbamazepine | 1,219 | 16% |
| Lamotrigine | 891 | 11.7% |
| Clonazepam | 878 | 11.5% |
Other products listed in reports where Phenobarbital 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
| Measure | Phenobarbital | All reports |
|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 7,631 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 442 | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 93% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 162 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 399 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 9.9% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Drug ineffective 23.3% | 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."
Questions about Phenobarbital reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Phenobarbital?
7,631 reports list Phenobarbital as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 442 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 9,786 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Phenobarbital reports?
drug ineffective (23.3%), off label use (10.7%), seizure (7.5%), drug interaction (7.3%) and toxicity to various agents (6.6%). 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 Phenobarbital was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
93% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 16.2% of reports include death and 39.9% 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?
other health professional (50.8%), physician (30.9%) and consumer or non-health professional (9.9%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Phenobarbital rising?
442 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 29% from 626 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 Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital?
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 Phenobarbital as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (9,786) 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.