Drugs › Estrogen Agonist/Antagonist
Generic name
Tamoxifen citrate: adverse event reports filed with FDA
3,064 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Estrogen Agonist/Antagonist. Also reported as Tamoxifen Citrate 10mg Tablets, Tamoxifen Citrate 20mg Tablets, Tamoxifen Citrate Tablets Usp.
- 3,064
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 136 a year
- 104
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 69 in the 12 months before
- 80%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 53.8% across the class
- 8%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 244 reports · not verified by FDA
Between January 2004 and June 2026, 3,064 adverse event reports received by FDA list tamoxifen citrate, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (2,685) are left out of every figure here.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 104 reports listed it, up 51% from 69 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 136 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 23.8% of the reports for the estrogen Agonist/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 malignant neoplasm progression (7.9%), fatigue (5.7%) and nausea (5.2%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 753 different terms appear across these reports. Malignant neoplasm progression is recorded in 7.9% of these reports, with no counterpart in the median estrogen Agonist/Antagonist drug (0%).
80% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (53.8% across the class); 8% record death among the outcomes and 23.8% record hospitalisation, as reported. 30.9% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (33.1%). 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
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 Tamoxifen citrate reports recording the termmedian drug in estrogen agonist/antagonist
- Fatiguetiredness5.7%175
- Nauseafeeling sick5.2%160
- Arthralgiajoint pain5%152
- Hot flusha hot flush4.8%146
- Disease progressionthe disease advanced4.6%141
- Metastases to bone4.4%135
- Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools4.2%129
- Breast cancerbreast cancer4%124
- Neoplasm progression3.6%109
- Breast cancer metastatic3.3%102
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected3.2%97
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath3.1%95
- Painpain, site not specified3%92
- Headachehead pain3%91
- Myalgiamuscle pain2.8%87
- Pulmonary embolisma blood clot in the lung2.7%84
- Insomniadifficulty sleeping2.7%83
- Vomitingbeing sick2.7%83
- Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness2.5%78
- Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet2.5%78
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.5%77
- Astheniaweakness or lack of energy2.3%72
- Drug interactionan interaction between medicines2.3%72
- Weight increasedweight gain2.3%72
- Back painback pain2.3%71
- Breast cancer recurrent2.3%71
- Pain in extremitypain in an arm or leg2.3%70
- Weight decreasedweight loss2.2%67
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell2.2%66
Top 30 of 753 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 3 drugs in the estrogen agonist/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
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 12,848 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. 39.2% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | 1,283 | 41.9% |
| Breast cancer metastatic | 159 | 5.2% |
| Breast cancer female | 118 | 3.9% |
| Invasive ductal breast carcinoma | 30 | 1% |
| Breast cancer in situ | 28 | 0.9% |
| Her2 positive breast cancer | 22 | 0.7% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 3,064 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Tamoxifen citrate reports |
|---|---|---|
| Letrozole | 335 | 10.9% |
| Cyclophosphamide | 327 | 10.7% |
| Docetaxel | 236 | 7.7% |
| Paclitaxel | 229 | 7.5% |
| Exemestane | 201 | 6.6% |
| Capecitabine | 184 | 6% |
| Fluorouracil | 178 | 5.8% |
| Anastrozole | 155 | 5.1% |
| Fulvestrant | 150 | 4.9% |
| Trastuzumab | 150 | 4.9% |
Other products listed in reports where Tamoxifen citrate 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 | Tamoxifen citrate | Estrogen Agonist/Antagonist | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 3,064 | 12,848 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 23.8% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 104 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 80% | 53.8% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 80 | 30 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 238 | 172 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 30.9% | 56.1% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Malignant neoplasm progression 7.9% | median 0% | 0.5% |
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 estrogen agonist/antagonist class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evista | brand | 7,458 | 11 | 55.2% |
| Osphena | brand | 2,326 | 5 | 14.7% |
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 Tamoxifen citrate reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Tamoxifen citrate?
3,064 reports list Tamoxifen citrate as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 104 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 2,685 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Tamoxifen citrate reports?
malignant neoplasm progression (7.9%), fatigue (5.7%), nausea (5.2%), arthralgia (5%) and hot flush (4.8%). 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 Tamoxifen citrate was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
80% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 8% of reports include death and 23.8% 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 (30.9%), physician (30.2%) and other health professional (23.6%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Tamoxifen citrate rising?
104 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, up 51% from 69 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 Tamoxifen citrate 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 Tamoxifen citrate?
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 Tamoxifen citrate as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (2,685) 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.