From the FDA Drug Label
ADVERSE REACTIONS Infusion-Related Events During or soon after rapid infusion of vancomycin hydrochloride for injection, patients may develop anaphylactoid reactions, including hypotension, wheezing, dyspnea, urticaria, or pruritus. Rapid infusion may also cause flushing of the upper body ("red neck") or pain and muscle spasm of the chest and back These reactions usually resolve within 20 minutes but may persist for several hours. Such events are infrequent if vancomycin hydrochloride for injection is given by a slow infusion over 60 minutes. In studies of normal volunteers, infusion-related events did not occur when vancomycin hydrochloride for injection was administered at a rate of 10 mg/min or less Nephrotoxicity Systemic vancomycin exposure may result in acute kidney injury (AKI). The risk of AKI increases as systemic exposure/serum levels increase. Gastrointestinal Onset of pseudomembranous colitis symptoms may occur during or after antibiotic treatment Ototoxicity A few dozen cases of hearing loss associated with vancomycin have been reported Hematopoietic Reversible neutropenia, usually starting 1 week or more after onset of therapy with vancomycin or after a total dosage of more than 25 g, has been reported for several dozen patients Phlebitis Inflammation at the injection site has been reported Miscellaneous Patients have been reported to have had anaphylaxis, drug fever, nausea, chills, eosinophilia, rashes including exfoliative dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and vasculitis in association with the administration of vancomycin. Post Marketing Reports The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of vancomycin. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders Severe dermatologic reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), and linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD)
The side effects of Vancomycin include:
- Infusion-related events: anaphylactoid reactions, hypotension, wheezing, dyspnea, urticaria, pruritus, flushing, pain, and muscle spasm
- Nephrotoxicity: acute kidney injury (AKI)
- Gastrointestinal: pseudomembranous colitis
- Ototoxicity: hearing loss, vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus
- Hematopoietic: reversible neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis
- Phlebitis: inflammation at the injection site
- Miscellaneous: anaphylaxis, drug fever, nausea, chills, eosinophilia, rashes, exfoliative dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, vasculitis
- Severe dermatologic reactions: toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) 1