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Synagis Side Effects
You should seek medical attention if your child is using Synagis and he or she develops potentially serious reactions to the drug, such as bluish lips, fever, or unusual bruising. In most cases, however, children tolerate this medicine well and reactions tend to be minor and easy to treat. Some of the most commonly reported Synagis side effects include ear infections, a runny nose, and a hernia.
Just like any medicine, Synagis® (palivizumab) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who uses the medication will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If reactions do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are treated easily by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Synagis. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list with you.)
Synagis has been studied extensively in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occurred in a group of children given the drug were carefully documented and compared to those that occurred in a similar group of children given a placebo injection (an injection with no active ingredient). As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the placebo.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Synagis included but were not limited to:
- Upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold -- in up to 50.6 percent of people
- Ear infection -- up to 36.4 percent
- Fever -- up to 27.1 percent
- Runny or stuffy nose -- up to 26.8 percent
- Hernia (when tissues or part of an organ bulges through a weak area of muscle) -- up to 4.1 percent
- An increase in a certain liver enzyme -- up to 3.0 percent.
Other possible problems included:
- Injection site reactions, such as:
- Mild pain
- Redness
- Warmth
- Swelling
- Diarrhea
- Cough
- Vomiting
- The stomach flu
- Wheezing.
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH, BCPP
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD