Eltrombopag Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 20, 2025.

Applies to eltrombopag: oral powder for suspension, oral tablet.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests will be needed while you are using this medicine.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant during treatment with this medicine and for at least 7 days after the last dose. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Eltrombopag may cause or increase the risk for serious liver problems. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child start having nausea or vomiting, dark urine, light-colored stools, right upper stomach pain, unusual tiredness, or yellow eyes or skin while using this medicine.

Blood clotting problems may occur while you or your child are using this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain, swelling, or tenderness in your leg, or pain in your chest.

Do not stop using this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Your doctor will check your platelet levels and progress before you stop using the medicine.

This medicine may cause cataracts or make them worse. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have blurred vision, difficulty in reading, or any other change in vision while using this medicine. Your doctor may want your eyes be checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Serious side effects of eltrombopag

Along with its needed effects, eltrombopag may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking eltrombopag:

Other side effects of eltrombopag

Some side effects of eltrombopag may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to eltrombopag: oral powder for reconstitution, oral tablet.

General adverse events

The most common side effects reported in ITP patients have included nausea, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, increased ALT, myalgia, urinary tract infection, oropharyngeal pain, increased AST, pharyngitis, back pain, influenza, paresthesia, and rash.

The most common side effects reported in thrombocytopenic patients with chronic hepatitis C have included anemia, pyrexia, fatigue, headache, nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, influenza-like illness, asthenia, insomnia, cough, pruritus, chills, myalgia, alopecia, and peripheral edema.^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Deep vein thrombosis, edema, palpitations, prolonged QT interval on ECG, thrombotic/thromboembolic events
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disorder, chest pain, cyanosis, embolism, flushing, hematoma, hot flush, hypertension, sinus tachycardia, superficial thrombophlebitis, tachycardia^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Very common (10% or more): Total bilirubin greater than or equal to 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) (76%), ALT or AST greater than 3 x ULN with total bilirubin greater than 1.5 x ULN (44%), ALT or AST greater than 3 x ULN with total bilirubin greater than 2 x ULN (33%), ALT increased (32%), ALT common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) grade 3 increase (26%), AST increased (20%), blood bilirubin increased (20%), AST CTCAE grade 3 increase (15%), bilirubin CTCAE grade 3 increase (12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal hepatic function, ascites, hepatic failure, hyperbilirubinemia, increased blood alkaline phosphatase, jaundice, portal vein thrombosis, drug-induced liver injury, CTCAE grade 4 increase, AST CTCAE grade 4 increase, bilirubin CTCAE grade 4 increase
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Cholestasis, hepatic lesion, hepatitis^[Ref]

In clinical trials, hepatic decompensation (ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal hemorrhage, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) was reported more commonly in chronic HCV patients with cirrhosis treated with eltrombopag compared to placebo.^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Very common (10% or more): Anemia
• Common (1% to 10%): Decreased hemoglobin, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, hemolytic anemia, increased INR, lymphopenia, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Anisocytosis, eosinophilia, increased hemoglobin, increased band neutrophil count, increased platelet cell counts, leukocytosis, myelocytosis, presence of myelocytes, thrombocytopenia
• Frequency not reported: Thrombotic microangiopathy^[Ref]

In clinical studies, hemorrhage was the most common serious adverse reaction and most hemorrhagic reactions followed discontinuation of eltrombopag.^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Diarrhea, nausea
• Common (1% to 10%): Abdominal discomfort, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, aphthous stomatitis, constipation, dry mouth, dyspepsia, dysgeusia, esophageal varices hemorrhage, esophageal varices, gastritis, gastroenteritis,stomatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hemorrhoids, toothache, upper abdominal pain, vomiting
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Abdominal tenderness, discolored feces, flatulence, food poisoning, frequent bowel movements, gingival bleeding, glossodynia, hematemesis, hemorrhoids, mouth hemorrhage, oral discomfort^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Very common (10% or more): Pruritus, rash, alopecia
• Common (1% to 10%): Dry skin, eczema, erythema, generalized pruritus, hyperhidrosis, night sweats, pruritic rash, skin lesion, skin discoloration including hyperpigmentation
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Cold sweat, contusion, dermatosis, ecchymosis, inflammation of wound, melanosis, petechia, pigmentation disorder, skin exfoliation, swelling face, sunburn, urticaria^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Urinary tract infection
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dysuria, leukocyturia, nocturia, proteinuria^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypersensitivity^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Very common (10% or more): Influenza-like illness
• Common (1% to 10%): Influenza, oral herpes^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Very common (10% or more): Decreased appetite
• Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal loss of weight, decreased blood albumin, hyperglycemia, increased blood glucose
• Uncommon (0.1% to 10%): Gout, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, increased appetite, increased blood albumin, increased blood uric acid, increased total protein, increased weight^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Very common (10% or more): Pain in extremity, myalgia, muscle spasm, arthralgia
• Common (1% to 10%): Back pain, bone pain, musculoskeletal pain
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Muscular weakness, sensation of heaviness^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Headache, dizziness
• Common (1% to 10%): Hepatic encephalopathy, lethargy, memory impairment, paresthesia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Balance disorder, cerebral infarction, dysesthesia, hemiparesis, hypoesthesia, migraine, migraine with aura, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral sensory neuropathy, somnolence, speech disorder, toxic neuropathy, tremor, vascular headache^[Ref]

Ocular

• Very common (10% or more): Cataract developed or worsened (up to 11%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Dry eye, ocular icterus, retinal exudates, retinal hemorrhage
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Abnormal visual acuity tests, astigmatism, blepharitis, blurred vision, conjunctival hemorrhage, cortical cataract, eye pain, increased lacrimation, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, lenticular opacities, retinal hemorrhage, retinal pigment epitheliopathy, reduced visual acuity, visual impairment,^[Ref]

Oncologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Malignant hepatic neoplasm
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Rectosigmoid cancer^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Insomnia
• Common (1% to 10%): Agitation, anxiety, confusional state, depression, disturbance in attention, sleep disorder
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Altered mood, apathy, tearfulness^[Ref]

Renal

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increased blood creatinine, increased blood urea, increased urine pH, increased urine protein/creatinine ratio, lupus nephritis, renal failure^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Very common (10% or more): Cough (up to 23%), upper respiratory tract infection (up to 17%), nasopharyngitis (up to 12%), rhinorrhea (up to 12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Bronchitis, dyspnea, exertional dyspnea, oropharyngeal pain, pharyngitis, productive cough, pulmonary embolism, upper respiratory tract infection, rhinitis, oropharyngeal pain
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Epistaxis, nasal discomfort, oropharyngeal blistering, pneumonia, pulmonary infarction, sinusitis, sinus disorder, sleep apnea syndrome, tonsillitis^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Asthenia, chills, fatigue, pyrexia, peripheral edema, clonal cytogenetic evolution, new cytogenetic abnormality, complex changes in chromosome 7
• Common (1% to 10%): Chest discomfort, irritability, malaise, non-cardiac chest pain, pain, loss of chromosome 7, chromosomal aberrations, deletion of chromosome 13
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Ear pain, feeling hot, feeling jittery, ill-defined disorder, mucosal inflammation, pyrexia, sensation of foreign body, vertigo, vessel puncture site hemorrhage, features of dysplasia with hypercellularity concerning for potential development of myelodysplastic syndrome^[Ref]

Local

• Common (1% to 10%): Injection site rash/pruritus, injection site reaction^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Eltrombopag side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

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