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This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Calcium Acetate (calcium)

Last updated: June 18, 2026
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Calcium Acetate is the brand name for calcium. According to the FDA-approved label, Calcium acetate is a phosphate binder indicated to reduce serum phosphorus in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Calcium acetate is a phosphate binder indicated for the reduction of serum phosphorus in patients with end stage renal disease. ( 1 ). FAERS contains 145,400 submissions naming this drug from 1997 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are fatigue, off label use, and nausea.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Calcium Acetate. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

FATIGUE 14,302 (9.8%) OFF LABEL USE 12,309 (8.5%) NAUSEA 10,745 (7.4%) DRUG INEFFECTIVE 10,516 (7.2%) PAIN 10,220 (7.0%) DIARRHOEA 10,113 (7.0%) ARTHRALGIA 9,752 (6.7%) HEADACHE 9,128 (6.3%) DYSPNOEA 7,800 (5.4%) DIZZINESS 7,770 (5.3%) ASTHENIA 7,060 (4.9%) PAIN IN EXTREMITY 6,925 (4.8%) FALL 6,569 (4.5%) VOMITING 6,479 (4.5%) MALAISE 6,239 (4.3%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Calcium Acetate. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 145,400 FAERS submissions that named Calcium Acetate. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 10,083 (6.9%) HOSPITALIZATION 39,813 (27.4%) LIFE-THREATENING 5,378 (3.7%) DISABLING 5,828 (4.0%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Calcium Acetate. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

1997 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Calcium Acetate. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Calcium acetate is a phosphate binder indicated to reduce serum phosphorus in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Calcium acetate is a phosphate binder indicated for the reduction of serum phosphorus in patients with end stage renal disease. ( 1 )

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Hypercalcemia is discussed elsewhere [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. The most common (>10%) adverse reactions are hypercalcemia, nausea and vomiting. ( 6.1 ) In clinical studies, patients have occasionally experienced nausea during calcium acetate therapy. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Cipla Ltd. at 1-866-604-3268 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In clinical studies, calcium acetate has been generally well tolerated. Calcium acetate was studied in a 3-month, open-label, non-randomized study of 98 enrolled ESRD hemodialysis patients and an alternate liquid formulation of calcium acetate was studied in a two week double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study with 69 enrolled ESRD hemodialysis patients. Adverse reactions (>2% on treatment) from these trials are presented in Table 1. (continues in label)

FDA label effective date: 2021-06-01

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.