Iopamidol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Iopamidol is a radiographic contrast agent sold in the U.S. under 11 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Radiographic Contrast Agent
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 11 products — Iopamidol-200, Iopamidol-250 and Iopamidol-300, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How iopamidol is dosed
From the FDA label for Isovue-128 (application NDA018735). Other iopamidol products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Individualize the volume and concentration of ISOVUE-M according to the specific dosing tables based on patient age, body weight, and study to be performed. ( 2.2 , 2.3 ) See full prescribing information for important dosage and administration information. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Important Dosage and Administration Information ISOVUE-M is for intrathecal use only. Specific concentrations of ISOVUE-M are recommended for each type of imaging procedure [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 , 2.3 )]. Individualize the volume, concentration, and injection rate of ISOVUE-M according to the dosing tables [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 , 2.3 )]. Consider factors such as age, body weight, anticipated pathology and degree and extent of opacification required, structure(s) or area to be examined, concomitant medical conditions, and imaging equipment and technique to be employed. Hydrate patients prior to and following ISOVUE-M administration [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2) ] . Use aseptic technique for all handling and administration of ISOVUE-M. ISOVUE-M may be administered at either body temperature (37°C, 98.6°F) or room temperature (20°C to 25°C, 68°F to 77°F). Visually inspect ISOVUE-M for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever the solution and container permit. Do not administer ISOVUE-M if particulate matter or discoloration are observed. Do not mix…
Iopamidol side effects
The following adverse reactions are described in greater detail in other sections: Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Acute Kidney Injury [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Increased Risk of Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Cardiovascular Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Thyroid Dysfunction in Pediatric Patients 0 to 3 Years of Age [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] Most common adverse reactions (incidence > 1%) are headache, nausea, vomiting, back pain, leg pain, neck pain, and hypotension. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bracco Diagnostics Inc. at 1-800-257-5181 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials 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. The safety of ISOVUE-M was evaluated in 686 adult patients receiving ISOVUE-M intrathecally in clinical studies. Table 3 shows the common adverse reactions (>1%). These reactions usually occur 1 to 10 hours after injection, almost all occurring within 24 hours. Table 3: Adverse Reactions Reported in >1% of…
Who shouldn’t take iopamidol
None. None ( 4 )
Every iopamidol product we track (11)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 6 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 7 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 8 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 9 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 10 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
How long iopamidol keeps
No iopamidol label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does iopamidol expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsIopamidol and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for iopamidol: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadIntravenous iodinated contrast media are poorly excreted into breastmilk and poorly absorbed orally so they are not likely to reach the bloodstream of the infant or cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Guidelines developed by several professional organizations state that breastfeeding need not be disrupted after a nursing mother receives an iodine-containing contrast medium. However, because there is no published experience with iopamidol during breastfeeding, other agents may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised November 30, 2022. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about iopamidol
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 1,353 reports naming iopamidol, and the FDA flagged 91% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- nausea82 reports
- dyspnoea81 reports
- anaphylactic reaction66 reports
- vomiting65 reports
- drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms64 reports
- pyrexia64 reports
- anaphylactic shock54 reports
- contrast media reaction47 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean iopamidol caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is iopamidol?
Isovue-128 (Iopamidol) is a radiographic contrast agent.
What kind of drug is iopamidol?
The FDA classifies iopamidol as a radiographic contrast agent. Radiographic contrast agents are imaging dyes, not treatments. They contain dense elements like iodine that absorb X-rays strongly, so the blood vessels or organs they fill show up bright and clearly outlined on an X-ray or CT scan. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take iopamidol with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run iopamidol against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is iopamidol sold under?
We track 11 iopamidol-containing products in the U.S.: Iopamidol-200, Iopamidol-250, Iopamidol-300, Iopamidol-370, Isovue-128, Isovue-200, Isovue-250 and Isovue-300, and 3 more. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does iopamidol come in?
Across the brands we track, iopamidol is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic iopamidol?
Yes. Our catalog lists 4 generic iopamidol products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Iopamidol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/iopamidol
- MLA
- “Iopamidol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/iopamidol.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for iopamidol on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.