Metyrapone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Metyrapone is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Available as
- Capsule
- Sold as
- Metopirone
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How metyrapone is dosed
From the FDA label for Metopirone (application NDA012911). Other metyrapone products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Single-Dose Short Test: 30 mg/kg at midnight ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Important Information Before Conducting Metopirone Testing Stop drugs affecting pituitary or adrenocortical function before administration of Metopirone in accordance with half-life of the drugs (consider at least 5 half-lives to avoid any interference with Metopirone testing). [see Drug Interactions (7.1) ] . Assess ability of patient's adrenals to respond to exogenous ACTH before Metopirone is employed as a test [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . 2.2 Single-Dose Short Test- Recommended Dose and Interpretation This test, usually given on an outpatient basis, determines plasma 11-desoxycortisol and/or ACTH levels after a single dose of Metopirone. Patients with suspected adrenocortical insufficiency based on the test results previously performed should be hospitalized overnight as a precautionary measure ( see Warnings and Precaution (5.1) ). Recommended Dose In adult and pediatric patients, the recommended single dose is 30 mg/kg (maximum 3 grams of Metopirone) administered at midnight with milk/yogurt or snack. The blood sample for the assay is taken early the following morning (7:30-8:00 a.m.). After the blood sample is collected, a prophylactic dose of glucocorticoid may be considered for patients with high risk for acute adrenal insufficiency. Interpretation of 11‑desoxycortisol and ACTH Levels After Metopirone…
Metyrapone side effects
The following adverse reactions associated with the use of Metopirone were identified in clinical trials or postmarketing reports. Because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Cardiovascular System: Hypotension Gastrointestinal System: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain Central Nervous System: Headache, dizziness, sedation Dermatologic System: Allergic rash Hematologic System: Leukopenia, anemia, and/or thrombocytopenia Adverse reactions include: hypotension, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain, headache, dizziness, sedation, allergic rash, leukopenia, anemia, and/or thrombocytopenia. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Direct Success Inc. at 844-597-6373 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Who shouldn’t take metyrapone
Metopirone is contraindicated in patients with adrenal cortical insufficiency or hypersensitivity to Metopirone or to any of its excipients. In patients with adrenal cortical insufficiency ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to Metopirone or to any of its excipients ( 4 )
Metyrapone drug interactions
Anticonvulsants, psychotropic, hormone preparations, corticosteroids, antithyroid agents, cyproheptadine: may affect the results of the metyrapone test. ( 7.1 ) Acetaminophen: Avoid concomitant use with Metopirone. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Effect of Other Drugs on Metopirone Anticonvulsants, psychotropic drugs, hormone preparations, corticosteroids, antithyroid agents and cyproheptadine may affect the results of the Metopirone test. If these drugs cannot be withdrawn, the necessity of carrying out the Metopirone test should be reviewed. 7.2 Effect of Metopirone on Other Drugs Acetaminophen Metopirone inhibits the glucuronidation of acetaminophen, which may decrease elimination of acetaminophen and lead to increased risk of adverse reactions related to acetaminophen. Avoid concomitant use of Metopirone with acetaminophen.
Every metyrapone product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Metopirone.
What metyrapone pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Metyrapone and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for metyrapone: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadEvidence from two patients indicate that amounts of metyrapone and its active metabolite in breastmilk are very small and unlikely to adversely affect a breastfed infant. Exposure of the infant can be markedly decreased by avoiding nursing for 2 to 2.5 hours after each dose.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised April 19, 2021. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about metyrapone
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 404 reports naming metyrapone, and the FDA flagged 92% 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:
- maternal exposure during pregnancy33 reports
- nausea28 reports
- premature baby28 reports
- premature delivery24 reports
- adrenal insufficiency23 reports
- cortisol increased23 reports
- foetal exposure during pregnancy23 reports
- asthenia21 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean metyrapone 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 metyrapone?
Metopirone (Metyrapone) is a medication supplied as a capsule, gelatin coated.
Can you take metyrapone 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 metyrapone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does metyrapone come in?
Across the brands we track, metyrapone is currently marketed as capsule, 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 metyrapone?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled metyrapone product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Metyrapone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/metyrapone
- MLA
- “Metyrapone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/metyrapone.
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 metyrapone on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.