Octreotide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Octreotide is a somatostatin analog sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for acromegaly, adenoma and diarrhea. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Somatostatin Analog
- Treats
- Acromegaly, Adenoma and Diarrhea
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Sandostatin and Bynfezia Pen
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $5 per ml — not your price
How octreotide is dosed
From the FDA label for Sandostatin (application NDA019667). Other octreotide products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Sandostatin Injection may be administered subcutaneously or intravenously. ( 2.1 ) Acromegaly : Recommended initial Sandostatin dosage is 50 mcg three times daily during the initial 2 weeks of therapy. Maintenance dose 100 mcg to 500 mcg three times daily. ( 2.2 ) Carcinoid Tumors : Recommended dosage range of 100 mcg to 600 mcg daily in two to four divided doses during the initial 2 weeks of therapy. ( 2.3 ) VIPomas : Recommended dosage range of 200 mcg to 300 mcg daily in two to four divided doses during the initial 2 weeks of therapy. ( 2.4 ) 2.1 Dosage and Administration Overview Sandostatin Injection may be administered subcutaneously or intravenously. Pain with subcutaneous administration may be reduced by using the smallest volume that will deliver the desired dose. Sites should be rotated in a systematic manner. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Do not use if particulates and/or discoloration are observed. Sandostatin Injection is not compatible in Total Parenteral Nutrition solutions because of the formation of a glycosyl octreotide conjugate which may decrease the efficacy of the product. Sandostatin Injection may be diluted in volumes of 50 mL to 200 mL and infused intravenously over 15 to 30 minutes or administered by intravenous (IV) push over 3 minutes. In emergency situations…
Octreotide side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Complete Atrioventricular Block [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] Cholelithiasis and Complications of Cholelithiasis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] Thyroid Function Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Steatorrhea and Malabsorption of Dietary Fats [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] Changes in Vitamin B12 Levels [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6)] Most common adverse reactions (incidence > 10%) in patients with acromegaly are gallbladder abnormalities, sinus bradycardia, diarrhea, loose stools, nausea, abdominal discomfort, hyperglycemia, and hypothyroidism. In other patients, most common adverse reactions (incidence > 10%) are gallbladder abnormalities. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1-888-669-6682 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. Gallbladder Abnormalities Gallbladder abnormalities, especially stones and/or biliary…
Who shouldn’t take octreotide
Sensitivity to this drug or any of its components. Sensitivity to this drug or any of its components. ( 4 )
Octreotide drug interactions
The following drugs require monitoring and possible dose adjustment when used with Sandostatin Injection : Cyclosporine, insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, beta-blockers, and bromocriptine. ( 7 ) Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate Injection : Discontinue Sandostatin Injection at least 24 hours prior to each lutetium Lu 177 dotatate dose. ( 7.6 ) 7.1 Cyclosporine Octreotide has been associated with alterations in nutrient absorption, so it may have an effect on absorption of orally administered drugs. Concomitant administration of Sandostatin Injection with cyclosporine may decrease blood levels of cyclosporine and result in transplant rejection. 7.2 Insulin and Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs Octreotide inhibits the secretion of insulin and glucagon. Therefore, blood glucose levels should be monitored when Sandostatin Injection treatment is initiated or when the dose is altered and anti-diabetic treatment should be adjusted accordingly. 7.3 Bromocriptine Concomitant administration of octreotide and bromocriptine increases the availability of bromocriptine. 7.4 Other Concomitant Drug Therapy Concomitant administration of bradycardia-inducing drugs (e.g., beta-blockers) may have an additive effect on the reduction of heart rate associated with octreotide. Dose adjustments of concomitant medication may be necessary. Octreotide has been associated with alterations in nutrient absorption, so it may have an effect on absorption of orally administered drugs. 7.5 Drug Metabolism Interactions Limited published data indicate that somatostatin analogs might decrease the metabolic clearance of compounds known to be metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, which may be due to the suppression of GH. Since it cannot be excluded that octreotide may have this effect, other drugs mainly metabolized by CYP3A4 and which have a low therapeutic index (e.g., quinidine, terfenadine) should therefore be used with caution. 7.6 Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate Injection Octreotide competitively binds to somatostatin receptors and may interfere with the efficacy of lutetium Lu 177 dotatate. Discontinue Sandostatin Injection at least 24 hours prior to each lutetium Lu 177 dotatate dose.
Every octreotide product we track (2)
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 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $5 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $5 | View → |
Octreotide recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Octreotide Acetate for Injectable Suspension
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Quality system deficiencies identified during a routine U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection at the contract manufacturer.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc · Apr 24, 2026
Octreotide Acetate for Injectable Suspension
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Quality system deficiencies identified during a routine U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection at the contract manufacturer.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc · Mar 17, 2026
Octreotide Acetate for Injectable Suspension
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Quality system deficiencies identified during a routine U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection at the contract manufacturer.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc · Mar 17, 2026
Octreotide Acetate for Injectable Suspension
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Quality system deficiencies identified during a routine U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection at the contract manufacturer.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc · Mar 17, 2026
Octreotide and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for octreotide: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadThe excretion of octreotide into breastmilk has not been studied. However, because it has a high molecular weight of 1019 daltons it is likely to be poorly excreted into breastmilk. It is poorly absorbed orally and has been safely administered directly to infants by injection, so it is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. At least 3 infants have been successfully breastfed with no adverse effects reported. Until more data are available, octreotide should be used in nursing mothers with careful infant monitoring, especially if the infant is under 2 months of age.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised February 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about octreotide
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 2,198 reports naming octreotide, and the FDA flagged 84% 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:
- diarrhoea282 reports
- nausea216 reports
- fatigue198 reports
- abdominal pain177 reports
- headache121 reports
- injection site pain121 reports
- vomiting121 reports
- malignant neoplasm progression119 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean octreotide 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 August 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is octreotide?
Sandostatin Injection, a cyclic octapeptide prepared as a clear sterile solution of octreotide, acetate salt, in a buffered lactic acid solution for administration by deep subcutaneous or IV injection.
What kind of drug is octreotide?
The FDA classifies octreotide as a somatostatin analog. 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 octreotide 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 octreotide 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 octreotide sold under?
We track 2 octreotide-containing products in the U.S.: Sandostatin and Bynfezia Pen. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does octreotide come in?
Across the brands we track, octreotide 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 octreotide?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled octreotide 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.
Has octreotide been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 4 recall records whose product description mentions octreotide. The most recent: Octreotide Acetate for Injectable Suspension (Apr 24, 2026). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Octreotide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/octreotide
- MLA
- “Octreotide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/octreotide.
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 octreotide on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.