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amiloride vs cyclosporine

Side-by-side comparison of amiloride and cyclosporine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

Drug Interactions When amiloride HCl is administered concomitantly with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, cyclosporine or tacrolimus, the risk of hyperkalemia may be increased.

Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor your blood potassium levels closely while you are taking both drugs.

Drug Class
amiloride Potassium-Sparing Diuretic
cyclosporine Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant)
Type
amiloride Prescription
cyclosporine Prescription
Summary
amiloride

Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium. It is often used with other water pills to prevent low potassium levels.

cyclosporine

Vevye eye drops contain cyclosporine. They help treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

What It Treats
amiloride

Amiloride treats high blood pressure and heart failure. It helps restore normal potassium levels if you develop low potassium while taking other water pills. It can also prevent low potassium if you are at risk, such as if you take digoxin or have heart rhythm problems. Amiloride is not usually prescribed alone.

cyclosporine

Vevye treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye can cause discomfort, stinging, and blurred vision. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.

How It Works
amiloride

Amiloride blocks sodium channels in your kidneys. This action reduces the amount of potassium lost in your urine. This helps to maintain or increase potassium levels in your body.

cyclosporine

Vevye contains cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant. It works by decreasing inflammation in the eyes. This helps your eyes make more tears.

Common Side Effects
amiloride
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
cyclosporine
  • Irritation where the drops are applied (8%)
FAERS Reports
amiloride
  • Shortness of breath 69
  • Diarrhea 57
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 49
  • Throwing up 39
  • Tiredness 37
cyclosporine
  • Eye feels irritated 7,786
  • Fever 4,066
  • Eye ache 3,808
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 3,623
  • Loose stools 3,562
Serious Warnings
amiloride

Amiloride can cause high potassium levels, which can be dangerous. You should not take this medicine if you already have high potassium, kidney problems, or are taking other potassium-sparing diuretics or potassium supplements. Your doctor should check your potassium levels regularly.

cyclosporine

To avoid eye injury or contamination, do not touch the bottle tip to your eye or any other surface. Do not use Vevye while wearing contact lenses. If you wear contacts, remove them before using the drops. You can put them back in 15 minutes after using Vevye.

Pregnancy
amiloride

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if amiloride can harm an unborn baby or pass into breast milk.

cyclosporine

It is not known if Vevye will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Cyclosporine can pass into breast milk after being taken orally, but it is unknown if it passes into breast milk from eye drops. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

How to Read This amiloride vs cyclosporine Comparison

amiloride is classified in the Potassium-Sparing Diuretic drug class, while cyclosporine sits within the Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amiloride has 251 submissions while cyclosporine has 22,845. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medications can cause potassium levels in your blood to rise. taking them together increases the risk of having too much potassium, which can be dangerous.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amiloride and cyclosporine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.