amiodarone vs lithium
Side-by-side comparison of amiodarone and lithium. 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
Table 1: Amiodarone Drug Interactions Concomitant Drug Class/Name Examples Clinical Comment Pharmacodynamic Interactions QT Prolonging Drugs class I and III antiarrhythmics, lithium, certain phenothiazines, tricyclic antidepressants, certain fluoroquinolone and macrolide antibiotics, azole antifungals, halogenated inhalation anesthetic agents Increased risk of Torsade de Pointes.
Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor your heart rhythm closely if you must take these medications together.
Cordarone, Pacerone
Lithobid, Eskalith
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats. It helps to restore a normal heart rhythm when other medicines don't work or can't be used.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
This medicine treats very fast, irregular heartbeats in the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). It is used when these irregular heartbeats are life-threatening. It is also used when other medicines don't work well enough or cause too many side effects. This medicine is for adults.
Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. Lithium helps to control the extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression) of this condition.
Amiodarone affects the electrical signals in your heart. It slows down these signals, which helps your heart beat normally. This medicine can help prevent dangerous, fast heart rhythms.
Lithium affects the flow of sodium in nerve and muscle cells in the body. This helps to stabilize your mood. It may also affect other chemical messenger systems in the brain.
- • Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism)
- • High thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism)
- • Heart failure
- • Irregular heartbeats
- • Problems with the heart's natural pacemaker (SA node dysfunction)
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing 1,158
- Weakness 975
- Tiredness 893
- Feeling sick to your stomach 605
- Coughing 597
- Poisoning from different substances 2,179
- The drug is reacting with another medicine 1,526
- Shaking 1,463
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,344
- Gaining weight 1,153
This medicine can cause serious problems with your lungs, liver, and heart. Lung problems can be fatal. Your doctor will check your lungs with X-rays and breathing tests. Liver problems can also be fatal. Your doctor will check your liver with blood tests. This medicine can also make irregular heartbeats worse. You will likely start this medicine in the hospital where your heart can be monitored.
Lithium levels in your blood need to be monitored closely by your doctor. Too much lithium can be toxic and cause serious side effects. Make sure to attend all scheduled blood tests.
This medicine can harm your unborn baby. It can cause thyroid problems, slow heart rate, and brain development issues. Do not breastfeed while taking this medicine.
Lithium can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Lithium can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking lithium.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare amiodarone with
How to Read This amiodarone vs lithium Comparison
amiodarone is classified in the Class III Antiarrhythmic drug class, while lithium sits within the Mood Stabilizer 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, amiodarone has 4,228 submissions while lithium has 7,665. 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 drugs can affect the electrical rhythm of your heart. taking them together increases the risk of a dangerous and irregular heartbeat.. 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 amiodarone and lithium - 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.