amlodipine/benazepril vs lithium
Side-by-side comparison of amlodipine/benazepril and lithium. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
major Known Drug Interaction
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Potassium supplements/potassium-sparing diuretics: hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Lithium: Increased serum lithium levels; toxicity symptoms ( 7.1 ) • Injectable gold: facial flushing, nausea, vomiting, hypotension ( 7.1 ) • Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Risk of renal dysfunction, loss of antihypertensive effect ( 7.1 ) • Do not exceed doses greater than 20 mg daily of simvastatin ( 7.1 ) • mTOR inhibitors: increased risk of angioedema ( 7.1 ) • Dual inhibition of the RAS: Increased risk of renal impairment, hypotension, and hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Neprilysin...
Recommendation: Your doctor should check your lithium blood levels often to make sure they stay in a safe range. They may need to change your lithium dose while you take this medicine.
Lotrel
Lithobid, Eskalith
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril. It is used to treat high blood pressure.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure. It is for people whose blood pressure is not controlled well enough with just one medicine (either amlodipine or benazepril alone). This medicine helps to lower blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
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.
Lotrel contains two medicines that work in different ways to lower blood pressure. Amlodipine relaxes and widens blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. Benazepril lowers blood pressure by preventing your body from making a substance that narrows blood vessels.
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.
- • Cough
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Swelling (edema)
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Tiredness 15,696
- Diarrhea 14,038
- Feeling sick to your stomach 13,425
- Shortness of breath 13,222
- Feeling lightheaded 10,671
- 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 harm your unborn baby or cause death. If you become pregnant, stop taking Lotrel and tell your doctor right away.
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.
Do not take Lotrel if you are pregnant. It can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, especially during the second and third trimesters. If you are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before 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.
How to Read This amlodipine/benazepril vs lithium Comparison
amlodipine/benazepril is classified in the Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination 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, amlodipine/benazepril has 67,052 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to benazepril can make it harder for the kidneys to remove lithium from the body, causing lithium levels to rise. this increase can lead to lithium poisoning or other serious side effects.. 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 amlodipine/benazepril 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.