asenapine vs lithium

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

minor Known Drug Interaction

7.2 Drugs Having No Clinically Important Interactions with Asenapine No dosage adjustment of asenapine is necessary when administered concomitantly with paroxetine (see Table 12 in Drug Interactions (7.1) for paroxetine dosage adjustment), imipramine, cimetidine, valporate, lithium, or a CYP3A4 inducer (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampin). In addition, valproic acid and lithium pre-dose serum concentrations collected from an adjunctive therapy study were comparable between asenapine-treated patients and placebo-treated patients indicating a lack of effect of asenapine on valproic and...

Drug Class
asenapine Atypical Antipsychotic
lithium Mood Stabilizer
Type
asenapine Prescription
lithium Prescription
Summary
asenapine

Asenapine (Saphris) is an antipsychotic medicine. It is used to treat bipolar I disorder in adults and children ages 10-17.

lithium

Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.

What It Treats
asenapine

Asenapine is used to treat bipolar I disorder. In children ages 10 to 17, it can treat manic or mixed episodes on its own. In adults, it can be used with lithium or valproate to treat these episodes.

lithium

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.

How It Works
asenapine

Asenapine affects certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters. By changing the balance of these chemicals, asenapine can help reduce symptoms of bipolar disorder.

lithium

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.

Common Side Effects
asenapine
  • Sleepiness
  • Numbness in the mouth
  • Dizziness
  • Changes in taste
  • Nausea
lithium
  • Tremor (shaking)
  • Nausea
  • Increased weight
  • Fatigue (feeling tired)
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
asenapine
  • Drug Interaction 78
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 64
  • Completed Suicide 61
  • Myocarditis 53
  • Sedation 39
lithium
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 2,179
  • Drug Interaction 1,526
  • Tremor 1,462
  • Nausea 1,344
  • Weight Increased 1,153
Serious Warnings
asenapine

Asenapine may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. Asenapine is not approved to treat this condition.

lithium

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.

Pregnancy
asenapine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who use antipsychotics in the last 3 months of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms after birth. There is a pregnancy registry, call 1-866-961-2388.

lithium

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

How to Read This asenapine vs lithium Comparison

asenapine is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic 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, asenapine has 295 submissions while lithium has 7,664. 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 minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to these two drugs do not have a meaningful effect on each other's levels in the blood.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for asenapine or lithium.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.