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benazepril vs lithium

Side-by-side comparison of 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.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Diuretics: Excessive drop in blood pressure ( 7.1 ) • Antidiabetics: Increased risk of hypoglycaemia ( 7.2 ) • NSAIDS: Increased risk of renal impairment and loss of antihypertensive efficacy ( 7.3 ) • Dual inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system: Increased risk of renal impairment, hypotension and hyperkalemia ( 7.4 ) • Lithium: Symptoms of lithium toxicity ( 7.6 ) • Neprilysin Inhibitor: Increased risk of angioedema ( Error! 7.6 Lithium Lithium toxicity has been reported in patients receiving lithium concomitantly with benazepril hydrochloride. Lithium toxicity...

Recommendation: Your doctor may need to check your lithium blood levels more often and adjust your dose to prevent toxicity.

Drug Class
benazepril ACE Inhibitor
lithium Mood Stabilizer
Type
benazepril Prescription
lithium Prescription
Summary
benazepril

Benazepril (Lotensin) is a medicine that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

lithium

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

What It Treats
benazepril

Benazepril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering your blood pressure reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.

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
benazepril

Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor. It works by relaxing your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

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
benazepril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness when standing up
lithium
  • Tremor (shaking)
  • Nausea
  • Increased weight
  • Fatigue (feeling tired)
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
benazepril
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 439
  • Feeling tired 408
  • Feeling lightheaded 382
  • Difficulty breathing 380
  • Discomfort 361
lithium
  • 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
Serious Warnings
benazepril

If you become pregnant, stop taking benazepril right away and tell your doctor. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.

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
benazepril

Benazepril can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, including death. Stop taking it as soon as you know you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about other blood pressure medicines if you are planning to become pregnant.

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 benazepril vs lithium Comparison

benazepril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor 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, benazepril has 1,970 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 benazepril can make it harder for your kidneys to remove lithium from your body. this causes lithium to build up to levels that can be poisonous.. 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 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.