celecoxib vs lithium
According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.
Side-by-side comparison of celecoxib 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
Lithium Clinical Impact: NSAIDs have produced elevations in plasma lithium levels and reductions in renal lithium clearance . The mean minimum lithium concentration increased 15%, and the renal clearance decreased by approximately 20%. Intervention: During concomitant use of celecoxib and lithium, monitor patients for signs of lithium toxicity.
Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a medicine that reduces pain and swelling. It belongs to a class of drugs called NSAIDs.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
Celecoxib treats the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It can also help with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children 2 years and older. Additionally, it is used for ankylosing spondylitis, acute pain, and menstrual pain.
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.
Celecoxib blocks a substance in the body that causes pain and swelling. It targets COX-2, an enzyme involved in inflammation. By blocking COX-2, celecoxib reduces inflammation and relieves pain.
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.
- • Abdominal pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Upset stomach
- • Gas
- • Swelling in your legs or feet
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Pain 12,294
- Arthralgia 10,923
- Fatigue 9,710
- Nausea 9,389
- Drug Hypersensitivity 7,713
- Toxicity To Various Agents 2,179
- Drug Interaction 1,526
- Tremor 1,462
- Nausea 1,344
- Weight Increased 1,153
Celecoxib may increase your risk of serious heart problems like heart attack and stroke, which can be fatal. This risk may happen early in treatment and increases with longer use. You should not take celecoxib if you are having heart bypass surgery. Celecoxib can also increase the risk of serious stomach and intestine problems like bleeding, ulcers, and holes, which can be fatal. These problems can happen without warning. The elderly and those with a history of ulcers or GI bleeding are at higher risk.
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.
Using celecoxib after about 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause kidney problems in the baby and low amniotic fluid. Avoid using celecoxib after 30 weeks of pregnancy because it can cause the baby's heart to close too early. If you are trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor, as celecoxib may affect fertility.
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 celecoxib vs lithium Comparison
celecoxib is classified in the COX-2 Selective NSAID 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, celecoxib has 50,029 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 celecoxib makes it harder for the kidneys to remove lithium from the body, which can cause lithium levels to rise 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 celecoxib or lithium.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.