digoxin vs epinephrine
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Side-by-side comparison of digoxin and epinephrine. 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
Sympathomimetics Epinephrine Norepinephrine Dopamine Can increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias Neuromuscular Blocking Agents Succinylcholine May cause sudden extrusion of potassium from muscle cells causing arrhythmias in patients taking digoxin.
Lanoxin
EpiPen, Adrenalin
Digoxin (Lanoxin) is a medicine that helps your heart pump better. It is used to treat heart failure and control irregular heartbeats.
Epinephrine injection is a medicine that raises blood pressure. It is used for adults with very low blood pressure due to septic shock.
Digoxin is used to treat mild to moderate heart failure in adults. It helps the heart pump more blood with each beat. Digoxin is also used in children with heart failure to help their heart work better. In adults, it can control a fast and irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
Epinephrine injection is used to increase blood pressure in adults. It is specifically for those who have low blood pressure because of septic shock. Septic shock is a severe condition caused by infection.
Digoxin belongs to a class of drugs called cardiac glycosides. It works by making the heart muscle contract more strongly. It also slows down the electrical signals in the heart, which can help control irregular heartbeats.
Epinephrine works on alpha and beta receptors in your body. This causes your blood vessels to narrow and your heart to beat stronger and faster. As a result, your blood pressure increases.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Headache
- • Anxiety
- • Feeling restless
- • Shaking
- • Weakness
- Dyspnoea 6,065
- Nausea 4,754
- Dizziness 4,439
- Fatigue 4,175
- Atrial Fibrillation 3,974
- Headache 4,161
- Sinusitis 3,917
- Fatigue 3,761
- Dyspnoea 3,215
- Pain 3,151
Digoxin can cause serious side effects, including dangerous heart rhythms. You are at higher risk if you have certain heart conditions or kidney problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have nausea, vomiting, vision changes, or an irregular heartbeat.
Your blood pressure will be checked often while you are taking this medicine. Epinephrine can raise your blood pressure too high. It can also cause fluid to build up in your lungs. Epinephrine may cause irregular heartbeats or reduce blood flow to the heart. Avoid leakage of the medicine into the tissues, as this can cause tissue damage. This medicine contains sulfite, which can cause allergic reactions.
It is not known if digoxin can harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. The medicine passes into breast milk, but it is unlikely to harm the baby.
Epinephrine may harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Epinephrine can also slow down labor.
How to Read This digoxin vs epinephrine Comparison
digoxin is classified in the Cardiac Glycoside drug class, while epinephrine sits within the Adrenergic Agonist 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, digoxin has 23,407 submissions while epinephrine has 18,205. 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 affect how the heart beats, and taking them together can cause the heart to develop dangerous, irregular rhythms.. 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 digoxin or epinephrine.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.