enalapril vs lithium
Side-by-side comparison of enalapril 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 Lithium toxicity has been reported in patients receiving lithium concomitantly with drugs which cause elimination of sodium, including ACE inhibitors. A few cases of lithium toxicity have been reported in patients receiving concomitant enalapril maleate and lithium and were reversible upon discontinuation of both drugs. It is recommended that serum lithium levels be monitored frequently if enalapril is administered concomitantly with lithium.
Recommendation: Your doctor should check your lithium blood levels often to prevent them from getting too high.
Enalapril (Vasotec) is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps treat heart failure. It belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
Enalapril is used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines, like water pills. Enalapril also treats symptomatic congestive heart failure, usually with other medicines. It can also help clinically stable patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
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.
Enalapril blocks a substance in your body that tightens blood vessels. This helps your blood vessels relax and widens them. As a result, blood pressure is lowered, and blood can flow more easily.
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.
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Fatigue
- • Cough
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Diarrhea 2,806
- Difficulty breathing 2,659
- Feeling sick to your stomach 2,571
- Tiredness 2,374
- Medicine interfering with another medicine 2,337
- 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 drug can harm your unborn baby. Stop taking enalapril as soon as you know you are pregnant.
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 enalapril if you are pregnant because it can cause harm or death to the developing fetus. Talk to your doctor about safe alternatives if you are breastfeeding.
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.
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How to Read This enalapril vs lithium Comparison
enalapril 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, enalapril has 12,747 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 minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to enalapril can cause your body to lose sodium, which makes it harder for your kidneys to get rid of lithium. this can cause lithium to build up to toxic levels in your blood.. 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 enalapril 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.