eplerenone vs lithium
Side-by-side comparison of eplerenone 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
7.3 Lithium A drug interaction study of eplerenone with lithium has not been conducted. Lithium toxicity has been reported in patients receiving lithium concomitantly with diuretics and ACE inhibitors. Serum lithium levels should be monitored frequently if INSPRA is administered concomitantly with lithium.
Recommendation: Your doctor should check your lithium blood levels often if you start taking this medication.
Inspra
Lithobid, Eskalith
Eplerenone (Inspra) helps you live longer if you have heart failure after a heart attack. It also lowers blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
Eplerenone is used to help people with heart failure who have had a heart attack live longer. It is also used to treat high blood pressure in adults. Lowering blood pressure helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
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.
Eplerenone blocks a hormone called aldosterone in your body. Aldosterone can cause your body to hold onto too much salt and water, which can raise blood pressure and worsen heart failure. By blocking aldosterone, eplerenone helps lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart.
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.
- • High potassium levels in your blood
- • Increased creatinine levels
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Shortness of breath 1,083
- Heart failure 939
- Sudden kidney damage 905
- Low blood pressure 859
- Tiredness 658
- 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
Eplerenone can cause high potassium levels in your blood, which can be dangerous. Your doctor will check your potassium levels before you start taking eplerenone and regularly while you are taking it. People with kidney problems, diabetes, or who take certain other medicines 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.
It is not known if eplerenone can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if eplerenone passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking eplerenone.
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 eplerenone vs lithium Comparison
eplerenone is classified in the Aldosterone Antagonist 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, eplerenone has 4,444 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 this drug may cause your body to hold onto lithium, which can lead to toxic levels of lithium 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 eplerenone 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.