furosemide vs lithium
Side-by-side comparison of furosemide 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
Lithium generally should not be given with diuretics because they reduce lithium's renal clearance and add a high risk of lithium toxicity.
Recommendation: Avoid taking these two medications together. If they must be used, your doctor will need to monitor your lithium blood levels very closely.
Lasix
Lithobid, Eskalith
Furosemide is a water pill (diuretic). It helps your body get rid of extra water and salt.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
This medicine treats swelling (edema) from heart failure, liver problems, or kidney disease. It can also treat high blood pressure. Furosemide is helpful when you need a stronger diuretic.
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.
Furosemide works in your kidneys. It helps your kidneys remove more salt and water from your blood. This lowers the amount of fluid in your body and lowers blood pressure.
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.
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Blurred vision
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing 29,099
- Tiredness 20,389
- Diarrhea 19,940
- Feeling sick to your stomach 18,682
- Sudden kidney damage 18,530
- 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
Furosemide can cause you to lose too much fluid and electrolytes. This can lead to dehydration, low blood pressure, and kidney problems. Your doctor should check your blood regularly while you are taking this medicine.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Furosemide may not be safe during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while 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 furosemide vs lithium Comparison
furosemide is classified in the Loop Diuretic 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, furosemide has 106,640 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 furosemide prevents the kidneys from clearing lithium out of the body properly. this causes lithium to build up to dangerous levels, which can lead to toxicity.. 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 furosemide 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.