insulin degludec vs lithium

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Side-by-side comparison of insulin degludec 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

Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of XULTOPHY 100/3.6 Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts.

Drug Class
insulin degludec Ultra-Long-Acting Insulin
lithium Mood Stabilizer
Type
insulin degludec Prescription
lithium Prescription
Summary
insulin degludec

No summary available.

lithium

Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.

What It Treats
insulin degludec

Information not available.

lithium

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.

How It Works
insulin degludec

Information not available.

lithium

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.

Common Side Effects
insulin degludec
  • Common cold
  • Headache
  • Feeling sick to your stomach
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased lipase (an enzyme)
lithium
  • Tremor (shaking)
  • Nausea
  • Increased weight
  • Fatigue (feeling tired)
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
insulin degludec
  • Blood Glucose Increased 3,617
  • Nausea 1,381
  • Blood Glucose Decreased 1,252
  • Vomiting 894
  • Hypoglycaemia 886
lithium
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 2,179
  • Drug Interaction 1,526
  • Tremor 1,462
  • Nausea 1,344
  • Weight Increased 1,153
Serious Warnings
insulin degludec

No specific warnings noted.

lithium

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.

Pregnancy
insulin degludec

No pregnancy information available.

lithium

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 insulin degludec vs lithium Comparison

insulin degludec is classified in the Ultra-Long-Acting Insulin 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, insulin degludec has 8,030 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 lithium can cause your blood sugar levels to either rise or fall in ways that are hard to predict.. 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 insulin degludec or lithium.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.