spironolactone vs trimethoprim

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Side-by-side comparison of spironolactone and trimethoprim. 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

Examples of drugs that can increase potassium include: ACE inhibitors angiotensin receptor blockers non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) heparin and low molecular weight heparin trimethoprim 7.2 Lithium Like other diuretics, spironolactone reduces the renal clearance of lithium, thus increasing the risk of lithium toxicity.

Drug Class
spironolactone Potassium-Sparing Diuretic / Aldosterone Antagonist
trimethoprim Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor
Type
spironolactone Prescription
trimethoprim Prescription
Summary
spironolactone

Spironolactone is a medicine that helps remove extra fluid from your body and lower blood pressure. It also helps your heart work better if you have heart failure.

trimethoprim

This medicine contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body.

What It Treats
spironolactone

Spironolactone is used to treat heart failure by reducing fluid build-up and helping you live longer. It also treats high blood pressure, which can lower your chance of having a stroke or heart attack. This medicine can also manage fluid build-up caused by liver problems or a kidney problem called nephrotic syndrome. It can also treat a condition where your body makes too much of a hormone called aldosterone.

trimethoprim

This medicine can treat urinary tract infections, ear infections in children, and bronchitis in adults. It also treats shigellosis, a type of diarrhea. It can also treat or prevent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and treat traveler's diarrhea.

How It Works
spironolactone

Spironolactone belongs to a class of drugs called aldosterone antagonists. It works by blocking the effects of aldosterone, a hormone that causes your body to hold onto salt and water. By blocking aldosterone, spironolactone helps your body get rid of extra fluid and salt, which lowers blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart.

trimethoprim

This medicine works by stopping bacteria from making folic acid. Bacteria need folic acid to grow and multiply. By blocking folic acid production, the medicine kills the bacteria.

Common Side Effects
spironolactone
  • Breast enlargement in men
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
trimethoprim
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Skin rash
  • Hives
FAERS Reports
spironolactone
  • Dyspnoea 10,389
  • Fatigue 8,178
  • Nausea 7,818
  • Diarrhoea 7,418
  • Acute Kidney Injury 6,785
trimethoprim
  • Nausea 945
  • Diarrhoea 848
  • Headache 835
  • Malaise 816
  • Pyrexia 721
Serious Warnings
spironolactone

Spironolactone can cause your potassium levels to get too high, which can be dangerous. Your doctor will check your potassium levels regularly, especially if you have kidney problems or are taking other medicines that can raise potassium. This medicine can also cause low blood pressure or make kidney problems worse. Tell your doctor if you have side effects.

trimethoprim

Rarely, sulfonamide drugs like this one have caused severe reactions. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, liver damage, and blood problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, rash, blisters, mouth sores, or signs of infection.

Pregnancy
spironolactone

Spironolactone may affect the sex organs of a baby boy if taken during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if spironolactone passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking this medicine.

trimethoprim

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may not be safe for your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

How to Read This spironolactone vs trimethoprim Comparison

spironolactone is classified in the Potassium-Sparing Diuretic / Aldosterone Antagonist drug class, while trimethoprim sits within the Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor 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, spironolactone has 40,588 submissions while trimethoprim has 4,165. 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 of these medications can cause your body to hold onto potassium. taking them together increases the risk of having too much potassium in your blood.. 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 spironolactone or trimethoprim.

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