What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Indomethacin and lithium
Indomethacin's FDA label of December 19, 2025 names lithium in its drug interactions section; lithium's label does not name indomethacin itself but warns about its class (NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)). The indomethacin label: “NSAIDs have produced elevations in plasma lithium levels and reductions in renal lithium clearance. The mean minimum lithium concentration increased 15%, and the renal clearance decreased by approximately 20%. …”
Check it at the source: the indomethacin FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 19, 2025, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA); the lithium FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 23, 2025, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA).
What does the indomethacin label say about lithium?
Indomethacin label, drug interactionsClinical Impact: NSAIDs have produced elevations in plasma lithium levels and reductions in renal lithium clearance. The mean minimum lithium concentration increased 15%, and the renal clearance decreased by approximately 20%. This effect has been attributed to NSAID inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis. Intervention: During concomitant use of indomethacin capsules and lithium, monitor patients for signs of lithium toxicity.
Indomethacin label (Chartwell RX, LLC, March 26, 2025), drug interactionsLithium Indomethacin capsules 50 mg t.i.d. produced a clinically relevant elevation of plasma lithium and reduction in renal lithium clearance in psychiatric patients and normal subjects with steady state plasma lithium concentrations.
Source: FDA drug label (Indomethacin, NDA018829), Chartwell RX, LLC, effective March 26, 2025 (SPL set 9607920c-4d25-40b9-957e-87e9ca5574e8), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Indomethacin), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective December 19, 2025 (SPL set f7ed39e2-5431-4e47-935c-c7441d058f94), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the lithium label say about indomethacin?
Lithium's label does not name indomethacin itself; it warns about its class (NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)):
Lithium label, drug interactionsDiuretics, NSAID, renin-angiotensin system antagonists, or metronidazole may increase lithium serum concentrations.
Lithium label, drug interactionsReduce lithium dosage based on serum lithium concentration and clinical response [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.3 ), Warning and Precautions ( 5.3 )]. Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)
Source: FDA drug label (Lithium Carbonate), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective December 23, 2025 (SPL set 63b3790f-a9b5-47f4-bae1-ddf8b43c13c1), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Indomethacin | Lithium | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis | Bipolar disorder |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.210 per capsule 75 mg capsule | $0.104 per capsule 300 mg capsule |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once