What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Lithium and sodium polystyrene sulfonate
Sodium polystyrene sulfonate's FDA label of November 29, 2023 names lithium in its drug interactions section; the lithium labels PlainMeds reads (4) do not name sodium polystyrene sulfonate. The sodium polystyrene sulfonate label: “Decreased absorption of lithium and thyroxine have also been reported with co-administration of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Powder, for Suspension.”
Check it at the source: the lithium FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 23, 2025, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA); the sodium polystyrene sulfonate FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 29, 2023, Epic Pharma, LLC).
What does the lithium label say about sodium polystyrene sulfonate?
Lithium's label (effective December 23, 2025) and its 3 other brand-application labels do not name sodium polystyrene sulfonate in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
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
What does the sodium polystyrene sulfonate label say about lithium?
Sodium polystyrene sulfonate label, drug interactionsDecreased absorption of lithium and thyroxine have also been reported with co-administration of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Powder, for Suspension.
Source: FDA drug label (Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate), Epic Pharma, LLC, effective November 29, 2023 (SPL set 61cc890b-eb3d-494c-ae45-629a27e721ce), 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
| Lithium | Sodium polystyrene sulfonate | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bipolar disorder | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.104 per capsule 300 mg capsule | $0.155 per gram Sodium polystyrene sulf powder |
| 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