Lithium/Metronidazole Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Your antibiotic medicine may slow the elimination of lithium from your body.
What might happen:
Your blood levels of lithium may increase and cause toxic effects.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together.If you experience new or worsened tremors, fatigue, muscle weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, blurred vision, trouble walking, ringing in the ears, seizures, dizziness, or heart palpitations call your doctor or get medical help right away. Your doctor may need to temporarily stop or reduce your dose of lithium, or change you to a different medicine for your high blood pressure/heart/kidney protection. It may be necessary to monitor the lithium levels in your blood more often.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Flagyl (metronidazole) UK summary of product characteristics. Zentiva March, 2021.
- 2.Flagyl (metronidazole) US prescribing information. G.D. Searle LLC Division of Pfizer Inc. October, 2018.
- 3.Lithobid (lithium carbonate) US prescribing information. ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. May, 2018.
Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.