PubMed indexes 8 records that name Furosemide and Lithium together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. The key findings come first, in the authors’ own words, followed by every study with its design and PubMed link.
A summary of published research, not medical advice. A pharmacist can check any combination against your full list of medicines and supplements.
Reviews and human studies first. Each quote is the authors’ own conclusion about their study, not a NutriStack assessment, and a single study is not a consensus.
“rhTSH is highly effective for post-surgical thyroid remnant ablation in low-risk cancer patients using the low 30-mCi dose protocol combined with the short 4-day withdrawal of L-T4. Moreover, in these patients the pre-treatment with furosemide seems to play an important role to further improve the outcome of ablation by reducing the iodine pool.”
“The observed differences between diuretics in effects on serum lithium may have been due to differences in the potency of the diuretics at the doses studied as well as in the site of action of the diuretic effect. The results must be interpreted cautiously, however, because the effects were small and of questionable clinical significance, and the study used healthy volunteers and low doses of lithium instead of…”
“The most likely explanation of these results is that furosemide has a moderate action in the proximal tubules, and at the same time inhibits preexistent lithium absorption in Henle's loop. In addition, the large difference between FELi+ and maximal urine flow remaining after furosemide suggests that, despite the decreased medullary osmotic gradient, water backdiffusion is unaltered by furosemide or that lithium…”
The research
8 studies naming Furosemide and Lithium.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2010 · PMID 19760415
Controlled Clinical Trial20 participants
“rhTSH is highly effective for post-surgical thyroid remnant ablation in low-risk cancer patients using the low 30-mCi dose protocol combined with the short 4-day withdrawal of L-T4. Moreover, in these patients the pre-treatment with furosemide seems to play an important role to further improve the outcome of ablation by reducing the iodine pool.”
“The observed differences between diuretics in effects on serum lithium may have been due to differences in the potency of the diuretics at the doses studied as well as in the site of action of the diuretic effect. The results must be interpreted cautiously, however, because the effects were small and of questionable clinical significance, and the study used healthy volunteers and low doses of lithium instead of psychiatric patients and the usual therapeutic levels of lithium.”
The American journal of physiology · 1992 · PMID 1481889
Animal study
“We conclude that 1) lithium reabsorption in the PCT lags slightly behind that of water, 2) substantial furosemide-sensitive lithium reabsorption occurs beyond the PCT, and 3) no significant lithium reabsorption occurs in nephron segments beyond the loop. These findings call into question the use of lithium clearance as a quantitative measure of end-proximal fluid delivery in sodium-replete animals.”
The American journal of physiology · 1990 · PMID 2330975
Human subjects
“The most likely explanation of these results is that furosemide has a moderate action in the proximal tubules, and at the same time inhibits preexistent lithium absorption in Henle's loop. In addition, the large difference between FELi+ and maximal urine flow remaining after furosemide suggests that, despite the decreased medullary osmotic gradient, water backdiffusion is unaltered by furosemide or that lithium concentration in the proximal tubule is changed by furosemide.”
European journal of clinical pharmacology · 1990 · PMID 2340847
Human subjects
“Both CLLi and CLNa were increased in the first 3 h following furosemide administration and thereafter they fell below the control level in the remaining hours of the experiment. From the absolute and fractional changes in CLLi it is suggested that compensatory Na conservation in response to chronic furosemide treatment occurs between doses, and that it involves decreased output from the proximal tubules combined with increased fractional Na reabsorption in the distal nephron.”
“10. The nephrotoxicities of CyA and of gentamicin were additive, while furosemide did not aggravate CyA nephrotoxicity.”
Names both Furosemide and Lithium in its title.
Limitations
What this evidence cannot tell you.
Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:
Selection. These records were found by searching PubMed titles and abstracts for both substance names alongside interaction and pharmacokinetic terms. Relevant work that phrases things differently, or is not indexed in PubMed, will be missing.
No effect size. The quoted conclusions are the authors’ words about their own study. We have not extracted effect direction or magnitude, and a single study’s conclusion is not a consensus.
Population mismatch. Findings in healthy volunteers, animals, or a specific patient group may not transfer to you, your dose, or your formulation.
Absence is not safety. Few published studies means the combination is under-studied, which is not the same as established as safe.
How to read this page
A literature summary, not guidance.
A study listed here is not proof that Furosemide and Lithium interact. Two substances can be named together in a paper that never tested them in combination, and a source listed as background may cover only one of them.
Findings are quoted from each abstract as the authors wrote them. NutriStack has not re-analysed, pooled, or reconciled them, and they may disagree with each other.
Decisions about prescription medication and supplements belong with your prescriber or pharmacist, who can see your full regimen. Our timing guide and forms guide explain the general mechanisms.
Nearby evidence
Other pairs with published research.
Pages covering Furosemide or Lithium alongside a different substance.
NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Furosemide, Lithium, and several hundred other substances.
Log your routine, get reminders at the times you choose, and scan a label to add a product. The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid.
NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
