Drug & supplement interaction

Juniper + Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)

Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) brand names: Eskalith, Lithium Carbonate.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Minor

Juniper has a minor interaction with Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug). Theoretically, juniper berry might reduce lithium excretion and increase serum levels of lithium.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Juniper and Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

LITHIUM

Theoretically, juniper berry might reduce lithium excretion and increase serum levels of lithium.
Juniper berry is thought to have mild diuretic effects.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the idea behind pairing juniper with your lithium. Juniper acts as a mild diuretic, meaning it nudges your kidneys to flush out water and salt. Because lithium is handled by the kidneys in much the same way as sodium, anything that shifts your fluid or salt balance can change how much lithium stays in your blood. In theory, that could let lithium build up a bit, which matters because lithium has a very narrow safe range.

I want to be honest: this is a theoretical concern based on how these two work, not something proven in studies, and it's rated minor. Still, with lithium, even small changes can tip you toward side effects like nausea, hand tremor, increased thirst, or feeling unsteady. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before using juniper supplements, especially regularly.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Robbers JE, Tyler VE. Tyler's Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. New York, NY: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Juniper Also Interacts With Other Medications

Juniper has 86 moderate, 75 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 Minor 75 No known interaction 2,669 (incl. Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Juniper

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Juniper. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Juniper or Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Juniper or Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug), not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)

This page covers Juniper only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) page lists 189 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major).

By severity: 12 major · 163 moderate · 14 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) page

“Lithium carbonate (Eskalith) steadies mood in bipolar disorder, but it works within a narrow blood-level window, meaning a small shift up risks toxicity and a shift down risks relapse. The 189 supplements and herbs listed here therefore call for genuine vigilance.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Juniper as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,100 real supplement products containing Juniper, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Juniper. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) too, on top of Juniper — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Juniper and Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Juniper
Top 25%

#170 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)
Top 25%

#492 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Juniper

What is Juniper?

  • Water retention (diuretic)
  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Urinary tract support
  • Joint and muscle discomfort
  • Flavoring (gin and food)

Juniper berry is a traditional herb best known for flavoring gin and for its folk use as a diuretic and digestive aid. Solid human evidence for its health benefits is limited, and it can irritate the kidneys with high doses or long-term use. Pregnant people and those with kidney problems should avoid it, and everyone should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Juniper monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lithium

What Is Lithium Used For?

Brand names: Eskalith, Lithium Carbonate

Lithium is used for bipolar disorder. It treats manic episodes and is also used as maintenance treatment to reduce how often manic episodes happen and how intense they are.

Newer lithium labels (tablets, capsules and oral solution) describe use alone (monotherapy) for bipolar I disorder. This includes acute manic and mixed episodes and maintenance treatment in patients 7 years and older. Some older lithium carbonate extended-release tablet and capsule labels describe use in adults with manic episodes of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and for maintenance.

See full Lithium drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Juniper

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Juniper — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
86Moderate
75Minor
2,668No known interaction
86 Moderate 75 Minor 2,668 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Juniper page.

Minor

75 interactions

Showing 60 of 75 minor interactions — see all 75 on the Juniper page.

No interaction 2,668 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Juniper against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,668 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Juniper list.

See the full Juniper interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug), ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Juniper monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug), ranked by severity Lithium drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Juniper and Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Juniper with Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug)?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Juniper and Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Lithium Carbonate (prescription drug) and Juniper?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.