Mixing Advil PM and Lithium
Unsafe
Risk of serious physical or psychological harm. Not recommended under any circumstances.
What to do
- Say what was taken and how much.Responders need it, and in most US states Good Samaritan laws protect both of you from drug possession charges when you call for an overdose.
- Unresponsive: put them on their side, tilt the head back, and stay until help arrives.Never leave someone alone to “sleep it off”.
- Never Use Alone 1-800-484-3731Stays on the line and sends help if you stop responding.
- Full steps: what to do if it is already happeningOverdose signs, the recovery position, what to say on the call, and whether you can be charged for making it.
- Poison Control 1-800-222-1222Free and 24/7, for “is this bad?” before it becomes an emergency.
Can you take Advil PM with Lithium?
Advil PM contains ibuprofen and diphenhydramine. The most concerning part is Advil PM (Ibuprofen) with Lithium: ibuprofen can push lithium to toxic levels within days. Avoid this combination unless a prescriber is monitoring your levels. MixSafe rates Advil PM with Lithium as "Unsafe" — risk of serious physical or psychological harm. Not recommended under any circumstances. Sources: the Drug Facts labels on DailyMed, the TripSit combination chart and MixSafe research. Educational information, not medical advice.
What is in it
- Advil PM
- Ibuprofen + Diphenhydramine.
Ingredient by ingredient
Advil PM (Ibuprofen) + LithiumUnsafe
Ibuprofen can push lithium to toxic levels within days. Avoid this combination unless a prescriber is monitoring your levels.
NSAIDs reduce renal clearance of lithium and can push blood levels into the toxic range within days. Lithium has a narrow therapeutic window, so this combination should not be used without prescriber supervision and level monitoring.
Sources: Ibuprofen and Alcohol: Is it Safe to Mix NSAIDs and Alcohol? · Mixing NSAIDs with alcohol. GoodRx · Ibuprofen interactions to avoid. SingleCare
Advil PM (Diphenhydramine) + LithiumCaution
Higher doses of diphenhydramine risk serotonin syndrome and heart-rhythm problems with lithium. Keep diphenhydramine to an ordinary 25–50 mg.
There is a concern of serotonin syndrome at higher dosages of this combination. Caution is recommended in restricting diphenhydramine to medical dosages (25-50mg). Lithium and diphenhydramine both have concerns of QT prolongation which may be increased when taken in combination; risks increase due to a variety of factors such as the health of the user and drug dosages. Additionally, the combination may increase each drug's side effects, such as dizziness and loss of consciousness.
Source: TripSit drug combination chart
- Advil PM, Drug Facts label. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=658fc201-47c9-6a6d-8af9-6208298d43b4
Ingredient lists checked 2026-09-27. Formulas change and store brands differ, so the Drug Facts box on your own packet is the final word.
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