Kerendia (finerenone) is a prescription oral tablet that helps reduce certain risks related to type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. This drug can interact with other medications and some supplements, including certain diuretics and potassium supplements.
Specifically, Kerendia is used to reduce the following risks in adults with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease:
- heart attack
- worsening kidney function
- hospital admission for heart failure
- end-stage kidney disease
- death from heart problems such as stroke
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Kerendia’s possible interactions. And for more information about Kerendia, including details about its uses, see this article.
Before you start taking Kerendia, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take or have recently taken. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Kerendia interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Kerendia?” section below.)
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The table below lists drugs that may interact with Kerendia. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Kerendia. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
| certain antibiotics | • clarithromycin* • erythromycin (Eryc, Ery-Tab, others) • rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) | can raise the risk of side effects from Kerendia† or make Kerendia less effective |
| certain antifungals | • itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura)* • fluconazole (Diflucan) • ketoconazole | increase the risk of side effects from Kerendia† |
| certain seizure drugs | • carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, others) • phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) | Kerendia may be less effective |
| certain diuretics | • triamterene (Dyrenium) • spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) • eplerenone (Inspra) | increase the risk of side effects from Kerendia† and certain diuretics |
| nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | • naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox DS, others) • ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) • meloxicam (Mobic) | increase the risk of side effects from Kerendia† and NSAIDs |
| angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) | • candesartan (Atacand) • losartan (Cozaar) • telmisartan (Micardis) | raises the risk of high potassium levels when Kerendia and ARBs are taken together |
| angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors | • benazepril (Lotensin) • lisinopril (Qbrelis, Zestril) • ramipril (Altace) | raises the risk of high potassium levels when Kerendia and ACE inhibitors are taken together |
| efavirenz | – | can make Kerendia less effective |
| amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone) | – | increase the risk of side effects from Kerendia |
| verapamil (Verelan) | – | increase the risk of side effects from Kerendia |
* To learn more about this interaction, see the “When should I avoid Kerendia?” section below.
† To learn more about Kerendia’s side effects, see this article.
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Kerendia. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Kerendia for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Kerendia.
If you have adrenal insufficiency. If you have adrenal insufficiency, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Kerendia. This is because both Kerendia and this condition can cause a high potassium level in the blood. Taking Kerendia while you have this condition could further increase this risk.
If you have adrenal insufficiency, your doctor can recommend a different treatment option for you. To learn more about Kerendia’s side effects, see this article.
If you take medications that slow down the activity of a certain enzyme. Your body relies on a specific enzyme (protein) to break down Kerendia. Doctors typically will not prescribe Kerendia with medications that slow down the activity of this enzyme. Taking Kerendia with these medications could raise the level of Kerendia in your body, which could increase your risk of side effects.
Examples of these medications include the antifungal drug itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) and the antibiotic drug clarithromycin.
Before you start taking Kerendia, tell your doctor about other medications you take or have recently taken. They advise you on any possible interactions with Kerendia.
Note: Grapefruit and grapefruit products may also slow the breakdown of Kerendia. To learn more, see the “Are there other interactions with Kerendia?” section below.
Kerendia is not known to interact with alcohol. But alcohol can affect blood sugar levels. Kerendia is used to reduce certain risks in people with type 2 diabetes. Drinking alcohol with Kerendia could make it harder to manage your blood sugar.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol while taking Kerendia, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can tell you how much alcohol (if any) is safe to consume with the drug.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Kerendia.
Interaction with certain diuretics
Kerendia can interact with certain diuretics. These medications help your body get rid of excess water and sodium (salt). Like Kerendia, certain diuretics may be used for kidney disease.
Examples of diuretic medications include:
- triamterene (Dyrenium)
- spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir)
- eplerenone (Inspra)
What could happen
Kerendia and certain diuretics can cause a high potassium level in the blood. So taking these drugs together can raise your risk of this side effect.
What you can do
Before starting Kerendia treatment, tell your doctor if you take any diuretics. They can determine whether it’s safe to take these medications together.
During your Kerendia treatment, your doctor will check your potassium level with a blood test. They’ll likely do this at least every 4 weeks. They may test your potassium level more often if you take Kerendia with a diuretic that causes high potassium.
Your doctor can determine what to do if you have a high potassium level while taking Kerendia with a diuretic. For example, they may temporarily stop your Kerendia treatment until your level returns to a usual range. Or they may lower your dosage* of Kerendia or the diuretic to reduce the risk of high potassium. Your doctor can also recommend whether it’s safe to continue taking Kerendia with the diuretic.
If you have questions about taking Kerendia with certain diuretics, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
* To learn more about Kerendia’s dosage, see this article.
Interaction with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Kerendia can interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are used to ease pain, inflammation (swelling), and fever.
Examples of NSAIDs include:
What could happen
Taking Kerendia with an NSAID can raise your risk of a high potassium level in the blood. This is because both Kerendia and NSAIDs may cause high potassium when taken individually. Taking these drugs together can increase your risk of this side effect.
What you can do
Before starting Kerendia treatment, tell your doctor if you take any NSAIDs. They can recommend whether it’s safe to take these medications together.
If you have pain, inflammation, or fever while taking Kerendia, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can advise you on treatment options other than NSAIDs. For example, they may suggest you take acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of an NSAID. This drug isn’t known to interact with Kerendia.
If you have questions about taking Kerendia with NSAIDs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with verapamil
Kerendia can interact with verapamil (Verelan). Verapamil belongs to a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It helps treat high blood pressure and other conditions related to the heart and blood vessels.
What could happen
Taking Kerendia with verapamil can raise your risk of side effects from Kerendia, such as having a high potassium level in the blood. This is because verapamil can slow down the activity of a certain enzyme (protein) that breaks down Kerendia in your body. This could lead to a high level of Kerendia in your body, increasing your risk of side effects.
What you can do
Before you start Kerendia treatment, tell your doctor if you take verapamil. They can determine whether it’s safe to take these medications together.
While you’re taking Kerendia, your doctor will check your potassium level with a blood test. They may do this every 4 weeks or more often if you take Kerendia with verapamil. They’ll advise you on what to do if your potassium level is high while taking these medications together.
For example, your doctor may stop your Kerendia treatment for a short time until your potassium level returns to a usual range. They may also lower your Kerendia dosage* to reduce the risk of high potassium. Your doctor can tell you whether it’s safe to continue taking Kerendia with verapamil.
If you have questions about taking Kerendia with verapamil, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
* To learn more about Kerendia’s dosage, see this article.
Kerendia may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Kerendia.
Does Kerendia interact with supplements?
Before you start taking Kerendia, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
Kerendia can interact with potassium supplements. Kerendia and these supplements may cause a high potassium level in the blood. So taking Kerendia with potassium supplements can raise your risk of this side effect.
If you have questions about taking Kerendia with any supplements, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Kerendia interactions with herbs
Kerendia can interact with St. John’s wort, an herbal supplement that some people use to ease symptoms of depression and other conditions.
Taking Kerendia with St. John’s wort could cause your body to break down Kerendia too quickly. This can lower the level of Kerendia in your system, which may make the drug less effective.
Due to this risk, your doctor may advise you to avoid St. John’s wort while you’re taking Kerendia. They can recommend alternative treatments for you.
Before taking any herbal supplements with Kerendia, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Kerendia and vitamins or minerals
There are currently no reports of Kerendia interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
Keep in mind that some multivitamins contain potassium, which may interact with Kerendia when taken as a supplement.* However, multivitamins typically contain much less potassium than a potassium supplement.
However, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any vitamin products with Kerendia. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take these products during your Kerendia treatment.
* To learn more about this interaction, see “Does Kerendia interact with supplements?” above.
Does Kerendia interact with food?
Kerendia can interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. This is because grapefruit products can slow down the activity of a certain enzyme (protein) that breaks down Kerendia in your body. Consuming grapefruit products while taking Kerendia could raise the level of Kerendia in your system, increasing your risk of side effects from the drug.
Due to this risk, doctors typically suggest that you avoid consuming grapefruit products while taking Kerendia.
In addition, keep in mind that certain foods are high in potassium. Potassium may interact with Kerendia when taken as a supplement.* However, the amount of potassium in foods is typically much lower than in a potassium supplement. Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe to eat high-potassium foods during your Kerendia treatment.
If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Kerendia, talk with your doctor.
* To learn more about this interaction, see “Does Kerendia interact with supplements?” above.
Does Kerendia interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Kerendia interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your Kerendia treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Kerendia interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Kerendia interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Kerendia, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Kerendia interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Kerendia interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Kerendia.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise your risk of interactions with Kerendia. Before taking Kerendia, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Kerendia is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Kerendia include:
Adrenal insufficiency. If you have adrenal insufficiency, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Kerendia. To learn more about this, see the “When should I avoid Kerendia?” section above.
High level of potassium in the blood. Kerendia may cause a high potassium level in the blood. Your doctor will check your potassium level with a blood test before and during your Kerendia treatment. If tests show that you have a high potassium level, your doctor may temporarily delay or pause treatment with Kerendia until your level returns to a usual range.
Pregnancy. It’s not known whether Kerendia is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before taking Kerendia.
Breastfeeding. It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Kerendia while breastfeeding. It isn’t known whether the drug passes into breast milk or whether the drug may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed.
But to be safe, your doctor may advise you to avoid breastfeeding during Kerendia treatment and for at least 1 day after your last dose. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Kerendia or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Kerendia. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Kerendia. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- Whether you drink alcohol.
- Other medications you take or have recently taken, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a
medication list . - What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Kerendia treatment.
It’s also important to understand Kerendia’s
If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Taking Kerendia exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
If you still have questions about Kerendia and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.
Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
- Are there any foods I should limit or avoid during Kerendia treatment?
- Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication while I’m taking Kerendia?
- Does my Kerendia dosage affect my risk of interactions?
To learn more about Kerendia, see these articles:
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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.