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Tretinoin

Also indexed as: All-Trans-Retinoic Acid, ATRA, Atragen®, Avita®, Renova®, Retin-A®, Vesanoid®, Vitinoin®

Tretinoin is a slightly altered version of vitamin A. Topical tretinoin is available in cream, gel, and liquid forms to treat acne, other skin conditions, and some forms of skin cancer. Tretinoin is also available in oral capsules used to induce remission in people with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Interactions with Dietary Supplements

Vitamin A
Large amounts of vitamin A can cause side effects, and oral tretinoin can cause similar side effects. Combining vitamin A with oral tretinoin is likely to increase the risk of side effects. People taking oral tretinoin should probably not take more than 10,000 IU of supplemental vitamin A per day.

Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds

Food
Food enhances absorption of retinoid drugs.1 Tretinoin capsules (Vesanoid®) should be taken with food.

Summary of Interactions for Tretinoin

Depletion or interference None known
Adverse interaction Vitamin A*
Side effect reduction/prevention None known
Supportive interaction None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability None known

For the convenience of the reader, the information in the summary is categorized as follows: “Depletion or interference” indicates the drug may deplete or interfere with the absorption or function of the supplement or herb. “Adverse interaction” indicates that the supplement or herb used together with the drug may result in undesirable effects. “Side effect reduction/prevention” indicates the supplement or herb may reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the drug. “Supportive interaction” indicates the supplement or herb may support or aid the function of the drug. “Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability” indicates that the supplement or herb may decrease the absorption and/or activity of the drug in the body. An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

References:

1. Threlkeld DS, ed. Antineoplastics, Miscellaneous Antineoplastics, Tretinoin. In Facts and Comparisons Drug Information. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons, Jul 1996, 685w–5z.