Drug
Isotretinoin
Pronounced
"eye-so-tret-ih-NO-in"
Drug Interactions
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.
Some products that may interact with this drug are: tetracyclines (such as minocycline, tetracycline), vitamin A-type drugs (such as acitretin, bexarotene), vitamin A, drugs that cause bone loss (for example, anti-seizure drugs such as phenytoin, corticosteroids such as prednisone).
Tell your doctor when you start any new drug, and discuss if you should use reliable backup birth control. Also tell your doctor if you have any new spotting or breakthrough bleeding, because these may be signs that your birth control is not working well. (See also Warning section.)
Negative Interactions
1- Potential Negative Interaction
Isotretinoin
Vitamin A
Although little is known about how isotretinoin interacts with real vitamin A, the two are structurally similar and have similar toxicities. Therefore, people taking isotretinoin should avoid vitamin A supplements at levels higher than typically found in a multivitamin (10,000 IU per day).
Supportive Interactions
1- Reduce Side Effects
Isotretinoin
Vitamin E
Preliminary research has found that combined administration of isotretinoin and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) substantially reduces the initial toxicity of high-dose isotretinoin without reducing drug efficacy. Additional research is needed to further clarify this potentially beneficial interaction.
Vitamin EIsotretinoin- Dimery IW, Hong WK, Lee JJ, et al. Phase I trial of alpha-tocopherol effects on 13-cis-retinoic acid toxicity. Ann Oncol 1997;8:85-9.