Anthralin

Safetychecker Summary for Anthralin
(for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article)

May be Beneficial: Side effect reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication.	Vitamin E (topical)
Depletion or interference	None known
Supportive interaction	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known
Adverse interaction	None known

Interactions with Dietary Supplements

Vitamin E
Anthralin can cause inflammation of the skin. A preliminary study found that topical use of vitamin E was able to protect against this side effect.¹ This report used a tocopherol form of the vitamin rather than tocopheryl. This makes sense, as there is no conclusive proof that the tocopheryl forms (which require an enzyme to split vitamin E from the fatty acid to which it is attached) have any activity on the skin.

References:

1. Finnen MJ, Lawrence CM, Shuster S. Inhibition of dithranol inflammation by free-radical scavengers. Lancet 1984;ii:1129–30.

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.