Also indexed as: Anthraderm, Anthraforte®,
Anthranol®, Anthrascalp®, Dithranol, Drithocreme®, Micanol® Cream,
Psorin® Ointment
Anthralin is a drug applied only to affected skin areas to treat psoriasis.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 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
|
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the
interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific
evidence.
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.
Copyright © 2004 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.healthnotes.com
Please read the disclaimer
about the limitations of the information provided here. Do NOT rely solely on the information
in this article.
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
Learn more about the authors of Using
Medicines with Vitamins and Herbs
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 2005.