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.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
(for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article)
 Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements
when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous
results. |
Vitamin A* |
| Depletion or interference |
None known |
| Side effect reduction/prevention |
None known |
| Supportive interaction |
None known |
| Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability |
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.
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.
Food
Food enhances absorption of retinoid drugs.1 Tretinoin capsules (Vesanoid®)
should be taken with food.
1. Threlkeld DS, ed. Antineoplastics, Miscellaneous Antineoplastics, Tretinoin. In Facts and Comparisons Drug Information. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons, Jul 1996, 685w–5z.
Copyright © 2003 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 July 2004.