Anthralin

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.

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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 chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

2007-09-01

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Interactions with Dietary Supplements

References