Drug & supplement interaction

Astaxanthin + Temozolomide

Temozolomide brand name: Temodar.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Astaxanthin and Temozolomide in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Temozolomide states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Astaxanthin and Temozolomide

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Temozolomide and Astaxanthin in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Astaxanthin safety at a glance

Astaxanthin overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studies, but long-term safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best to avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best to avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Temozolomide and Astaxanthin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Temozolomide

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Temozolomide is filed under 3 classifications — alkylating agents, antineoplastics, oral drugs. Astaxanthin has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being cytochrome p450 2b6 (cyp2b6) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates (moderate) — and none of Temozolomide’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Astaxanthin Does Interact With Other Medications

Astaxanthin has 671 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Temozolomide isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 671 No known interaction 2,159 (incl. Temozolomide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Astaxanthin

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Astaxanthin. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What Astaxanthin Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Temozolomide. It is the side-effect record for Astaxanthin on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Astaxanthin, this list is the first place to look.

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea Additional detail

    “Orally, astaxanthin 6 mg daily has caused two cases of increased bowel movements and two cases of red fecal color. A higher dose of astaxanthin (AstaCarox, AstaReal AB) 40 mg daily has caused severe stomach/abdominal pain in two patients.”

    Astaxanthin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 91736. Choi HD, Youn YK, Shin WG. Positive effects of astaxanthin on lipid profiles and oxidative stress in overweight subjects. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2011;66:363-369. PubMed
    2. 19165. Kupcinskas L, Lafolie P, Lignell A, et al. Efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in the treatment of functional dyspepsia in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection: A prospective, randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Astaxanthin — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Temozolomide’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Temozolomide column appears here.

How to take them

Some Temozolomide Products Have a Food Rule — Astaxanthin Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Temozolomide says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Astaxanthin included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Temozolomide on its own and move Astaxanthin to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Temozolomide products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

To reduce nausea and vomiting, take TEMODAR on an empty stomach or at bedtime and consider antiemetic therapy prior to and following TEMODAR administration.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Temozolomide — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Temozolomide drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Astaxanthin or Temozolomide

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Astaxanthin or Temozolomide, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Temozolomide

This page covers Astaxanthin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Temozolomide page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Coenzyme Q10 (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 14 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Temozolomide page

“Temozolomide (Temodar) is an oral chemotherapy pill, usually prescribed for aggressive brain tumors, and stakes that high make me treat this list with real caution. Most of the 25 supplements on file interfere in the gut, where fibers, gums, and charcoals may bind the drug or change how much of it gets absorbed.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Temozolomide interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Astaxanthin as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 2,223 real supplement products containing Astaxanthin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Astaxanthin. Even though Astaxanthin itself has no known interaction with Temozolomide, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Astaxanthin and Temozolomide Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Astaxanthin
Top 10%

#112 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Temozolomide
Steady interest

#2,696 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Astaxanthin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Astaxanthin and Temozolomide records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Astaxanthin

What is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin health and aging
  • Eye health
  • Exercise recovery
  • Heart and inflammation support

Astaxanthin is a reddish carotenoid pigment with strong antioxidant activity in the lab, and it is widely promoted for skin, eye, heart, and exercise benefits. Early human studies are promising for a few uses, but the overall evidence is still limited and not strong enough to make firm claims. It appears generally well tolerated at typical supplement doses, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Pigment extracted from microalgae (mainly Haematococcus pluvialis), yeast, and some seafood · Capsules, soft gels, tablets, and as an ingredient in some skin creams

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Astaxanthin is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Astaxanthin record says about it on its own.

Astaxanthin: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for astaxanthin, and amounts used in studies have varied. Because of this, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label.Astaxanthin is fat-soluble, so it is often taken with a meal that contains some fat to help absorption.

From our Astaxanthin monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Astaxanthin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Temozolomide

What Is Temozolomide Used For?

Brand name: Temodar

Temozolomide treats two types of aggressive brain tumors in adults: glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma. For newly diagnosed glioblastoma, it is given alongside radiation therapy and then continued as maintenance treatment.

For anaplastic astrocytoma, Temodar (the brand-name injection/capsule product) is approved for adjuvant treatment of newly diagnosed cases as well as refractory cases (tumors that have stopped responding to other treatment). Temozolomide Capsules, USP are approved for newly diagnosed glioblastoma and for refractory anaplastic astrocytoma in patients whose disease progressed on a regimen containing nitrosourea and procarbazine.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Temozolomide

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (20,946 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 1,887 reports
Thrombocytopenia 1,569 reports
Nausea 1,310 reports
Fatigue 1,037 reports
Neutropenia 1,035 reports
See full Temozolomide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Astaxanthin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Astaxanthin — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
671Moderate
0Minor
2,158No known interaction
671 Moderate 2,158 No interaction
Moderate

671 interactions

Showing 60 of 671 moderate interactions — see all 671 on the Astaxanthin page.

No interaction 2,158 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Astaxanthin against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,158 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Astaxanthin list.

See the full Astaxanthin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Temozolomide, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Astaxanthin References

The 3 references that drive our Astaxanthin monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Kupcinskas L, Lafolie P, Lignell A, et al. Efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in the treatment of functional dyspepsia in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection: A prospective, randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled
  2. Kistler, A., Liechti, H., Pichard, L., Wolz, E., Oesterhelt, G., Hayes, A., and Maurel, P. Metabolism and CYP-inducer properties of astaxanthin in man and primary human hepatocytes. Arch.Toxicol. 2002;75(11-12):665-675. PubMed
  3. Choi HD, Youn YK, Shin WG. Positive effects of astaxanthin on lipid profiles and oxidative stress in overweight subjects. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2011;66:363-369. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Astaxanthin and Temozolomide Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Astaxanthin with Temozolomide?
We do not list a known interaction between Astaxanthin and Temozolomide. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Should I take Astaxanthin and Temozolomide at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Temozolomide says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Temozolomide on its own and move Astaxanthin to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Astaxanthin and Temozolomide combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Temozolomide is filed under 3 classifications, and Astaxanthin has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Temozolomide's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Astaxanthin interact with any other medications?
Yes. Astaxanthin has 671 documented drug interactions in our database — Temozolomide is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Temozolomide interact with any supplements?
Yes. Temozolomide has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — Astaxanthin is not one of them. The Temozolomide interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Astaxanthin monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Temozolomide drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Temozolomide supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Temozolomide, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Temozolomide and Astaxanthin?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.