Drug & supplement interaction

Beta-carotene + Azithromycin

Azithromycin brand names: Zithromax, Zmax, Azasite.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Beta-carotene and Azithromycin 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 two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Beta-carotene and Azithromycin

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 Azithromycin and Beta-carotene 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.

Beta-carotene safety at a glance

Beta-carotene overall Use caution Food amounts are safe, but high-dose supplements may raise lung cancer risk in smokers.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of large doses of beta-carotene in pregnancy and lacta... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of large doses of beta-carotene in pregnancy and lacta... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Azithromycin and Beta-carotene? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Azithromycin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Azithromycin is filed under 7 classifications — including macrolide antibiotics, qt interval-prolonging drugs, antibiotic drugs. Beta-carotene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being niacin (minor) — and none of Azithromycin’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

Beta-carotene Does Interact With Other Medications

Beta-carotene has 3 minor known drug interactions in our database — Azithromycin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 3 No known interaction 2,827 (incl. Azithromycin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Beta-carotene

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Beta-carotene and Azithromycin May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Bloating or gas Additional detail

    Beta-carotene

    “Orally, beta-carotene is well-tolerated when used in appropriate amounts.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Belching, orange skin (temporary).

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Increased cardiovascular mortality and cancer risk in smokers and other specific patient populations.”

    Beta-carotene · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cancer.

    Azithromycin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Azithromycin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Beta-carotene but not commonly for Azithromycin: a heart attack.

Effects for Azithromycin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Beta-carotene come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 59,712 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Azithromycin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Beta-carotene in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally and appropriately. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of large doses of beta-carotene in pregnancy and lactation.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Beta-carotene or Azithromycin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Beta-carotene or Azithromycin, 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 Azithromycin

This page covers Beta-carotene only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Azithromycin page lists 92 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 8 major · 71 moderate · 13 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Azithromycin page

“A five-day Z-Pak for a sinus or chest infection seems too brief to fuss over, but azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax) deserves genuine caution around supplements, and the eight major-rated entries on this list are the ones to understand first. Most of those involve the heart.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Azithromycin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Beta-carotene as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 11 real supplement products containing Beta-carotene, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Beta-carotene. Even though Beta-carotene itself has no known interaction with Azithromycin, 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 Beta-carotene and Azithromycin 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 Beta-carotene
Steady interest

#1,431 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Azithromycin
Top 5%

#60 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 Beta-carotene reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Beta-carotene and Azithromycin 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 Beta-carotene

What is Beta-carotene?

  • Vitamin A source
  • Eye and vision health
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin health
  • General wellness

Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that the body can convert into vitamin A and that also acts as an antioxidant. Getting it from colorful fruits and vegetables is considered safe and healthy, but high-dose supplements have been linked to a higher lung cancer risk in smokers and people exposed to asbestos, so most people should not take large amounts.

Pigment found in colorful fruits and vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens) · Capsules, softgels, tablets, multivitamins, and as a food coloring

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

Beta-carotene: dosing

There is no single agreed-upon supplement dose of beta-carotene for general health, and many experts recommend getting it from food rather than pills. Supplement amounts in products vary widely.If you choose to take a beta-carotene supplement, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount. Avoid high doses, especially if you smoke.

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

Read the full Beta-carotene monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Azithromycin

What Is Azithromycin Used For?

Brand names: Zithromax, Zmax, Azasite

  • Azithromycin is used to treat certain bacterial infections, such as bronchitis; pneumonia; sexually transmitted diseases (STD); and infections of the ears, lungs, sinuses, skin, throat, and reproductive organs. Azithromycin also is used to treat or prevent disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection [a type of lung infection that often affects people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)]. Azithromycin is in a class of medications called macrolide antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria.

  • Antibiotics such as azithromycin will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Using antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Azithromycin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (59,712 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Dyspnea 4,651 reports
Nausea 3,461 reports
Pneumonia 3,225 reports
Cough 3,120 reports
Drug hypersensitivity 2,991 reports
See full Azithromycin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Beta-carotene

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

0Major
0Moderate
3Minor
2,826No known interaction
3 Minor 2,826 No interaction
Minor

3 interactions

No interaction 2,826 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,826 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Beta-carotene list.

See the full Beta-carotene interactions page
See every supplement checked against Azithromycin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Beta-carotene References

The 17 references that drive our Beta-carotene 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. Tribble DL. AHA Science Advisory. Antioxidant consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: emphasis on vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene: A statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation 1999;99:591-5.
  2. Omenn GS, Goodman GE, Thornquist MD, et al. Effects of a combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 1996;334:1150-5. PubMed
  3. Greenberg ER, Baron JA, Karagas MR, et al. Mortality associated with low plasma concentration of beta carotene and the effect of oral supplementation. JAMA 1996;275:699-703. PubMed
  4. Rapola JM, Virtamo J, Ripatti S, et al. Randomised trial of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplements on incidence of major coronary events in men with previous myocardial infarction. Lancet 1997;349:1715-20.
  5. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med 1994;330:1029-35. PubMed
  6. Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Virtamo J, et al. Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90:440-6.
  7. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. Available at: http://www.nap.edu/books/0309069351/html/.
  8. Pryor WA, Stahl W, Rock CL. Beta carotene: from biochemistry to clinical trials. Nutr Rev 2000;58:39-53. PubMed
  9. Brown BG, Zhao XQ, Chait A, et al. Simvastatin and niacin, antioxidant vitamins, or the combination for the prevention of coronary disease. N Engl J Med 2001;345:1583-93. DOI
  10. Virtamo J, Pietinen P, Huttunen JK, et al. Incidence of cancer and mortality following alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation: a postintervention follow-up. JAMA 2003;290:476-85..
  11. Cheung MC, Zhao XQ, Chait A, et al. Antioxidant supplements block the response of HDL to simvastatin-niacin therapy in patients with coronary artery disease and low HDL. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001;21:1320-6. PubMed
  12. Food Standards Agency. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals. Available at: http://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vitmin2003.pdf.
  13. Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, et al. Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 2007;297:842-57. PubMed
  14. Lawson KA, Wright ME, Subar A, et al. Multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:754-64. PubMed
  15. Hemila, H., Virtamo, J., Albanes, D., and Kaprio, J. Physical activity and the common cold in men administered vitamin E and beta-carotene. Med.Sci.Sports Exerc. 2003;35(11):1815-1820.

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 Beta-carotene and Azithromycin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Beta-carotene with Azithromycin?
We do not list a known interaction between Beta-carotene and Azithromycin. 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.
Do Beta-carotene and Azithromycin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Beta-carotene and Azithromycin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Azithromycin is filed under 7 classifications, and Beta-carotene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Azithromycin'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 Beta-carotene interact with any other medications?
Yes. Beta-carotene has 3 documented drug interactions in our database — Azithromycin 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 Azithromycin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Azithromycin has documented interactions with 92 supplements in our database — Beta-carotene is not one of them. The Azithromycin 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

Beta-carotene monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Azithromycin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Azithromycin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Azithromycin, 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 17 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Azithromycin and Beta-carotene?

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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.