Drug & supplement interaction

Beta-carotene + Irinotecan Hydrochloride

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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride states a food rule worth keeping to, and 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride

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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride and Beta-carotene? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Irinotecan Hydrochloride

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Irinotecan Hydrochloride is filed under 6 classifications — including topoisomerase i inhibitors, topoisomerase ii inhibitors, organic anion-transporting polypeptide substrates (oatp). Beta-carotene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being niacin (minor) — and none of Irinotecan Hydrochloride’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 — Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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. Irinotecan Hydrochloride)
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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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.

    Irinotecan Hydrochloride

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

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

Effects for Irinotecan Hydrochloride come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Beta-carotene come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. 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

How to take them

Some Irinotecan Hydrochloride Products Have a Food Rule — Beta-carotene Should Not Break It

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

Antiemetic agents should be given on the day of treatment, starting at least 30 minutes before administration of CAMPTOSAR.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Irinotecan Hydrochloride — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

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.

Overlapping uses

What Irinotecan Hydrochloride Is Prescribed For, and What Beta-carotene Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Irinotecan Hydrochloride is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Beta-carotene is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Beta-carotene has been studied for:

  • Pancreatic cancer studied, not established Beta-carotene has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Beta-carotene for pancreatic cancer

    It is unclear if oral beta-carotene is beneficial for pancreatic cancer prevention.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Irinotecan Hydrochloride on your own; if you are taking Beta-carotene for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Irinotecan Hydrochloride

This page covers Beta-carotene only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Irinotecan Hydrochloride page lists 135 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Apple (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Sweet Orange (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 100 moderate · 31 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Irinotecan Hydrochloride page

“Irinotecan hydrochloride is chemotherapy, most often used against colorectal cancer, so the 135 supplements and foods on this page call for genuine care rather than a shrug. Four entries rate major, and St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride, 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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

#1,430 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Irinotecan Hydrochloride
Steady interest

#1,424 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Lipid Complex Injection

What Is Irinotecan Lipid Complex Injection Used For?

  • Irinotecan lipid complex is used in combination with other medications to treat pancreatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body that has worsened after treatment with other chemotherapy medications. Irinotecan lipid complex is in a class of antineoplastic medications called topoisomerase I inhibitors. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells.

See full Irinotecan Lipid Complex Injection 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride, 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Beta-carotene with Irinotecan Hydrochloride?
We do not list a known interaction between Beta-carotene and Irinotecan Hydrochloride. 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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.
Should I take Beta-carotene and Irinotecan Hydrochloride at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride on its own and move Beta-carotene 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.
Are Beta-carotene and Irinotecan Hydrochloride used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Beta-carotene in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Irinotecan Hydrochloride is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Beta-carotene and Irinotecan Hydrochloride combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Irinotecan Hydrochloride is filed under 6 classifications, and Beta-carotene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Irinotecan Hydrochloride'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 — Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride interact with any supplements?
Yes. Irinotecan Hydrochloride has documented interactions with 135 supplements in our database — Beta-carotene is not one of them. The Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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 Irinotecan Lipid Complex Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Irinotecan Hydrochloride supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Irinotecan Hydrochloride, 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 Irinotecan Hydrochloride 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.