Drug & supplement interaction

Betaine Anhydrous + Trifarotene

Trifarotene brand name: Aklief.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene 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.

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Interaction report

Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene

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 Trifarotene and Betaine Anhydrous 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Betaine Anhydrous at all — not against Trifarotene, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Betaine Anhydrous safety at a glance

Betaine Anhydrous overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studied doses, but check with a healthcare provider before use.
Pregnancy Use caution There is not enough reliable safety data, so it is best to avoid unless a doctor advises otherwise.
Breastfeeding Use caution Safety while breastfeeding is not well established, so caution is advised.

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

Still wondering about combining Trifarotene and Betaine Anhydrous? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Betaine Anhydrous Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • Swelling Additional detail

    “When used orally to treat homocystinuria due to cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency, elevated plasma methionine concentrations can occur following use of betaine anhydrous, which might lead to cerebral edema.”

    Betaine Anhydrous · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in homocystinuria.

    2 sources cited
    1. 698. Cystadane (betaine anhydrous for oral solution) Package insert. Orphan Medical, Inc. Minnetonka, MN. November 2005.
    2. 111374. Imbard A, Toumazi A, Magréault S, et al. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of betaine in CBS and cblC deficiencies: a cross-over randomized controlled trial. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022;17(1):417. PubMed
  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, betaine anhydrous can cause vomiting, nausea, GI distress, and diarrhea.”

    Betaine Anhydrous · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    5 sources cited
    1. 698. Cystadane (betaine anhydrous for oral solution) Package insert. Orphan Medical, Inc. Minnetonka, MN. November 2005.
    2. 10631. Abdelmalek MF, Angulo P, Jorgensen RA, et al. Betaine, a promising new agent for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: results of a pilot study. Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:2711-7.. PubMed
    3. 34888. Knopman, D. and Patterson, M. An open-label, 24-week pilot study of the methyl donor betaine in Alzheimer disease patients. Alzheimer Dis.Assoc.Disord. 2001;15(3):162-165. PubMed
    4. 34928. Abdelmalek, M. F., Sanderson, S. O., Angulo, P., Soldevila-Pico, C., Liu, C., Peter, J., Keach, J., Cave, M., Chen, T., McClain, C. J., and Lindor, K. D. Betaine for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Hepa PubMed
    5. 111374. Imbard A, Toumazi A, Magréault S, et al. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of betaine in CBS and cblC deficiencies: a cross-over randomized controlled trial. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022;17(1):417. PubMed

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Trifarotene

This page covers Betaine Anhydrous only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Trifarotene page lists 3 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) (moderate), Turpentine Oil (moderate) and Alchemilla (minor).

By severity: 2 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Trifarotene page

“Trifarotene (Aklief) is a retinoid cream for acne, applied to the skin rather than swallowed, which keeps its supplement interaction list unusually short. Only three ingredients are on file, none rated major, and both moderate entries share one theme, boosting how much of a topical product soaks through the skin.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Trifarotene interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,564 real supplement products containing Betaine Anhydrous, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Betaine Anhydrous. Even though Betaine Anhydrous itself has no known interaction with Trifarotene, 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 Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene 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 Betaine Anhydrous
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Trifarotene
Steady interest

#2,032 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 Betaine Anhydrous reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Betaine Anhydrous

What is Betaine Anhydrous?

  • High homocysteine levels
  • Liver health (fatty liver)
  • Exercise performance and strength
  • Digestive support (as betaine HCl, a related form)
  • General supplementation in sports nutrition

Betaine anhydrous (also called trimethylglycine) is a compound found in foods like beets, spinach, and whole grains, and is sold as a supplement and as a prescription medicine for a rare genetic condition. It is best supported for lowering homocysteine and is studied for exercise performance, though those results are mixed. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition.

Betaine is a naturally occurring compound; the supplement form is typically derived from sugar beets (Beta vulgaris) or made synthetically · Powder, capsules, tablets; also a prescription form (betaine anhydrous) for a specific genetic disorder

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

Betaine Anhydrous: dosing

There is no single standardized dose for betaine anhydrous as a general supplement. Do not assume more is better, since higher doses may increase side effects.

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

Read the full Betaine Anhydrous monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Trifarotene Topical

What Is Trifarotene Topical Used For?

Brand name: Aklief

Aklief Cream is used to treat acne vulgaris (common acne) on the face and trunk — including the chest, shoulders, and back. It is approved for patients 9 years of age and older.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Trifarotene

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Erythema 28 reports
Acne 17 reports
Skin burning sensation 17 reports
Urinary retention 16 reports
Dry skin 15 reports
See full Trifarotene Topical drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Betaine Anhydrous

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Betaine Anhydrous References

The 11 references that drive our Betaine Anhydrous 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. Cystadane (betaine anhydrous for oral solution) Package insert. Orphan Medical, Inc. Minnetonka, MN. November 2005.
  2. Abdelmalek MF, Angulo P, Jorgensen RA, et al. Betaine, a promising new agent for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: results of a pilot study. Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:2711-7.. PubMed
  3. Schwab U, Torronen A, Toppinen L, et al. Betaine supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations but does not affect body weight, body composition, or resting energy expenditure in human subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:961-7. PubMed
  4. McGregor DO, Dellow WJ, Robson RA, et al. Betaine supplementation decreases post-methionine hyperhomocysteinemia in chronic renal failure. Kidney Int 2002;61:1040-6. PubMed
  5. Olthof MR, van Vliet T, Verhoef P, et al. Effect of homocysteine-lowering nutrients on blood lipids: results from four randomised, placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans. PloS Med 2005;2:e135. PubMed
  6. Knopman, D. and Patterson, M. An open-label, 24-week pilot study of the methyl donor betaine in Alzheimer disease patients. Alzheimer Dis.Assoc.Disord. 2001;15(3):162-165. PubMed
  7. Moat, S. J., Madhavan, A., Taylor, S. Y., Payne, N., Allen, R. H., Stabler, S. P., Goodfellow, J., McDowell, I. F., Lewis, M. J., and Lang, D. High- but not low-dose folic acid improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease. Eur J Clin Invest 2 PubMed
  8. Abdelmalek, M. F., Sanderson, S. O., Angulo, P., Soldevila-Pico, C., Liu, C., Peter, J., Keach, J., Cave, M., Chen, T., McClain, C. J., and Lindor, K. D. Betaine for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Hepa PubMed
  9. Ashtary-Larky D, Bagheri R, Ghanavati M, et al. Effects of betaine supplementation on cardiovascular markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021 Mar 25:1-18. PubMed
  10. Zawieja EE, Zawieja B, Chmurzynska A. Betaine supplementation moderately increases total cholesterol levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Diet Suppl. 2021;18(1):105-117. PubMed
  11. Imbard A, Toumazi A, Magréault S, et al. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of betaine in CBS and cblC deficiencies: a cross-over randomized controlled trial. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022;17(1):417. 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 Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Betaine Anhydrous with Trifarotene?
We do not list a known interaction between Betaine Anhydrous and Trifarotene. 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.
Does Trifarotene interact with any supplements?
Yes. Trifarotene has documented interactions with 3 supplements in our database — Betaine Anhydrous is not one of them. The Trifarotene interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Trifarotene and Betaine Anhydrous?

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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.