Drug & supplement interaction

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) + Ospemifene

Ospemifene brand name: Osphena.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene 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 Ospemifene states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene

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 Ospemifene and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) 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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) at all — not against Ospemifene, 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.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) safety at a glance

Butylated Hydroxyt... overall Use caution Approved as a food preservative in small amounts, but using concentrated BHT as a supplement is not well studied and may be harmful.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally as a food additive. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally as a food additive. 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 Ospemifene and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Ospemifene. It is the side-effect record for Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht), this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Fainting / Confusion Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, BHT can cause severe gastritis characterized by severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms may progress to weakness, dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, unsteady gait, and loss of consciousness. BHT is highly lipid soluble. It may cross the blood brain barrier, causing psychotropic symptoms. BHT has been associated with development of cancer;”

    Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cancer.

    5 sources cited
    1. 10303. Shlian DM, Goldstone J. Toxicity of butylated hydroxytoluene. N Engl J Med 1986;314:648-9. DOI
    2. 10698. Grogan MW. Toxicity from BHT ingestion. West J Med 1986;145:245-6.
    3. 10699. Shlian DM, Goldstone J. More on BHT toxicity. West J Med 1986;145:699.
    4. 10292. Williams GM, Iatropoulos MJ, Whysner J. Safety assessment of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene as antioxidant food additives. Food Chem Toxicol 1999;37:1027-38.. PubMed
    5. 10293. Botterweck AA, Verhagen H, Goldbohm RA, et al. Intake of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene and stomach cancer risk: results from analyses in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Food Chem Toxicol 2000;38:599-605.. PubMed
  • Stomach upset / Dizziness / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Recorded for Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Fainting / Confusion above.

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

Special populations

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally as a food additive.

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 Ospemifene Products Have a Food Rule — Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Ospemifene says to take it with food. If you take Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Ospemifene with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Ospemifene 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.

One tablet taken orally once daily with food.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ospemifene

This page covers Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ospemifene page lists 155 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Tiratricol (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 112 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ospemifene page

“Women prescribed ospemifene (Osphena) for painful intercourse after menopause are often the same women reaching for St. John's wort for mood or grapefruit juice at breakfast, and both sit among the four major-rated interactions on this page, so the list deserves genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ospemifene interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene 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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)
Steady interest

#1,319 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ospemifene
Steady interest

#2,474 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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene 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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)

What is Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)?

  • Antioxidant supplement
  • Antiviral (popular self-treatment for herpes-type viruses)
  • Food and supplement preservative
  • General 'anti-aging' use

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a man-made antioxidant used mainly as a preservative in foods, cosmetics, and supplements. Some people take it as a supplement hoping for antiviral or anti-aging effects, but human evidence for these uses is very weak, and taking concentrated BHT carries real safety concerns. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it as a supplement.

Synthetic compound (not from a plant) · Capsules, tablets, liquid drops, powder

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

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht): dosing

There is no established or proven safe supplement dose of BHT. It is not a standardized medical treatment, and doses found in supplements vary widely.If you choose to use a BHT product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

From our Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ospemifene

What Is Ospemifene Used For?

Brand name: Osphena

Osphena (ospemifene) is used to treat two specific symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy — the thinning and drying of vaginal tissues that can happen after menopause. The first is moderate to severe dyspareunia (painful intercourse), and the second is moderate to severe vaginal dryness.

Both of these uses are for postmenopausal women only. Osphena is not used in children or in women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ospemifene

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (2,601 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Hot flush 372 reports
Headache 209 reports
Muscle spasms 194 reports
Vaginal haemorrhage 150 reports
Vaginal discharge 134 reports
See full Ospemifene drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) — 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

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) References

The 6 references that drive our Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) 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. Williams GM, Iatropoulos MJ, Whysner J. Safety assessment of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene as antioxidant food additives. Food Chem Toxicol 1999;37:1027-38.. PubMed
  2. Botterweck AA, Verhagen H, Goldbohm RA, et al. Intake of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene and stomach cancer risk: results from analyses in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Food Chem Toxicol 2000;38:599-605.. PubMed
  3. Freeman DJ, Wenerstrom G, Spruance SL. Treatment of recurrent herpes simplex labialis with topical butylated hydroxytoluene. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1985;38:56-9.. PubMed
  4. Shlian DM, Goldstone J. Toxicity of butylated hydroxytoluene. N Engl J Med 1986;314:648-9. DOI
  5. Grogan MW. Toxicity from BHT ingestion. West J Med 1986;145:245-6.
  6. Shlian DM, Goldstone J. More on BHT toxicity. West J Med 1986;145:699.

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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) with Ospemifene?
We do not list a known interaction between Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene. 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 Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) and Ospemifene at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Ospemifene says to take it with food. If you take Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Ospemifene with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Ospemifene products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Ospemifene interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ospemifene has documented interactions with 155 supplements in our database — Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht) is not one of them. The Ospemifene 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 Ospemifene and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (bht)?

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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.