Drug & supplement interaction

Canthaxanthin + Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone

Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone brand names: Femhrt, Loestrin 21, Ovcon 35 21, Ovcon 50 28, Necon 0.5 35 21, and others.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026 · Pair last verified Oct 4, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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 Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone

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 Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone and Canthaxanthin 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 Canthaxanthin at all — not against Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone, 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.

Canthaxanthin safety at a glance

Canthaxanthin overall Use caution Generally fine in small food-coloring amounts, but high-dose supplements have been linked to eye and other problems.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid supplemental doses during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid supplemental use.

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

Still wondering about combining Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone and Canthaxanthin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Canthaxanthin Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone. It is the side-effect record for Canthaxanthin on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Canthaxanthin, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Anemia Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, large amounts of canthaxanthin can cause orange-brown coloration of the skin, brick-red coloration of stools, orange discoloration of plasma, discolored body secretions, diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, urticaria, welts, gold and yellow crystalline deposits around the macula of the retina, and hepatitis.”

    Canthaxanthin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 5632. Lober CW. Canthaxanthin- the "tanning" pill. J Am Acad Dermatol 1985;13:660. PubMed
    2. 5631. Jackson R. Quick suntan pills in Canada. J Am Acad Dermatol 1981;4:233. PubMed
    3. 5634. Rock GA, Decary F, Cole RS. Orange plasma from tanning capsules. Lancet 1981;1:1419-20. PubMed
    4. 5637. Herbert V. Canthaxanthin toxicity. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:573-4. DOI
    5. 5635. Bluhm R, Branch R, Johnston P, Stein R. Aplastic anemia associated with canthaxanthin ingested for 'tanning' purposes. JAMA 1990;264:1141-2. DOI
    6. 5636. Harnois C, Samson J, Malenfant M, Rousseau A. Canthaxanthin retinopathy. Anatomic and funtional reversibility. Arch Ophthalmol 1989;107:538-40. DOI
  • Hives / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Recorded for Canthaxanthin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Anemia above.

  • Itching / Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Recorded for Canthaxanthin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Anemia above.

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

How to take them

Some Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone Products Have a Food Rule — Canthaxanthin Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone says to take it with food. If you take Canthaxanthin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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 Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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.

Tablets should be taken regularly with a meal or at bedtime.

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

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 Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone

This page covers Canthaxanthin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone page lists 240 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 196 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone page

“If you take a birth control pill or hormone therapy containing ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Loestrin, Femhrt, and others), a few supplements can genuinely undermine it, so read this page with care. Six of the 240 ingredients on file are rated major, and those six come first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1 real supplement products containing Canthaxanthin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Canthaxanthin. Even though Canthaxanthin itself has no known interaction with Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone, 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 Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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 Canthaxanthin
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone
Top half

#1,354 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 Canthaxanthin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone records this page draws on were last updated October 6, 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 Canthaxanthin

What is Canthaxanthin?

  • Skin coloring or 'tanning pills'
  • Food and feed coloring (e.g., to color farmed fish/poultry)
  • Antioxidant supplement
  • Erythropoietic protoporphyria (light sensitivity, historical/medical use)

Canthaxanthin is a reddish-orange carotenoid pigment used mainly as a coloring agent and in 'tanning pills.' There is little good evidence it provides health benefits, and high doses have been linked to a serious eye problem called canthaxanthin retinopathy, so the tanning-pill use is widely discouraged.

Carotenoid pigment (synthetic or from sources like the mushroom Cantharellus cinnabarinus, certain algae, and crustaceans) · Oral tablets and capsules, often marketed as 'tanning pills'; also used as a food coloring additive

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

Canthaxanthin: dosing

There is no established, recommended supplement dose of canthaxanthin for any health condition, and the high doses once used for skin coloring are not considered safe. Given the known risks at high doses, most people are better off avoiding supplemental canthaxanthin entirely.

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

Read the full Canthaxanthin monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Canthaxanthin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Canthaxanthin — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Canthaxanthin list.

See the full Canthaxanthin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Canthaxanthin References

The 12 references that drive our Canthaxanthin 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. Jackson R. Quick suntan pills in Canada. J Am Acad Dermatol 1981;4:233. PubMed
  2. Lober CW. Canthaxanthin- the "tanning" pill. J Am Acad Dermatol 1985;13:660. PubMed
  3. Rock GA, Decary F, Cole RS. Orange plasma from tanning capsules. Lancet 1981;1:1419-20. PubMed
  4. Bluhm R, Branch R, Johnston P, Stein R. Aplastic anemia associated with canthaxanthin ingested for 'tanning' purposes. JAMA 1990;264:1141-2. DOI
  5. Harnois C, Samson J, Malenfant M, Rousseau A. Canthaxanthin retinopathy. Anatomic and funtional reversibility. Arch Ophthalmol 1989;107:538-40. DOI
  6. Herbert V. Canthaxanthin toxicity. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:573-4. DOI
  7. White GL Jr, Beesley R, Thiese SM, Murdock RT. Retinal crystals and oral tanning agents. Am Fam Physician 1988;37:125-6.
  8. Chang TS, Aylward W, Clarkson JG, Gass JD. Asymmetric canthaxanthin retinopathy. Am J Ophthalmol 1995;119:801-2. PubMed
  9. Leyon H, Ros AM, Nyberg S, Algvere P. Reversibility of canthaxanthin deposits within the retina. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1990;68:607-11. PubMed
  10. Espaillat A, Aiello LP, Arrigg PG, et al. Canthaxanthine retinopathy. Arch Ophthalmol 1999;117:412-3.. PubMed
  11. Bareford, D., Cumberbatch, M., and Derrick, Tovey L. Plasma discolouration due to sun-tanning aids. Vox Sang. 1984;46(3):180-182. DOI
  12. Gunson, H. H., Merry, A. H., Britton, G., and Stratton, F. Detection of carotenoids in blood donors taking Orobronze: a cautionary note. Clin.Lab Haematol. 1984;6(3):287-292. 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 Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Canthaxanthin with Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone?
We do not list a known interaction between Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone. 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 Canthaxanthin and Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone says to take it with food. If you take Canthaxanthin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone has documented interactions with 240 supplements in our database — Canthaxanthin is not one of them. The Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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

Canthaxanthin monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone, 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 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone and Canthaxanthin?

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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.