Drug & supplement interaction

Canthaxanthin + Nintedanib Esylate

Nintedanib Esylate brand name: Ofev.

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 Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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

Canthaxanthin and Nintedanib Esylate

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 Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate, 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 Nintedanib Esylate and Canthaxanthin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Canthaxanthin and Nintedanib Esylate May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Canthaxanthin

    “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

    Nintedanib Esylate

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

  • Diarrhea / Nausea / Itching / Stomach pain reported in 32.4% of FDA reports for Nintedanib Esylate Additional detail

    Canthaxanthin

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

    Nintedanib Esylate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Nintedanib Esylate, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Canthaxanthin but not commonly for Nintedanib Esylate: hives and anemia.

Effects for Nintedanib Esylate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Canthaxanthin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 31,339 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Nintedanib Esylate 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.

How to take them

Some Nintedanib Esylate Products Have a Food Rule — Canthaxanthin Should Not Break It

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

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Recommended dosage: 150 mg taken orally twice daily approximately 12 hours apart taken with food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Nintedanib Esylate — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Nintedanib Esylate

This page covers Canthaxanthin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nintedanib Esylate page lists 285 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nintedanib Esylate page

“You take Ofev (nintedanib) to slow lung scarring, and this page deserves a careful read before any supplement joins it. Of the 285 ingredients here, the biggest cluster, over 200, can add to bleeding risk, a real concern since nintedanib itself can make you bleed more easily.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate, 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nintedanib Esylate
Top half

#1,059 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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
Medication

About Nintedanib

What Is Nintedanib Used For?

Brand name: Ofev

Nintedanib treats certain scarring lung diseases in adults. All the supported products are indicated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and for chronic fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with a progressive phenotype (scarring lung disease that keeps getting worse).

Ofev, nintedanib capsules (100 mg and 150 mg) and one other nintedanib capsule product are also indicated to slow the decline in lung function in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). The nintedanib esylate capsule label lists only IPF and progressive chronic fibrosing ILDs.

See full Nintedanib drug information
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 Nintedanib Esylate, 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 Nintedanib Esylate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Canthaxanthin with Nintedanib Esylate?
We do not list a known interaction between Canthaxanthin and Nintedanib Esylate. 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 Canthaxanthin and Nintedanib Esylate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 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 Canthaxanthin and Nintedanib Esylate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Nintedanib Esylate says to take it with food. If you take Canthaxanthin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Nintedanib Esylate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Nintedanib Esylate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Nintedanib Esylate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Nintedanib Esylate has documented interactions with 285 supplements in our database — Canthaxanthin is not one of them. The Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Nintedanib Esylate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Nintedanib Esylate, 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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.