Drug & supplement interaction

Deanol + Glutethimide

Glutethimide brand name: Doriden.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Deanol has a minor interaction with Glutethimide. Theoretically, deanol might decrease the effectiveness of anticholinergic drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodUnlikely
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Deanol and Glutethimide

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Glutethimide

Glutethimide falls under ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS — the group Deanol interacts with.

Theoretically, deanol might decrease the effectiveness of anticholinergic drugs.
Deanol is thought to increase acetylcholine levels.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the idea behind this one. Glutethimide is an older sedative (a sleeping pill), and along with its calming effect it also has some anticholinergic activity, meaning it can dial down a brain chemical called acetylcholine. Deanol (DMAE) is thought to do the opposite and nudge acetylcholine levels up. So on paper, deanol could slightly work against glutethimide's anticholinergic side and, in theory, blunt some of its effect.

In real life, this is a very weak, mostly theoretical concern. It's based on how these compounds behave on paper, not on solid human studies, and it's rated minor and unlikely. Glutethimide itself is rarely used today. Still, since it's a sedative, don't change anything on your own. Run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Re O. 2-Dimethylaminoethanol (deanol): a brief review of its clinical efficacy and postulated mechanism of action. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp 1974;16:1238-42.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Deanol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Deanol has 218 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Glutethimide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Deanol

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Deanol. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glutethimide

This page covers Deanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glutethimide page lists 134 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Henbane (major).

By severity: 9 major · 108 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glutethimide page

“Picture the person prescribed glutethimide (Doriden), an old sedative sleeping pill, adding kava or a glass of wine to get through a restless night. That is exactly the pairing this list warns hardest against.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glutethimide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,143 real supplement products containing Deanol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Deanol. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Glutethimide too, on top of Deanol — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Deanol and Glutethimide 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 Deanol
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glutethimide
Steady interest

#1,992 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.

Supplement

About Deanol

What is Deanol?

Deanol
  • Memory and focus
  • Mood and mental clarity
  • ADHD-type symptoms
  • Skin firmness (topical)
  • General brain health

Deanol (DMAE) is a compound related to choline that is marketed for memory, focus, and mood, but solid human evidence for most of these uses is limited or mixed. It can cause side effects in some people, and it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding because its safety is not established. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Read the full Deanol monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Deanol

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

0Major
0Moderate
218Minor
2,611No known interaction
Minor

218 interactions

Showing 60 of 218 minor interactions — see all 218 on the Deanol page.

No interaction 2,611 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Deanol and Glutethimide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Deanol with Glutethimide?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Deanol and Glutethimide interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Glutethimide and Deanol?

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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.