Drug & supplement interaction

Deanol + Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin brand names: Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret, Absorica, and others.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Deanol and Isotretinoin 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 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Deanol and Isotretinoin

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 Isotretinoin and Deanol 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.

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.

Deanol safety at a glance

Deanol overall Use caution May be tolerated by some adults but evidence is limited and side effects can occur.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; some animal research raises concern, so avoid use.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is unknown, so it is best to avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Isotretinoin and Deanol? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Isotretinoin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Isotretinoin is filed under 4 classifications — including retinoids, cytochrome p450 2c8 (cyp2c8) substrates, photosensitizing drugs. Deanol has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticholinergic drugs (minor) and cholinergic drugs (minor) — and none of Isotretinoin’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Deanol Does Interact With Other Medications

Deanol has 219 minor known drug interactions in our database — Isotretinoin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 219 No known interaction 2,611 (incl. Isotretinoin)
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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Deanol and Isotretinoin 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on reported in 12.1% of FDA reports for Isotretinoin Additional detail

    Deanol

    “Orally, taking deanol at doses greater than 1000 mg daily has been reported to cause mood changes, including depression and hypomania, in patients with psychiatric conditions. Deanol 1500 mg daily has been reported to increase schizophrenic symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia.”

    Deanol · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    2 sources cited
    1. 1685. Casey DE. Mood alterations during deanol therapy. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979;62:187-91. PubMed
    2. 1674. de Montigny C, Chouinard G, Annable L. Ineffectiveness of deanol in tardive dyskinesia: a placebo controlled study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979;65:219-23. PubMed

    Isotretinoin

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

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Deanol

    Recorded for Deanol in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Low mood above.

    Isotretinoin

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

  • Mood changes or irritability Additional detail

    Deanol

    Recorded for Deanol in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Low mood above.

    Isotretinoin

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

  • Drowsiness / Trouble sleeping / Constipation / Headache Additional detail

    Deanol

    Recorded for Deanol in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Low mood above.

    Isotretinoin

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

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    Deanol

    “Orally, deanol has been reported to cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 1674. de Montigny C, Chouinard G, Annable L. Ineffectiveness of deanol in tardive dyskinesia: a placebo controlled study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979;65:219-23. PubMed
    2. 1680. Fisman M, Mersky H, Helmes E. Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiatry 1981;138:970-2. PubMed

    Isotretinoin

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

Showing the 10 most notable of 11 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for Deanol but not commonly for Isotretinoin: confusion and mania or an unusually elevated mood.

Effects for Isotretinoin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Deanol come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 46,523 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Isotretinoin 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Deanol or Isotretinoin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Deanol or Isotretinoin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Isotretinoin

This page covers Deanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Isotretinoin page lists 49 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Vitamin A (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 35 moderate · 12 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Isotretinoin page

“Vitamin A is the first thing anyone on isotretinoin (Accutane, Absorica, Claravis) should check their supplements for, because isotretinoin is itself a vitamin A derivative and stacking more on top can push levels into toxic range. It is one of two major-rated entries among the 49 supplements and herbs known to interact with this acne…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Isotretinoin 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. Even though Deanol itself has no known interaction with Isotretinoin, 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 Deanol and Isotretinoin 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Isotretinoin
Top 5%

#43 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 Deanol reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Deanol and Isotretinoin 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 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.

Synthetic or naturally occurring compound (not a plant part) · Capsules, tablets, liquid drops, powder; also found in skin creams

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

Deanol: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of deanol for supplement use. Products vary widely in strength and form, so the amount in one brand may differ from another.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.

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

Read the full Deanol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Isotretinoin

What Is Isotretinoin Used For?

Brand names: Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret, Absorica, Roaccutane

Isotretinoin is used to treat severe recalcitrant nodular acne — large, deep, inflamed breakouts (nodules 5 mm or bigger) that haven't cleared with conventional treatments like antibiotics. It is approved for non-pregnant patients 12 years of age and older. Brands include Absorica, Absorica LD, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, and generic isotretinoin capsules.

Because of its serious potential side effects, isotretinoin is reserved for patients whose acne is truly severe and has not responded to other standard treatments. A typical course lasts 15 to 20 weeks, and many patients experience prolonged remission — sometimes permanent clearing — after a single course.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Isotretinoin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (46,523 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Depression 5,609 reports
Inflammatory bowel disease 5,250 reports
Colitis ulcerative 3,800 reports
Dry skin 2,326 reports
Pregnancy 2,080 reports
See full Isotretinoin drug information
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
219Minor
2,610No known interaction
219 Minor 2,610 No interaction
Minor

219 interactions

Showing 60 of 219 minor interactions — see all 219 on the Deanol page.

No interaction 2,610 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,610 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Deanol list.

See the full Deanol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Isotretinoin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Deanol References

The 15 references that drive our Deanol 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. Davies C, Maidment S, Hanley P, et al. Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE). HSE. Risk assessment document; EH72/2;1997. (TOXLINE).
  2. 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.
  3. Pieralisi G, Ripari P, Vecchiet L. Effects of a standardized ginseng extract combined with dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements on physical performance during exercise. Clin Ther 1991;13:373-82.
  4. George J, Pridmore S, Aldous D. Double blind controlled trial of deanol in tardive dyskinesia. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 1981;15:68-71. PubMed
  5. Penovich P, Morgan JP, Kerzner B, et al. Double-blind evaluation of deanol in tardive dyskinesia. JAMA 1978;239:1997-8. DOI
  6. de Montigny C, Chouinard G, Annable L. Ineffectiveness of deanol in tardive dyskinesia: a placebo controlled study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979;65:219-23. PubMed
  7. Lindeboom SF, Lakke JP. Deanol and physostigmine in the treatment of L-dopa-induced dyskinesias. Acta Neurol Scand 1978;58:134-8. PubMed
  8. Jus A, Villeneuve A, Gautier J, et al. Deanol, lithium and placebo in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia. A double-blind crossover study. Neuropsychobiology 1978;4:140-9. PubMed
  9. Lewis JA, Young R. Deanol and methylphenidate in minimal brain dysfunction. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1975;17:534-40. PubMed
  10. Fisman M, Mersky H, Helmes E. Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiatry 1981;138:970-2. PubMed
  11. Ferris SH, Sathananthan G, Gershon S, et al. Senile dementia: treatment with deanol. J Am Geriatr Soc 1977;25:241-4. PubMed
  12. Haug BA, Holzgraefe M. Orofacial and respiratory tardive dyskinesia: potential side effects of 2-dimethylaminoethanol (deanol)? Eur Neurol 1991;31:423-5. PubMed
  13. Casey DE. Mood alterations during deanol therapy. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979;62:187-91. PubMed
  14. Sergio W. Use of DMAE (2-dimethylaminoethanol) in the induction of lucid dreams. Med Hypotheses 1988;26:255-7. PubMed
  15. Osol A, Hoover JE, eds. Remington's Pharmaceutical Science, 15th ed. Easton, PA: Mack Publishing Company, 1975.

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 Deanol and Isotretinoin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Deanol with Isotretinoin?
We do not list a known interaction between Deanol and Isotretinoin. 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 Deanol and Isotretinoin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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.
How was the Deanol and Isotretinoin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Isotretinoin is filed under 4 classifications, and Deanol has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Isotretinoin's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Deanol interact with any other medications?
Yes. Deanol has 219 documented drug interactions in our database — Isotretinoin is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Isotretinoin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Isotretinoin has documented interactions with 49 supplements in our database — Deanol is not one of them. The Isotretinoin 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

Deanol monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Isotretinoin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Isotretinoin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Isotretinoin, 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 15 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Isotretinoin and Deanol?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.