Drug & supplement interaction

Deanol + Sodium Oxybate

Sodium Oxybate brand name: Xyrem.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Deanol and Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate 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

Deanol and Sodium Oxybate

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 Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate and Deanol? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sodium Oxybate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications — sodium-containing drugs, seizure threshold lowering drugs, oral drugs. Deanol has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticholinergic drugs (minor) and cholinergic drugs (minor) — and none of Sodium Oxybate’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 — Sodium Oxybate isn’t 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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Deanol and Sodium Oxybate 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.

  • Low mood Worth acting on 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

    Sodium Oxybate

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

  • Drowsiness / Headache reported in 6.0% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate Additional detail

    Deanol

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

    Sodium Oxybate

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

  • Stomach pain / Nausea / Diarrhea / Vomiting reported in 7.5% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate 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

    Sodium Oxybate

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

Reported for Deanol but not commonly for Sodium Oxybate: constipation, mood changes or irritability, confusion and mania or an unusually elevated mood.

Effects for Sodium Oxybate 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 65,315 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate Products Have a Food Rule — Deanol Should Not Break It

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

• Allow 2 hours after eating before dosing ( 2.3 ).

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sodium Oxybate — 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Deanol or Sodium Oxybate

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 Sodium Oxybate, 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 Sodium Oxybate

This page covers Deanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sodium Oxybate page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Biofeedback (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), Dendrobium (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sodium Oxybate page

“Activated charcoal is the single major-rated interaction with sodium oxybate (Xyrem), and it earns that rating because the drug only works if each dose is fully absorbed; charcoal can bind it in the gut and weaken the nighttime control it provides for narcolepsy. Treat this list with genuine care, since 17 of the 25 ingredients on file…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate, 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 Sodium Oxybate 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sodium Oxybate
Top 25%

#672 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 20, 2026. The Deanol and Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate

What Is Sodium Oxybate Used For?

Brand name: Xyrem

Sodium oxybate treats two major symptoms of narcolepsy: cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by emotion) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It is available in several products, each approved for these uses.

Xyrem (oral solution) and the generic sodium oxybate oral solution are approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients with narcolepsy. Lumryz (extended-release oral suspension) is specifically approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients 7 years of age and older with narcolepsy. The generic sodium oxybate oral solution label does not include the pediatric indication due to marketing exclusivity held by Xyrem.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sodium Oxybate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (65,536 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 4,928 reports
Anxiety 3,979 reports
Somnolence 3,965 reports
Insomnia 3,371 reports
Feeling abnormal 3,223 reports
See full Sodium Oxybate 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
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
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 Sodium Oxybate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Deanol with Sodium Oxybate?
We do not list a known interaction between Deanol and Sodium Oxybate. 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 Sodium Oxybate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 7 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 Deanol and Sodium Oxybate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take Deanol on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sodium Oxybate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sodium Oxybate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Deanol and Sodium Oxybate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications, and Deanol has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Sodium Oxybate'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 — Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sodium Oxybate has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — Deanol is not one of them. The Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate 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.