Drug & supplement interaction

Dhea + Tucatinib

Tucatinib brand name: Tukysa.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Dhea has a moderate interaction with Tucatinib. Theoretically, DHEA might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Dhea and Tucatinib

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Tucatinib

Tucatinib falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Dhea interacts with.

Theoretically, DHEA might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Some preliminary evidence shows that DHEA may inhibit CYP3A4; however, the clinical significance of this potential interaction is not known.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction 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.

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

Here's the short version on combining DHEA with Tucatinib (Tukysa). Your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help break tucatinib down. There's some early, fairly weak evidence that DHEA may slow that enzyme a bit. If that happened, tucatinib could build up higher than expected in your system, which in theory could mean more of its usual side effects like diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, hand-foot skin reactions, or changes in your liver blood tests.

I want to be honest, though: this is mostly theoretical and based on scattered reports, not solid human studies, so we don't really know if it matters in real life. Since tucatinib is a serious cancer treatment, please don't start or stop anything on your own. Just run the DHEA past your oncologist or pharmacist first.

References
  1. Frye RF, Kroboth PD, Folan MM, et al. Effect of DHEA on CYP3A-mediated metabolism of triazolam. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67:109 (abstract PI-82).

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

Dhea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Dhea has 767 moderate, 8 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tucatinib 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 Dhea

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tucatinib

This page covers Dhea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tucatinib page lists 178 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 · 137 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tucatinib page

“Anyone taking tucatinib (Tukysa) for HER2-positive breast cancer should treat this page with genuine care, because the drug leaves little room for surprises. Most entries change how much tucatinib the body absorbs or clears, since it moves through the CYP3A4 enzyme pathway.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tucatinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 945 real supplement products containing Dhea, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Dhea. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tucatinib too, on top of Dhea — 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 Dhea and Tucatinib 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 Dhea
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tucatinib
Top half

#762 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 Dhea

What is Dhea?

Dhea
  • Anti-aging and low DHEA levels
  • Mood and depression
  • Vaginal dryness and sexual health
  • Fertility support
  • Muscle mass and athletic performance
  • Adrenal insufficiency

DHEA is a natural hormone that the body makes and that declines with age, and it is sold as a supplement claiming many benefits. The evidence is mixed and limited for most uses, and because it acts as a hormone it can cause real side effects. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a hormone-sensitive condition.

Read the full Dhea monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tucatinib

What Is Tucatinib Used For?

Brand name: Tukysa

Tukysa (tucatinib) tablets are used in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine to treat adults with advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer — including those whose cancer has spread to the brain — who have already received at least one HER2-targeted treatment.

Tukysa tablets are also used in combination with trastuzumab alone to treat adults with RAS wild-type, HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer that has continued to grow after prior chemotherapy. This colorectal cancer use has received accelerated approval, meaning final approval depends on further study results confirming the benefit.

See full Tucatinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dhea

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

0Major
767Moderate
8Minor
2,054No known interaction
Moderate

767 interactions

Showing 60 of 767 moderate interactions — see all 767 on the Dhea page.

Minor

8 interactions

No interaction 2,054 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 Dhea and Tucatinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Dhea with Tucatinib?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Dhea and Tucatinib interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Tucatinib and Dhea?

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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.