Drug & supplement interaction

Diindolylmethane + Asenapine

Asenapine brand names: Saphris, Secuado.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Diindolylmethane has a minor interaction with Asenapine. Theoretically, diindolylmethane might lower serum levels of CYP1A2 substrates.

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

Diindolylmethane and Asenapine

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Asenapine

Asenapine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Diindolylmethane interacts with.

Theoretically, diindolylmethane might lower serum levels of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro evidence suggests that diindolylmethane can induce CYP1A2. Theoretically, it might increase metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates and lower serum concentrations. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 gist with asenapine (Saphris, Secuado) and DIM. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP1A2 to help clear asenapine out of your body. In lab dishes, DIM seems to speed that enzyme up. If that held true in people, it could mean asenapine gets broken down a bit faster, so blood levels drop and the medication might not control your symptoms (like mania or psychosis) as well.

Now the reassuring part: this is only a theory from test-tube studies, and it has never actually been reported in real patients. The expected effect is small and unlikely. Still, asenapine is too important to gamble with, so before adding DIM, check with your pharmacist or doctor and watch for any return of symptoms.

References
  1. Lake BG, Tredger JM, Renwick AB, et al. 3'3-diindolylmethane induces CYP1A2 in cultured precision-cut human liver slices. Xenobiotica 1998;28:803-11. PubMed
  2. Jellinck, P. H., Forkert, P. G., Riddick, D. S., Okey, A. B., Michnovicz, J. J., and Bradlow, H. L. Ah receptor binding properties of indole carbinols and induction of hepatic estradiol hydroxylation. Biochem.Pharmacol. 3-9-1993;45(5):1129-1136. PubMed

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

Diindolylmethane Also Interacts With Other Medications

Diindolylmethane has 116 moderate, 152 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Asenapine 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 Diindolylmethane

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Diindolylmethane or Asenapine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Diindolylmethane or Asenapine, 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 Asenapine

This page covers Diindolylmethane only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Asenapine page lists 122 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 9 major · 78 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Asenapine page

“The heart rhythm risk is the one to understand first. Asenapine (Saphris, Secuado), an antipsychotic for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can affect the QT interval, the electrical reset between heartbeats, and 13 ingredients on this list can prolong it too, including everyday grapefruit.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Asenapine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 933 real supplement products containing Diindolylmethane, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Diindolylmethane. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Asenapine too, on top of Diindolylmethane — 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 Diindolylmethane and Asenapine 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 Diindolylmethane
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Asenapine
Steady interest

#1,457 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 Diindolylmethane

What is Diindolylmethane?

Diindolylmethane
  • Estrogen/hormone balance
  • Acne and hormonal skin issues
  • Prostate health support
  • Cancer-risk reduction (unproven)
  • PMS and menopause symptoms
  • General 'detox' support

Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a compound made when your body digests cruciferous vegetables, and it is sold as a supplement mainly for hormone balance and cancer prevention. Although early lab studies look interesting, strong human evidence is lacking for most of these uses. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before taking DIM, especially if you have a hormone-sensitive condition.

Read the full Diindolylmethane monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Asenapine

What Is Asenapine Used For?

Brand names: Saphris, Secuado

Asenapine sublingual tablets (brands: Asenapine, Saphris) are used to treat schizophrenia in adults and bipolar I disorder in adults and children ages 10–17. For bipolar I disorder, this includes treating acute manic or mixed episodes on its own, using it alongside lithium or valproate in adults, and long-term maintenance treatment in adults.

Secuado, the transdermal (skin patch) form of asenapine, is approved specifically for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults only.

See full Asenapine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Diindolylmethane

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

0Major
116Moderate
152Minor
2,561No known interaction
Moderate

116 interactions

Showing 60 of 116 moderate interactions — see all 116 on the Diindolylmethane page.

Minor

152 interactions

Showing 60 of 152 minor interactions — see all 152 on the Diindolylmethane page.

No interaction 2,561 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Diindolylmethane and Asenapine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Diindolylmethane with Asenapine?
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 Diindolylmethane and Asenapine 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 Asenapine and Diindolylmethane?

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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.