Drug & supplement interaction

Diindolylmethane + Nivolumab

Nivolumab brand name: Opdivo.

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 Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab 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 Nivolumab 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

Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab

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 Nivolumab and Diindolylmethane 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.

Diindolylmethane safety at a glance

Diindolylmethane overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in short-term studies, but long-term safety is not well established.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. The typical diet supplies 2-24 mg of diindolylmethane daily. There is insufficient reliable information ava... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. The typical diet supplies 2-24 mg of diindolylmethane daily. There is insufficient reliable information ava... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Pharmacist analysis

DIM does have some theoretical drug interactions to be aware of, but they are generally believed to be only mild to moderate in nature.

Potential drug interactions with DIM include drugs in the following classes:

  • Drugs that are metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP1A2: DIM may induce this enzyme, increasing the metabolism of certain drugs.
  • Diuretics: DIM may reduce sodium levels, and could have additive effects with diuretics that increase sodium loss.
  • Estrogen: DIM may have both estrogenic and anti-estrogen effects.

These are all detailed in individual interaction pages.

There is no known interaction between DIM and the drug in question, however.

Nevertheless, always be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, supplements included.

—

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Nivolumab

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Nivolumab is filed under a single classification — antineoplastics. Diindolylmethane has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being diuretic drugs (moderate), estrogens (moderate) and cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (minor) — and none of Nivolumab’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

Diindolylmethane Does Interact With Other Medications

Diindolylmethane has 116 moderate, 153 minor known drug interactions in our database — Nivolumab isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 116 Minor 153 No known interaction 2,561 (incl. Nivolumab)
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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab 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. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A stroke or mini-stroke Worth acting on Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    “Orally, diindolylmethane can cause headache. One case has reported ischemic stroke in a 38-year-old female with a history of a patent foramen ovale (PFO), traumatic subdural hematoma, right partial hemicraniectomy, and use of several supplements, including 200 mg of diindolylmethane daily, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, elderberry, caffeine, and possibly cannabis.”

    Diindolylmethane · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    4 sources cited
    1. 47652. Reed, G. A., Arneson, D. W., Putnam, W. C., Smith, H. J., Gray, J. C., Sullivan, D. K., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose and multiple-dose administration of indole-3-carbinol to women: pharmacokinetics based on 3,3'-diindolylmetha
    2. 47676. Reed, G. A., Sunega, J. M., Sullivan, D. K., Gray, J. C., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose pharmacokinetics and tolerability of absorption-enhanced 3,3'-diindolylmethane in healthy subjects. Cancer Epidemiol.Biomarkers Prev. 2008; PubMed
    3. 93836. Castañon A, Tristram A, Mesher D, Powell N, Beer H, Ashman S, Rieck G, Fielder H, Fiander A, Sasieni P. Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Br J Cancer. 20 PubMed
    4. 112895. Pence ST, Mehta K, Crum-Bailey J. The Serious Side of Supplements: An Ischemic Stroke in a Healthy 38-year-old Female. Mil Med 2022. PubMed

    Nivolumab

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

  • Low sodium Worth acting on Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    “Orally, diindolylmethane was associated with grade 3 asymptomatic hyponatremia in 2 of 4 patients taking 600 mg daily for 28 days in one clinical study. Hyponatremia was not seen in the 8 patients taking diindolylmethane 150-450 mg daily.”

    Diindolylmethane · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    1 source cited
    1. 47729. Heath, E. I., Heilbrun, L. K., Li, J., Vaishampayan, U., Harper, F., Pemberton, P., and Sarkar, F. H. A phase I dose-escalation study of oral BR-DIM (BioResponse 3,3'- Diindolylmethane) in castrate-resistant, non-metastatic prostate cancer. Am.J.Transl.R

    Nivolumab

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

  • Blood clots Worth acting on Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    “In one case report, a 65-year-old male developed a deep vein thromboembolism (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary emboli (PE) within a few weeks of initiating treatment with diindolylmethane. It is unclear if diindolylmethane contributed to this event; the patient was at increased risk for emboli due to his age, weight, tobacco use, and possible history of pulmonary embolism.”

    Diindolylmethane · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in venous thromboembolism (vte).

    1 source cited
    1. 93835. Bui PV, Moualla M, Upson DJ. A Possible Association of Diindolylmethane with Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Venous Thrombosis. Case Rep Med. 2016;2016:7527098. PubMed

    Nivolumab

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

  • Fever reported in 3.9% of FDA reports for Nivolumab Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    “In one case report, a patient developed drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) after consuming a product containing diindolylmethane, vitamin E, and broccoli powder. The patient developed fever, activated lymphocytes, and swollen lymph nodes. An allergen patch test was positive for diindolylmethane.”

    Diindolylmethane · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fever.

    1 source cited
    1. 93840. Le TM, Sanders CJ, van de Corput L, van Erpecum KJ, Röckmann H. Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms caused by the dietary supplement diindolylmethane. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2016 Jan-Feb;4(1):175-6. PubMed

    Nivolumab

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

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea reported in 5.4% of FDA reports for Nivolumab Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    “Orally, diindolylmethane can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gas.”

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

    5 sources cited
    1. 47652. Reed, G. A., Arneson, D. W., Putnam, W. C., Smith, H. J., Gray, J. C., Sullivan, D. K., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose and multiple-dose administration of indole-3-carbinol to women: pharmacokinetics based on 3,3'-diindolylmetha
    2. 47676. Reed, G. A., Sunega, J. M., Sullivan, D. K., Gray, J. C., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose pharmacokinetics and tolerability of absorption-enhanced 3,3'-diindolylmethane in healthy subjects. Cancer Epidemiol.Biomarkers Prev. 2008; PubMed
    3. 47709. Del Priore G., Gudipudi, D. K., Montemarano, N., Restivo, A. M., Malanowska-Stega, J., and Arslan, A. A. Oral diindolylmethane (DIM): pilot evaluation of a nonsurgical treatment for cervical dysplasia. Gynecol.Oncol. 2010;116(3):464-467. PubMed
    4. 47729. Heath, E. I., Heilbrun, L. K., Li, J., Vaishampayan, U., Harper, F., Pemberton, P., and Sarkar, F. H. A phase I dose-escalation study of oral BR-DIM (BioResponse 3,3'- Diindolylmethane) in castrate-resistant, non-metastatic prostate cancer. Am.J.Transl.R
    5. 93836. Castañon A, Tristram A, Mesher D, Powell N, Beer H, Ashman S, Rieck G, Fielder H, Fiander A, Sasieni P. Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Br J Cancer. 20 PubMed

    Nivolumab

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

  • A skin rash reported in 3.2% of FDA reports for Nivolumab Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    Recorded for Diindolylmethane in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea above.

    Nivolumab

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Diindolylmethane

    Recorded for Diindolylmethane in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea above.

    Nivolumab

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

Effects for Nivolumab come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Diindolylmethane come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 96,645 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Nivolumab 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.

Special populations

Diindolylmethane in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. The typical diet supplies 2-24 mg of diindolylmethane daily. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of diindolylmethane when used in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy and lactation; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Nivolumab Products Have a Food Rule — Diindolylmethane Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Nivolumab says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Diindolylmethane included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Nivolumab on its own and move Diindolylmethane to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Nivolumab 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.

Table 2: Recommended Dosages of Intravenous OPDIVO in Combination with Other Therapeutic Agents Indication Recommended OPDIVO Dosage Duration of Therapy Unresectable or metastatic melanoma 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg In combination with ipilimumab for a maximum of 4 doses or until unacceptable toxicity, whichever occurs earlier Adult patients and pediatric patients aged 12 years

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

Overlapping uses

What Nivolumab Is Prescribed For, and What Diindolylmethane Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Nivolumab is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Diindolylmethane is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Nivolumab is prescribed for: Opdivo (nivolumab) is used to treat many types of cancer in adults, and some in patients 12 years and older. It can be used alone or in combination with other therapies depending on the cancer type and stage. Cancers it treats include melanoma (including after surgery to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back), non-small cell lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), classical Hodgkin lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer), colorectal cancer with specific genetic features (MSI-H or dMMR), hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), esophageal cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and gastric (stomach) cancer. Some uses require the tumor to test positive for a protein called PD-L1, and some are specific to certain stages of disease or prior treatments received.

Read the rest of what Nivolumab is prescribed for

Your oncologist will determine which use applies to your situation.

Diindolylmethane has been studied for:

  • Colorectal cancer studied, not established Diindolylmethane has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Diindolylmethane for colorectal cancer

    Although there is interest in using oral diindolylmethane for colorectal cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of diindolylmethane for this condition.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Nivolumab on your own; if you are taking Diindolylmethane for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Diindolylmethane or Nivolumab

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 Nivolumab, 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 Nivolumab

This page covers Diindolylmethane only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nivolumab page lists 1 supplement it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Pawpaw (minor).

By severity: 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nivolumab page

“Nivolumab (Opdivo) is an immunotherapy infusion that trains the body's own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, the kind of drug you might expect to carry a long list of supplement warnings. It does not.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nivolumab 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. Even though Diindolylmethane itself has no known interaction with Nivolumab, 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 Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nivolumab
Top half

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

A compound formed from indole-3-carbinol found in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts) · Capsules, tablets, softgels (often combined with black pepper extract/BioPerine for absorption)

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

Diindolylmethane: dosing

There is no official, well-established dose for DIM. Supplement products vary widely in strength, and many add black pepper extract to improve absorption.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and use the lowest amount that seems reasonable.

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

Read the full Diindolylmethane monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nivolumab Injection

What Is Nivolumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Opdivo

Opdivo (nivolumab) is used to treat many types of cancer in adults, and some in patients 12 years and older. It can be used alone or in combination with other therapies depending on the cancer type and stage. Cancers it treats include melanoma (including after surgery to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back), non-small cell lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), classical Hodgkin lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer), colorectal cancer with specific genetic features (MSI-H or dMMR), hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), esophageal cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and gastric (stomach) cancer.

Some uses require the tumor to test positive for a protein called PD-L1, and some are specific to certain stages of disease or prior treatments received. Your oncologist will determine which use applies to your situation.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Nivolumab

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (96,645 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Malignant neoplasm progression 9,878 reports
Diarrhea 5,251 reports
Fatigue 4,195 reports
Fever 3,721 reports
Nausea 3,182 reports
See full Nivolumab Injection 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
153Minor
2,560No known interaction
116 Moderate 153 Minor 2,560 No interaction
Moderate

116 interactions

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

Minor

153 interactions

Showing 60 of 153 minor interactions — see all 153 on the Diindolylmethane page.

No interaction 2,560 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,560 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Diindolylmethane list.

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

Diindolylmethane References

The 14 references that drive our Diindolylmethane 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. Natl Inst Health, Natl Inst Environmental Health Sci. Indole-3-carbinol. Available at: http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov.
  2. Balk JL. Indole-3-carbinol for cancer prevention. Altern Med Alert 2000; 3:105-7.
  3. Riby JE, Chang GHF, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF. Ligand-independent activation of estrogen receptor function by 3,3'-diindolylmethane in human breast cancer cells. Biochem Pharmacol 2000;60:167-77. PubMed
  4. 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
  5. Dalessandri, K. M., Firestone, G. L., Fitch, M. D., Bradlow, H. L., and Bjeldanes, L. F. Pilot study: effect of 3,3'-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutr Canc PubMed
  6. Reed, G. A., Arneson, D. W., Putnam, W. C., Smith, H. J., Gray, J. C., Sullivan, D. K., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose and multiple-dose administration of indole-3-carbinol to women: pharmacokinetics based on 3,3'-diindolylmetha
  7. Reed, G. A., Sunega, J. M., Sullivan, D. K., Gray, J. C., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., and Hurwitz, A. Single-dose pharmacokinetics and tolerability of absorption-enhanced 3,3'-diindolylmethane in healthy subjects. Cancer Epidemiol.Biomarkers Prev. 2008; PubMed
  8. Del Priore G., Gudipudi, D. K., Montemarano, N., Restivo, A. M., Malanowska-Stega, J., and Arslan, A. A. Oral diindolylmethane (DIM): pilot evaluation of a nonsurgical treatment for cervical dysplasia. Gynecol.Oncol. 2010;116(3):464-467. PubMed
  9. Heath, E. I., Heilbrun, L. K., Li, J., Vaishampayan, U., Harper, F., Pemberton, P., and Sarkar, F. H. A phase I dose-escalation study of oral BR-DIM (BioResponse 3,3'- Diindolylmethane) in castrate-resistant, non-metastatic prostate cancer. Am.J.Transl.R
  10. 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
  11. Bui PV, Moualla M, Upson DJ. A Possible Association of Diindolylmethane with Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Venous Thrombosis. Case Rep Med. 2016;2016:7527098. PubMed
  12. Castañon A, Tristram A, Mesher D, Powell N, Beer H, Ashman S, Rieck G, Fielder H, Fiander A, Sasieni P. Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Br J Cancer. 20 PubMed
  13. Le TM, Sanders CJ, van de Corput L, van Erpecum KJ, Röckmann H. Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms caused by the dietary supplement diindolylmethane. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2016 Jan-Feb;4(1):175-6. PubMed
  14. Pence ST, Mehta K, Crum-Bailey J. The Serious Side of Supplements: An Ischemic Stroke in a Healthy 38-year-old Female. Mil Med 2022. PubMed

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 Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Diindolylmethane with Nivolumab?
We do not list a known interaction between Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab. 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 Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 9 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 Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Nivolumab says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Nivolumab on its own and move Diindolylmethane to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Diindolylmethane in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Nivolumab is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Diindolylmethane and Nivolumab combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Nivolumab is filed under 1 classification, and Diindolylmethane has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Nivolumab'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 Diindolylmethane interact with any other medications?
Yes. Diindolylmethane has 269 documented drug interactions in our database — Nivolumab 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 Nivolumab interact with any supplements?
Yes. Nivolumab has documented interactions with 1 supplement in our database — Diindolylmethane is not one of them. The Nivolumab interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

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