Drug & supplement interaction

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) + Sevelamer

Sevelamer brand name: Renagel.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer 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

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer

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 Sevelamer and Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) 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.

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) safety at a glance

Dimethylsulfoxide... overall Use caution Topical use can irritate skin and may carry impurities; only pharmaceutical-grade products should ever be used.

Pregnancy Avoid Safety has not been established, so it is best to avoid during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Sevelamer and Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sevelamer

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sevelamer is filed under 2 classifications — including oral drugs. Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), carboplatin (paraplatin) (moderate) and cholinergic drugs (moderate) — and none of Sevelamer’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

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) Does Interact With Other Medications

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) has 339 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sevelamer isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 339 No known interaction 2,491 (incl. Sevelamer)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso). Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer 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.

Constipation / Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail
Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)
“Topically, DMSO might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and anorexia.

Infusion of hematopoietic stem cells cryopreserved with DMSO might cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.”

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.
6 sources cited

6303. Rosenstein ED. Topical agents in the treatment of rheumatic disorders. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999;25:899-918. PubMed

6304. Trice JM, Pinals RS. Dimethyl sulfoxide: a review of its use in the rheumatic disorders. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1985;15:45-60. PubMed

6306. Merlini G. Treatment of primary amyloidosis. Semin Hematol 1995;32:60-79.

6308. Thiers BH. Unusual treatments for herpesvirus infections II, herpes zoster. J Am Acad Dermatol 1983;8:433-6. PubMed

6309. Burton WJ, Gould PW, Hursthouse MW, et al. A multicentre trial of Zostrum (5 percent idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide) in herpes zoster. N Z Med J 1981;94:384-6.

6311. Juel Jensen BE, MacCallum FO, Mackenzie AM, Pike MC. Treatment of zoster with idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide. Results of two double-blind controlled trials. Br Med J 1970;4:776-80. PubMed
Sevelamer

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sevelamer. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Itching Additional detail
Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)
“Topically, DMSO can cause erythema, pruritus, burning, blistering, and drying and scaling skin. Skin reactions are usually reversible after discontinuing the drug.”

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in erythema.
6 sources cited

6303. Rosenstein ED. Topical agents in the treatment of rheumatic disorders. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999;25:899-918. PubMed

6304. Trice JM, Pinals RS. Dimethyl sulfoxide: a review of its use in the rheumatic disorders. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1985;15:45-60. PubMed

6306. Merlini G. Treatment of primary amyloidosis. Semin Hematol 1995;32:60-79.

6308. Thiers BH. Unusual treatments for herpesvirus infections II, herpes zoster. J Am Acad Dermatol 1983;8:433-6. PubMed

6309. Burton WJ, Gould PW, Hursthouse MW, et al. A multicentre trial of Zostrum (5 percent idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide) in herpes zoster. N Z Med J 1981;94:384-6.

6311. Juel Jensen BE, MacCallum FO, Mackenzie AM, Pike MC. Treatment of zoster with idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide. Results of two double-blind controlled trials. Br Med J 1970;4:776-80. PubMed
Sevelamer

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

Reported for Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) but not commonly for Sevelamer: an irregular heartbeat, a fast or pounding heartbeat, chest pain and flushing.

Effects for Sevelamer come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. 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 Sevelamer Products Have a Food Rule — Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sevelamer says to take it with food. If you take Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer 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.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Starting dose of Renvela is 0.8 or 1.6 grams administered orally three times per day with meals based on serum phosphorus levels for adult patients and based on body surface area (BSA) category for pediatric patients.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sevelamer

This page covers Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sevelamer page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sevelamer page

“Kidney patients who take sevelamer (Renagel) to control phosphorus have a real reason to pause over this page, and activated charcoal is why. It carries the only major rating here because it can trap medicines in the gut and sharply cut the amount the body actually gets.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sevelamer interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer 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 Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

Top half

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

29 days ago today

Medication Sevelamer

Steady interest

#2,699 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 Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

What is Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)?

Muscle and joint pain
Arthritis
Sprains and strains
Interstitial cystitis (bladder pain)
Skin penetration enhancer for other medicines

DMSO is a colorless liquid solvent that people apply to the skin for pain and inflammation, and it is FDA-approved (as a prescription) only for interstitial cystitis placed directly into the bladder. Most over-the-counter uses for pain and arthritis have limited or low-quality evidence, and DMSO can carry impurities or push other chemicals through your skin. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid industrial-grade products.

Industrially produced chemical compound (a byproduct of wood pulp processing) · Topical cream, gel, liquid solution; bladder instillation solution (prescription); industrial-grade and pharmaceutical-grade liquids

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

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso): dosing

There is no single standardized over-the-counter dose of DMSO for pain or arthritis.

From our Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Sevelamer

What Is Sevelamer Used For?

Brand name: Renagel

Sevelamer is used to control serum phosphorus (the level of phosphorus in your blood) in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on dialysis. High phosphorus is a serious problem for dialysis patients and needs to be managed with medication and diet.

Sevelamer carbonate tablets and Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate) oral suspension are approved for adults and children 6 years of age and older. Sevelamer hydrochloride tablets are indicated for adults with CKD on dialysis; their safety and effectiveness in CKD patients not on dialysis have not been studied.

See full Sevelamer drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

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

0Major

339Moderate

0Minor

2,490No known interaction

339 Moderate 2,490 No interaction

Moderate

339 interactions

Showing 60 of 339 moderate interactions — see all 339 on the Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) page.

No interaction 2,490 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,490 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) list.

See the full Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interactions page

See every supplement checked against Sevelamer, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) References

The 27 references that drive our Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) 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.

Ludwig CU, Stoll HR, Obrist R, Obrecht JP. Prevention of cytotoxic drug induced skin ulcers with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and alpha-tocopherol. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 1987;23:327-9.
Barker SB, Matthews PN, Philip PF, Williams G. Prospective study of intravesical dimethyl sulphoxide in the treatment of chronic inflammatory bladder disease. Br J Urol 1987;59:142-4. PubMed
Fowler JE Jr. Prospective study of intravesical dimthyl sulfoxide in treatment of suspected early interstitial cystitis. Urology 1981;18:21-6.
Shirley SW, Stewart BH, Mirelman S. Dimethyl sulfoxide in treatment of inflammatory genitourinary disorders. Urology 1978;11:215-20. PubMed
Marshall LF, Camp PE, Bowers SA. Dimethyl sulfoxide for the treatment of intracranial hypertension: a preliminary trial. Neurosurg 1984;14:659-63. DOI
Karaca M, Bilgin UY, Akar M, de la Torre JC. Dimethyl sulphoxide lowers ICP after head trauma. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1991;40:113-4.
Rosenstein ED. Topical agents in the treatment of rheumatic disorders. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999;25:899-918. PubMed
Trice JM, Pinals RS. Dimethyl sulfoxide: a review of its use in the rheumatic disorders. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1985;15:45-60. PubMed
Merlini G. Treatment of primary amyloidosis. Semin Hematol 1995;32:60-79.
Thiers BH. Unusual treatments for herpesvirus infections II, herpes zoster. J Am Acad Dermatol 1983;8:433-6. PubMed
Burton WJ, Gould PW, Hursthouse MW, et al. A multicentre trial of Zostrum (5 percent idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide) in herpes zoster. N Z Med J 1981;94:384-6.
Juel Jensen BE, MacCallum FO, Mackenzie AM, Pike MC. Treatment of zoster with idoxuridine in dimethyl sulphoxide. Results of two double-blind controlled trials. Br Med J 1970;4:776-80. PubMed
Wildenhoff KE, Esmann V, Ipsen J, Harving H, et al. Treatment of trigeminal and thoracic zoster with idoxuridine. Scand J Infect Dis 1981;13:257-62. PubMed
Williams HJ, Furst DE, Dahl SL, et al. Double-blind, multicenter controlled trial comparing topical dimethyl sulfoxide and normal saline for treatment of hand ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum 1985;28:308-14. PubMed
Takacs T, Montet JC. In vitro dissolution of cholesterol biliary stones. Gut 1995;37:157-8. PubMed
Rowley SD. Hematopoietic stem cell processing and cryopreservation. J Clin Apheresis 1992;7:132-4. PubMed
Zambelli A, Poggi G, Da Prada G, et al. Clinical toxicity of cryopreserved circulation progenitor cells infusion. Anticancer Res 1998;18:4705-8.
Wolf P, Simon M. Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) induced serum hyperosmolality. Clin Biochem 1983;16:261-2. PubMed
Jacob SW, Herschler R. Pharmacology of DMSO. Cryobiology 1986;23:14-27. PubMed
Hucker HB, Ahmad PM, Miller EA, et al. Metabolism of dimethyl sulphoxide to dimethyl sulphone in the rat and man. Nature 1966;209:619-20. PubMed
Brien S, Prescott P, Lewith G. Meta-analysis of the related nutritional supplements dimethyl sulfoxide and methylsulfonylmethane in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2009 May 27. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Shirley, H. H., Lundergan, M. K., Williams, H. J., and Spruance, S. L. Lack of ocular changes with dimethyl sulfoxide therapy of scleroderma. Pharmacotherapy 1989;9(3):165-168. PubMed
Hall MD, Telma KA, Chang KE, Lee TD, Madigan JP, Lloyd JR, Goldlust IS, Hoeschele JD, Gottesman MM. Say no to DMSO: dimethylsulfoxide inactivates cisplatin, carboplatin, and other platinum complexes. Cancer Res. 2014 Jul 15;74(14):3913-22. doi: 10.1158/00 PubMed
Clinoril (sulindac) prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, 2005. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/017911s074lbl.pdf. Accessed 7/27/2020.
Visudyne (verteporfin) prescribing information. JHP Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Rochester, MI, 2016. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/021119s027lbl.pdf. Accessed 7/27/2020.
Capriotti K, Capriotti JA. Dimethyl sulfoxide: history, chemistry, and clinical utility in dermatology. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2012;5(9):24-6.
DOMOSO SOLUTION (90% Dimethyl Sulfoxide). Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Avaliable at: https://www.zoetisus.com/_locale-assets/mcm-portal-assets/products/pdf/domoso_solution_pi.pdf. Accessed 8/3/2020.

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.

Related: nutrient depletion

Sevelamer Is Linked to Lower Levels of One Nutrient

Natural Medicines records Sevelamer as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:

PHOSPHATE SALTS›

Read the full Sevelamer nutrient depletion report ›

Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) with Sevelamer?

We do not list a known interaction between Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer. 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 Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 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 Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer at the same time of day?

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sevelamer says to take it with food. If you take Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sevelamer with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sevelamer products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.

How was the Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) and Sevelamer combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sevelamer is filed under 2 classifications, and Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — none of Sevelamer'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 Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interact with any other medications?

Yes. Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) has 339 documented drug interactions in our database — Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer interact with any supplements?

Yes. Sevelamer has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) is not one of them. The Sevelamer 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

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sevelamer drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Sevelamer supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sevelamer, 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 27 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sevelamer and Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)?

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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.