Drug & supplement interaction

Indole-3-carbinol + Alitretinoin

Alitretinoin brand name: Panretin.

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 Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin 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 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

Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin

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 Alitretinoin and Indole-3-carbinol 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.

Indole-3-carbinol safety at a glance

Indole-3-carbinol overall Use caution Likely fine in food amounts, but supplement doses are less studied and should be used cautiously.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data and possible hormone effects, so concentrated supplements should be avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety has not been established, so supplement use is not recommended while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Alitretinoin and Indole-3-carbinol? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Alitretinoin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Alitretinoin is filed under 3 classifications — retinoids, photosensitizing drugs, oral drugs. Indole-3-carbinol has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and estrogens (moderate) — and none of Alitretinoin’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

Indole-3-carbinol Does Interact With Other Medications

Indole-3-carbinol has 294 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Alitretinoin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 294 No known interaction 2,536 (incl. Alitretinoin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Indole-3-carbinol

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Indole-3-carbinol. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin May Share a Side Effect

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.

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Indole-3-carbinol

    “Orally, indole-3-carbinol has been associated with reports of rash. A woman taking indole-3-carbinol 375 mg daily for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed a generalized maculopapular rash which resolved when indole-3-carbinol was discontinued and recurred when it was restarted.”

    Indole-3-carbinol · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 93242. Reed GA, Peterson KS, Smith HJ, et al. A phase I study of indole-3-carbinol in women: tolerability and effects. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:1953-60. PubMed
    2. 93240. McAlindon TE, Gulin J, Chen T, et al. Indole-3-carbinol in women with SLE: effect on estrogen metabolism and disease activity. Lupus 2001;10:779-83. PubMed

    Alitretinoin

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

Reported for Indole-3-carbinol but not commonly for Alitretinoin: unsteadiness, diarrhea, nausea and tremor or shakiness.

Effects for Alitretinoin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Indole-3-carbinol come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 117 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Alitretinoin 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Alitretinoin

This page covers Indole-3-carbinol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alitretinoin page lists 38 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Vitamin A (major), Alfalfa (moderate), Angelica Archangelica (moderate) and Arrach (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 26 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alitretinoin page

“Alitretinoin (Panretin) is a retinoid gel used on Kaposi sarcoma skin lesions, and because it is a vitamin A derivative, treat these 38 supplement interactions with genuine care. Two carry a major rating.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alitretinoin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Indole-3-carbinol as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 287 real supplement products containing Indole-3-carbinol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Indole-3-carbinol. Even though Indole-3-carbinol itself has no known interaction with Alitretinoin, 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 Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin 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 Indole-3-carbinol
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alitretinoin
Steady interest

#1,696 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 Indole-3-carbinol reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin 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 Indole-3-carbinol

What is Indole-3-carbinol?

  • Estrogen and hormone balance support
  • Breast and cervical health
  • Prostate health
  • Antioxidant and 'detox' support
  • General cancer-prevention interest

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a compound formed when you eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and it is sold as a supplement mainly for hormone-related and cell-protective effects. Most human evidence is preliminary or comes from lab and animal studies, so it should not be relied on to prevent or treat any disease. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Brassicaceae · Derived from glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower) · Capsules, tablets, softgels; sometimes combined with or compared to diindolylmethane (DIM)

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Indole-3-carbinol is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Indole-3-carbinol record says about it on its own.

Indole-3-carbinol: dosing

There is no officially established or standardized dose for I3C. Different products and studies have used different amounts, and there is no agreed-upon 'best' dose.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. They can help you decide whether I3C is appropriate for you.

From our Indole-3-carbinol monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Indole-3-carbinol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Alitretinoin

What Is Alitretinoin Used For?

Brand name: Panretin

Panretin Gel is approved to treat cutaneous lesions — visible skin sores — in adults who have AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a cancer that causes abnormal tissue to grow in the skin.

Panretin Gel is applied directly to the affected skin spots. It is not for use when the disease has spread widely enough to need systemic (whole-body) treatment — for example, when there are more than 10 new lesions in a month, or when the lungs, lymph nodes, or internal organs are involved.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Alitretinoin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (117 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Drug intolerance 9 reports
Headache 9 reports
Hypercholesterolaemia 8 reports
Treatment failure 8 reports
Vomiting 8 reports
See full Alitretinoin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Indole-3-carbinol

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Indole-3-carbinol — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
294Moderate
0Minor
2,535No known interaction
294 Moderate 2,535 No interaction
Moderate

294 interactions

Showing 60 of 294 moderate interactions — see all 294 on the Indole-3-carbinol page.

No interaction 2,535 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Indole-3-carbinol against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,535 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Indole-3-carbinol list.

See the full Indole-3-carbinol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Alitretinoin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Indole-3-carbinol References

The 9 references that drive our Indole-3-carbinol 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. Rosen CA, Woodson GE, Thompson JW, et al. Preliminary results of the use of indole-3-carbinol for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:810-5. PubMed
  2. Bell MC, Crowley-Nowick P, Bradlow HL, et al. Placebo-controlled trial of indole-3-carbinol in the treatment of CIN. Gynecol Oncol 2000;78:123-9. PubMed
  3. He YH, Friesen MD, Ruch RJ, Schut HA. Indole-3-carbinol as a chemopreventive agent in 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) carcinogenesis: inhibition of PhIP-DNA adduct formation, acceleration of PhIP metabolism, and induction of cytoch
  4. Kim, Y. S. and Milner, J. A. Targets for indole-3-carbinol in cancer prevention. J.Nutr.Biochem. 2005;16(2):65-73. PubMed
  5. Anon. Indole-3-carbinol. Monograph. Alternative Medicine Review 2005;10(4):337-42.
  6. McAlindon TE, Gulin J, Chen T, et al. Indole-3-carbinol in women with SLE: effect on estrogen metabolism and disease activity. Lupus 2001;10:779-83. PubMed
  7. Reed GA, Peterson KS, Smith HJ, et al. A phase I study of indole-3-carbinol in women: tolerability and effects. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:1953-60. PubMed
  8. Bradlow HL, Michnovicz JJ, Halper M, et al. Long-term responses of women to indole-3-carbinol or a high fiber diet. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1994;3:591-5.
  9. Paliwal P, Chauhan G, Gautam D, Dash D, Patne SCU, Krishnamurthy S. Indole-3-carbinol improves neurobehavioral symptoms in a cerebral ischemic stroke model. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2018;391(6):613-625. 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 Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Indole-3-carbinol with Alitretinoin?
We do not list a known interaction between Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin. 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 Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
How was the Indole-3-carbinol and Alitretinoin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Alitretinoin is filed under 3 classifications, and Indole-3-carbinol has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Alitretinoin'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 Indole-3-carbinol interact with any other medications?
Yes. Indole-3-carbinol has 294 documented drug interactions in our database — Alitretinoin 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 Alitretinoin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Alitretinoin has documented interactions with 38 supplements in our database — Indole-3-carbinol is not one of them. The Alitretinoin 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

Indole-3-carbinol monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Alitretinoin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Alitretinoin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Alitretinoin, 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 9 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Alitretinoin and Indole-3-carbinol?

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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.