Herb & supplement monograph

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) drug interaction appears low for most people, although a few combinations deserve real caution. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and most rest on lab or animal findings rather than proven effects in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The best-documented concern involves sulindac, where DMSO has been reported to reduce the drug's activation and, when used topically together, has been linked with nerve damage in the limbs. Topical medications also stand out, since DMSO can carry other drugs through the skin and boost both their effects and side effects. There is also a theoretical bleeding concern with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and lab research suggests DMSO could blunt platinum-based chemotherapy, so people on these treatments should be careful.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications largely reflects these broad theoretical categories rather than hundreds of proven problems. Most entries come from test-tube or animal research showing DMSO might affect how drugs are absorbed or work, and these predicted effects have mostly not been confirmed as meaningful in people.

Check your medications against Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso)

339 medications have a known interaction with Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso), graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 8 drug categories Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsCarboplatin (paraplatin)Cholinergic DrugsCisplatin (platinol-aq)Platinum AgentsSulindac (clinoril)Topical DrugsVerteporfin (visudyne)

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, DMSO might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro evidence shows that DMSO inhibits adenosine diphosphate- and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Carboplatin (Paraplatin)

In vitro research shows that DMSO reduces carboplatin cytotoxicity by inducing ligand displacement. Theoretically, using DMSO as a solvent for carboplatin may reduce its chemotherapeutic effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cholinergic Drugs

Theoretically, DMSO might increase the risk of cholinergic adverse effects when taken with cholinergic drugs.
In vitro and animal research suggests that DMSO inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cisplatin (Platinol-Aq)

In vitro research shows that DMSO reduces cisplatin cytotoxicity by inducing ligand displacement. Theoretically, using DMSO as a solvent for cisplatin may reduce its chemotherapeutic effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Platinum Agents

Theoretically, using DMSO as a solvent for platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents may reduce chemotherapeutic effects.
In vitro research shows that DMSO reduces the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin by inducing ligand displacement.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Sulindac (Clinoril)

DMSO might reduce the effectiveness of sulindac and increase the risk of peripheral neuropathy.
Taking DMSO orally with sulindac has been reported to reduce the metabolism of sulindac into its active metabolite. This might reduce the effectiveness of sulindac. Furthermore, using topical DMSO concomitantly with sulindac has been linked with peripheral neuropathy.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Topical Drugs

Topical DMSO might increase the effects and adverse effects of topical drugs.
Evidence from animal studies and limited human studies suggests that DMSO may potentiate the action of numerous topical medications by increasing their absorption through the skin. This increase in absorption seems to depend on the concentration of DMSO and the molecular weight of the medication.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Verteporfin (Visudyne)

Theoretically, DMSO might reduce the effects of verteporfin.
In vitro, DMSO has been shown to scavenge free radicals and improve mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This can theoretically decrease the effects of verteporfin.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso): Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

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.

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

People commonly use it for

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

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

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

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is a colorless liquid chemical. It is a solvent, which means it can dissolve many other substances. DMSO is made during the processing of wood pulp into paper, and it has many uses in industry and in labs.

In medicine, DMSO is best known for two things. First, people apply it to the skin as a cream, gel, or liquid to ease pain and swelling from things like sore muscles, sprains, and arthritis. Second, it is an FDA-approved prescription treatment for interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition, when a doctor places it directly into the bladder.

DMSO is also added to some skin products because it helps other medicines pass through the skin more easily. One unusual feature: when DMSO touches the skin, many people taste or smell a garlic-like or oyster-like odor on their breath.

How it works

DMSO is thought to work in a few ways. It can scavenge free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause inflammation and tissue damage. This antioxidant effect is one proposed reason it might reduce swelling and pain.

DMSO also appears to reduce nerve signals that carry pain and may slow inflammation in tissues. Because it dissolves so easily into and through the skin, it can carry other substances along with it — which is why it is used to boost the absorption of other medicines.

It is important to know that many of these proposed mechanisms come from laboratory and animal research. How well they apply to everyday human use is not fully proven.

Effectiveness

Does Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 18 uses evaluated

1 Effective 2 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 14 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Effective Interstitial cystitis