Does Biotin Interact With Any Medications?

Answer

Thanks so much for reaching out to us! Biotin, also known as vitamin H or B7, is a water-soluble vitamin important for the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat, and it plays a role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

Biotin deficiency is extremely rare, but it is a popular supplement for those looking to improve the appearance of their hair and nails and there is some evidence to suggest it may be helpful in this regard.

Biotin is considered to be generally safe to take as a dietary supplement and it is not known to interact with any medications.

Additionally, biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, it is not stored in the body and any excess is excreted through urine, which means that toxicity is unlikely to occur from taking high doses. This is why you see some supplements contain very large amounts (e.g., 10,000 mcg) when the 'adequate intake' level (intake assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy) is only 30 mcg for men and women (lactating women have a slightly higher adequate intake level of 35 micrograms daily).

Are There Any Concerns With Biotin?

Although biotin has no known drug interactions and is thought to be safe, even when high doses are taken, it is known to interfere with some lab tests. In fact, I just wrote about this yesterday.

High levels of biotin in the blood can affect the accuracy of lab tests that utilize biotin-streptavidin technology, and many do. This is because biotin has a strong binding affinity with streptavidin, a protein commonly used in lab tests to detect and measure other substances in the blood.

For example, biotin can interfere with lab tests for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). TSH is a hormone that helps regulate the thyroid gland and too much or too little of it can indicate a thyroid disorder. Inaccurate results from TSH lab tests can lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment.

To avoid such interference, it's recommended to stop taking biotin supplements before undergoing a lab test that uses biotin-streptavidin technology. Recommendations for how long prior to a test you need to stop biotin supplements vary, but generally it's a few days.

It is important to note that there are some drugs that are known to decrease biotin levels. These drugs include:

• Carbamazepine
• Phenytoin
• Oxcarbazepine
• Phenobarbital
• Primidone

Oftentimes, if you are taking a drug that is known to decrease biotin levels, supplementation with biotin is recommended.

Final Words

You also mentioned the dietary supplement you are looking to take contains folic acid and vitamin B12. Both of these are also generally considered safe to take with other medications (although high doses of folic acid may interfere with some drugs, like methotrexate).

You didn't provide a drug list, so I can't say definitively if the supplement is safe to take, but, again, biotin, folic acid, and B12 are safe with most drugs.

Thanks for reaching out!