Vitamin A and medications.
Vitamin A is in the Distil supplement database, evidence Grade A. The page below lists every medication we have explicitly assessed it against.
Vitamin A is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin, best supplemented as beta-carotene, which the body converts to retinol on demand. It supports vision, immune function, skin, and mucous membrane integrity, and as an essential nutrient its role is Grade A. The practical nuance is form and population. Preformed retinol is teratogenic at high doses and should not be supplemented above roughly 700 to 800mcg RAE per day in women of reproductive age; beta-carotene avoids that risk because conversion is regulated. The ATBC and CARET trials showed an 18 to 28 percent rise in lung cancer risk from high-dose beta-carotene in smokers, so it should not be given to current smokers, who are better served by lutein and zeaxanthin. On interactions, orlistat reduces absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, so separate the timing, while zinc acts as a cofactor for vitamin A metabolism. Most people meet needs through diet, so supplement only where intake is genuinely poor and the form is appropriate.
Below are the 2 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed for Vitamin A: 2 red. The pairs cluster around 1 mechanism: Additive vitamin A toxicity. Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not listed here is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by medication, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued medication into our next curation pass.
Documented interactions
Additive vitamin A toxicity
Acitretin is a form of vitamin A, so adding a vitamin A supplement piles onto the same load and can tip you into vitamin A excess. This raises the risk of side effects such as dry and cracked skin and lips, hair thinning, raised blood fats, liver strain, and raised pressure in the skull. Do not take vitamin A supplements while on acitretin unless your prescriber tells you to.
Isotretinoin is a form of vitamin A, so taking a vitamin A supplement alongside it adds to the same load and can push you into vitamin A excess. This raises the risk of side effects such as headache and raised pressure in the skull, liver strain, dry skin and lips, and bone or muscle problems. Do not take vitamin A supplements while on isotretinoin unless your prescriber tells you to.
What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope. Use the checker below to surface any medication, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.
For adults over 18.
This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP, pharmacist, or specialist before making them, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.
How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.
Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.
Read the full methodologySomething missing?
If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.