Is NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) Safe with Oxaliplatin?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Avoid NAC supplementation during oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (e.g., FOLFOX). The thiol group in NAC can bind to oxaliplatin and reduce its cytotoxic activity against tumor cells.
Why this interaction occurs
Oxaliplatin forms cytotoxic platinum-DNA adducts that block DNA replication and transcription. NAC contains a free sulfhydryl group that can react with oxaliplatin, forming inactive thiol-platinum complexes. Additionally, NAC-derived glutathione may upregulate detoxification enzymes (e.g., glutathione S-transferase) that reduce intracellular active oxaliplatin levels.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 80,295 reports mentioning Oxaliplatin. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Oxaliplatin + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) interactions → · All Oxaliplatin interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.