Grapefruit does not mix well with many drugs
In most cases, the food we eat does not affect the medicines we take. But that's not the case with grapefruit and grapefruit juice.
They contain substances that can change the way our bodies absorb and metabolize certain drugs. That means you could be taking too little or too much of the medicine.
"And if the levels are increased it puts you at risk of having side effects," explains Megan McIntyre, a clinical pharmacist at Virginia Mason Medical Center.
According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, here are some of the drugs that do not mix with grapefruit:
This is by no means a complete list of drugs that can be affected by grapefruit or grapefruit juice. If you take prescription medications and like grapefruit, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist and see about this.
By the way, a number of drugs now have a label warning about the possible interaction with grapefruit. The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter cautions that the lack of a label does not mean there's no problem. So it's best to check.
The Wellness Letter says there is some evidence that Seville oranges, which are sour like grapefruit, may act the same as grapefruit. The editors say a few other fruits may also interact with certain drugs. They include tangelos, pomelos, cranberries, and pomegranates.
For More Information:
Grapefruit juice: Can it cause drug interactions?
They contain substances that can change the way our bodies absorb and metabolize certain drugs. That means you could be taking too little or too much of the medicine.
"And if the levels are increased it puts you at risk of having side effects," explains Megan McIntyre, a clinical pharmacist at Virginia Mason Medical Center.
According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, here are some of the drugs that do not mix with grapefruit:
- Some commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins such as lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Some high blood pressure drugs such as the calcium channel blocker nifedipine (Procardia and Adalat)
- Heart drugs such as amiodarone (Cordarone and Pacerone)
- Tranquilizers and sedatives, such as diazepam (Valium), triazolam (Halcion), busiprone (BuSpar), and zaleplon (Sonata)
- Antidepressants, such as sertraline (Zoloft)
- Antihistamines such as fexofenadine (Allegra)
- Some forms of estrogen
- Some protease inhibitors for HIV
- Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction, such as sildenafil (Viagra) and vardenafil (Levitra)
This is by no means a complete list of drugs that can be affected by grapefruit or grapefruit juice. If you take prescription medications and like grapefruit, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist and see about this.
By the way, a number of drugs now have a label warning about the possible interaction with grapefruit. The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter cautions that the lack of a label does not mean there's no problem. So it's best to check.
The Wellness Letter says there is some evidence that Seville oranges, which are sour like grapefruit, may act the same as grapefruit. The editors say a few other fruits may also interact with certain drugs. They include tangelos, pomelos, cranberries, and pomegranates.
For More Information:
Grapefruit juice: Can it cause drug interactions?
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