Grapefruit juice can cause drug interactions

[David Baxter PhD]

Grapefruit juice: Can it cause drug interactions?
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Nov. 6, 2008

Grapefruit juice provides many nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium and lycopene. But chemicals in grapefruit juice and grapefruit pulp interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) various drugs in the digestive system ? including certain calcium channel blockers and cholesterol-lowering drugs. The result can be excessively high levels of these drugs in the blood and an increased risk of potentially serious side effects. Pomelos and Seville oranges, a type of bitter orange often used to make marmalade and compotes, may have a similar effect.

Here's a sampling of drugs known to have potentially serious interactions with grapefruit products:

Drug name|Type of drug
Amiodarone (Cordarone)|A drug used to treat and prevent abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
Buspirone (BuSpar), sertraline (Zoloft)|Antidepressants
Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol)|An anti-seizure medication
Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus (Prograf) | Immunosuppressant drugs
Felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular) | Calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure
Saquinavir | An HIV medication
Simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor) | Statins used to treat high cholesterol

If you're concerned about the effect grapefruit juice may have on your medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. In some cases, it may be important to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit products, as well as pomelos, Seville oranges and products made with these fruits. Waiting to take these medications ? even up to 24 hours ? after you drink grapefruit juice won't prevent an interaction. In other cases, it may be possible to switch to an alternative medication that won't interact with these fruits.

 

[NicNak]

I had heard a story about this a few years ago actually. They were giving patients on a cardiac ward grapefruit and they were all having the same ill symptoms. The hospital reviewed the diet and realized the only new addition was the grapefruit. They removed it and the patents improved.

I have always avoided it, just in case cause of hearing that.

I had no idea it interacted with so many medications though.

Food interactions are not things people taking medications generally think of. Or food allergies and how important they are for your doctor to know, especially eggs and the flu shot. Apparently those with Sulfa allergies should not eat boiled cabbage either, as when cabbage is boiled it omits Sulfa.

This all just serves as a reminder to tell doctors everything, no matter how trivial it sounds.

I am allergic to raspberries and pomegranates. I told my doctor about my discovery and how it gave me pins and needles in my mouth. She abruptly said "STAY AWAY FROM THEM" but we as patients don't know if any vaccinations or medications could include these things.

 

[Retired]

By using the better online interaction checkers listed here, you can determine whether the medications you take are subject to drug/drug or drug/food interactions.

Add to the list of grapefruit affected medications, those used for building bone density in women treated for osteoporosis (eg Fosomax, etc).

Recently similarly implicated are orange juice alluded to in the article as well as, possibly apple juice (recently reported).