why does grapefruit juice interfere with medication?
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Many drugs are broken down (metabolized) with the help of a vital enzyme called CYP3A4 in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can block the action of CYP3A4, so instead of being metabolized, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer. The result: too much drug in your body.
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Grapefruit or grapefruit juice affects some statins. Do not drink grapefruit juice if you're taking simvastatin. Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely.
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Don't: Take Antibiotics With Dairy or Fruit Juice Take caution with grapefruit and citrus juices, and wait at least three hours after taking your prescription before consuming any dairy. Ask your doctor if it's safe to take other medications or supplements with your antibiotics to avoid harmful interactions.
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Drugs that can react with orange, apple or grapefruit juice include some antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs and beta-blockers. According to the researchers, if you're taking medications and want to drink these juices, you need to leave a gap of four hours either side of taking your pills.
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Nifedipine (Procardia®), taken for high blood pressure, can interact with grapefruit to cause very low blood pressure. Hallucinations and seizures can result from combining dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant, with grapefruit. At least ten chemotherapy drugs can interact with grapefruit.
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When losartan is taken with grapefruit juice, the grapefruit juice may decrease the ability of your body to activate losartan. This decreased amount of activated losartan may be insufficient to control your blood pressure.
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If you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice at all, be aware that the fruit interacts with several classes of drugs, including statins (taken to lower cholesterol), beta blockers (used to treat heart disease and regulate blood pressure), immune suppressing drugs, psychotropic drugs, and even certain anesthetics.
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85 The clinical impact of this interaction is not known. †Grapefruit juice and tamoxifen: Grapefruit juice inhibits the CYP 3A4 metabolism of tamoxifen in the intestine and may increase tamoxifen plasma levels.
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If you take one of these drugs with grapefruit or grapefruit juice, your blood pressure can fall too low. In the case of statins, higher blood levels could increase their side effects — including fatigue, muscle aches, and even damage to muscle cells. The more fruit or juice you eat, the greater the effect.
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You should avoid eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking Diovan. Grapefruit juice slows down how quickly the body is able to break down the medication, which could cause Diovan levels in the blood to rise dangerously high.
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Some drugs, like statins used to lower cholesterol, are broken down by enzymes. As shown above, grapefruit juice can block the action of these enzymes, increasing the amount of drug in the body and may cause more side effects.
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Grapefruit juice and certain statins (used to treat high cholesterol) such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin) do not mix. Grapefruit juice inhibits a system of enzymes that helps break down dozens of medications, including Lipitor, Mevacor, and Zocor.
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Grapefruit can lower blood pressure The effect on blood pressure may be due to grapefruit's high potassium levels. Potassium neutralizes the negative effects of sodium. (Here are 15 foods that are high in potassium.) But again, don't eat grapefruit if you are already taking a blood-pressure lowering drug.
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Interactions between your drugs No interactions were found between atenolol and grapefruit. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
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Grapefruit juice may slightly delay the absorption of levothyroxine, but it seems to have only a minor effect on its bioavailability. Accordingly, the clinical relevance of the grapefruit juice-levothyroxine interaction is likely to be small.
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Interactions between your drugs No interactions were found between grapefruit and metoprolol. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
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Conclusions. Grapefruit juice may slightly delay the absorption of levothyroxine, but it seems to have only a minor effect on its bioavailability. Accordingly, the clinical relevance of the grapefruit juice-levothyroxine interaction is likely to be small.