which medications should not be taken with grapefruit

Medication prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, specifically statins.

Calcium channel blockers or angiotensin inhibitors which are used as high blood pressure treatment.

Corticosteroids that are prescribed to treat ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and many other conditions.

Drugs to prevent organ rejection after a transplant.

Certain (but not all) anti-anxiety medications, with buspirone being the prime example.Some medications prescribed for arrythmias, such as amiodarone.Some of the following drugs are known to interact negatively with grapefruit: However, the FDA has required that medical companies specify any potential interactions on their labels, especially for over the counter drugs. What kinds of medication negatively interact with grapefruit? Grapefruit doesn’t interact with just every type of medication out there. This happens because grapefruit juice can also interfere with drug transporters, which are proteins that help our bodies absorb the drugs by moving them to the cells. While the fruit causes some drugs to stay in the body for a longer period of time, it has an opposite effect on some other drugs.įor instance, if you’re taking medication that contains fexofenadine, grapefruit juice will prevent the required amount of drug from entering the blood stream, thus minimizing its efficiency. There have been a lot of studies conducted on the interaction between grapefruit and medicines. Scientists have discovered that the quantity of CYP3A4 in the body varies from person to person, so the effects of grapefruit juice will also vary from one person to another. Consequently, a drug metabolized with the help of CYP3A4 will stay in your body for longer, in stronger quantities. Consuming grapefruit, whether the whole fruit, its juice, or any product that contains it, the normal functioning of the CYP3A4 enzyme is blocked, causing a lower metabolization of the drugs. This enzyme helps the body to break down (metabolize) many different kinds of medications. The human body produces an enzyme called CYP3A4, located in the small intestine. When a drug is present in the body in a quantity higher than the recommended dose, it also causes more intense side effects.

This poses a risk, as doctors prescribe specific daily doses to meet your medical needs. Grapefruit juice actually indirectly amplifies the effect of many medications.

Which medications should not be taken with grapefruit