So, I just poured myself a glass of grapefruit juice and took my medicine - then for some reason I remembered that grapefruit juice interacts with some medications. I just did a quick search online and here is a list (probably not complete) of some medications that interact badly with grapefruit juice. Including some opiates.... Please be careful!
a small part of the piece I read:
"Amy Karch, R.N., M.S., of the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester Medical Center, an expert on drug interactions, explains that grapefruit juice is one of the foods most likely to cause problems with drugs, because it is metabolized by the same enzyme in the liver that breaks down many drugs. The cytochrome P-450 3A4 enzyme breaks down grapefruit juice into useful components for body, just like it breaks down dozens of medications. Karch says when the system is overloaded, the grapefruit juice can “swamp” the system, keeping the liver busy and blocking it from breaking down drugs and other substances.
Drugs that use the same pathway and interact with grapefruit juice target some of the most common health problems doctors see today. The list consists of more than 50 medications, including some drugs used to treat high cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure, cancer, depression, pain, impotence, and allergies.
Karch notes that interactions with grapefruit juice are well known and documented among drug researchers, and that an appropriate warning label is included with each prescription. Nevertheless, she says that many patients, nurses and doctors aren’t aware of the interactions or the potential serious consequences, and that many people fail to read the warning labels about drug-food interactions.
The consequences of an interaction depend on the drug involved. A person on an anti-depressant might have too much or too little energy, depending on the specific medication. Someone on antibiotics might end up with diarrhea or could be ill longer than usual because the some drugs won’t work as well as they should. A heart patient might not get the lowered blood pressure that a medication should deliver, or the heart’s rhythms might become irregular if an anti-arrhythmia drug can’t do its job. The juice could also affect the effectiveness of a woman’s hormone-replacement-therapy medication.
The most severe effects are likely with some cholesterol-lowering medications, Karch says. While the liver devotes its resources to grapefruit juice, the medication could build up to dangerous levels, causing a breakdown of the body’s muscles and even kidney failure. "
Please be aware!
Drugs that Interact with Grapefruit Juice:
(from the December 2004 issue of the American Journal of Nursing)
Antibiotics: clarithromycin, erythromycin, troleandomycin
Anxiolytics: alprazolam, buspirone, midazolam, triazolam
Antiarrhythmics: amiodarone, quinidine
Anticoagulant: warfarin
Antiepileptic: carbamazepine
Antifungal: itraconazole
Anthelmintic: albendazole
Antihistamine: fexofenadine
Antineoplastics: cyclophosphamide, etoposide, ifosfamide, tamoxifen, vinblastine, vincristine
Antitussive: dextromethorphan
Antivirals: amprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir
Benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment: finasteride
blockers: carvedilol
Calcium channel blockers: diltiazem, felodipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nimodipine, nisoldipine, verapamil
Erectile dysfunction drugs: sildenafil, tadalafil
Hormone replacement: cortisol, estradiol, methylprednisolone, progesterone, testosterone
Immunosuppressants: cyclosporine, sirolimus, tacrolimus
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors: atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin
Opioids: alfentanil, fentanyl, sufentanil
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: fluvoxamine, sertraline
Xanthine: theophylline