Can you drink grapefruit juice with blood pressure medicine?

What kind of medication should not be taken with grapefruit juice?

Some statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs): lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor, Vytorin). (Other statins such as fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Pravachol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor) have little or no interaction with grapefruit juice.) Antihistamines: fexofenadine (Allegra)

Drinking grapefruit juice together with certain medicines can increase blood levels of the drug to harmful levels, according to an editorial in the January issue of the journal Nature Medicine. Grapefruit juice inhibits a chemical in the intestine needed to break down many drugs in the body.

Israeli researchers have found that red grapefruit not only lowers blood pressure but also cholesterol and triglycerides (American Journal of Hypertension, October 2005; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, March 8, 2006).

Drugs affected by grapefruit juiceDrug classMajor InteractionsStatins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors)simvastatin (Zocor) lovastatin (Mevacor)Cough Suppressant/NMDA AntagonistdextromethorphanErectile dysfunction drugsHIV protease inhibitors

Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don’t Mix

Some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin).

Some drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as Procardia and Adalat CC (both nifedipine).

Some organ-transplant rejection drugs, such as Sandimmune and Neoral (both cyclosporine).

Drinking grapefruit juice improved insulin sensitivity in mice, regardless of their diet (in people, reduced insulin sensitivity can be a sign of impending diabetes). Grapefruit juice lowered blood sugar as effectively as metformin, a drug widely used to treat people with type 2 diabetes.

You can safely drink small amounts of grapefruit juice, but if you drink close to a quart or more than that each day, you will put yourself at serious risk. Drinking too much grapefruit juice while on amlodipine can cause the same side effects as if you were taking massive amounts of the drug.

Grapefruit can be part of a healthy weight loss diet because it’s nutritious, not because of any mysterious fat-burning properties. A half grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice before meals may help fill you up, so you’ll eat fewer calories at meals and potentially lose weight.

The authors report that grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and some other citrus fruit, including Seville oranges, limes and pomelos, contain a class of chemical called furanocoumarins. Furanocoumarins inhibit an enzyme, cytochrome P450 3A4, that is responsible for the inactivation of approximately half of all drugs.

Grapefruit is a tropical citrus fruit known for its sweet and somewhat sour taste. It’s rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, making it one of the healthiest citrus fruits you can eat. Research shows that it may have some powerful health benefits, including weight loss and a reduced risk of heart disease.

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.

When the action of these enzymes is blocked (as by grapefruit juice), more of the drugs get into the body, and the blood levels of these medications increase. This can lead to toxic side effects from Lipitor, such as liver or muscle damage.

The powerful nutrient combination of fiber, potassium, lycopene, vitamin C, and choline in grapefruit all help to maintain a healthy heart. The DASH diet, designed to reduce blood pressure through dietary options, includes grapefruit as a recommended food.

Grapefruit contains a chemical that interferes with your body’s ability to break down or metabolize certain statin medications. When statin takers eat large amounts of grapefruit, the level of statins in their blood can increase, raising the possibility of side effects.

In all such cases there are alternative medications available that will not interact with grapefruit and the other citrus fruits that contain furanocoumarins, the culprit behind the “grapefruit juice effect,” Derendorf says. Sweet oranges, such as navel and Valencia, do not contain furanocoumarins.

While you are taking this medicine, you should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. You may choose an alternative citrus beverage (such as orange juice). These effects can occur even if grapefruit is not consumed at the same time of the losartan dose.

This is a citrus tree of the Rutaceae family that produces edible fruit. Grapefruit seed extract is made by mixing grapefruit seeds and pulp into a highly acidic liquid. You can also get the benefits of GSE by eating the seeds, pulp and white membranes of a grapefruit.

Takeaway. Grapefruit does lead to negative interactions with some medications. However, there are no case studies in which consuming grapefruit juice while taking metformin led to adverse effects in humans.

It was decided to perform a randomised double blind, crossover study with the long acting calcium channel blocker amlodipine and the long acting ACE inhibitor lisinopril, given either alone or in combination in essential hypertension.

Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice is a nutritious way to start your day. This citrus fruit contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium and packs a high amount of vitamin C, vitamin A and the antioxidant lycopene. Grapefruit is also naturally tart, however, and its juice may taste quite sour.

Grapefruit / Statin Interaction. A: It depends on the statin you’re taking and how much grapefruit or juice you’re consuming. The cholesterol-lowering drugs rosuvastatin (Crestor), fluvastatin (Lescol) and pravastatin (Pravachol) have all been proven safe for grapefruit fans and don’t interact with grapefruit products.

Originally posted 2022-03-31 05:17:35.