Dangers of Mixing Grapefruit and Medications

By: Sydonya Barker for Body1

Trying to lose weight? In pursuit of a healthier lifestyle? While increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables is essential to good health, a grapefruit a day may not keep the doctor away. In fact, drug researchers have long known that grapefruit consumption, combined with certain medications, can lead to serious complications, including death.

Grapefruits and grapefruit juice, researchers say, are broken down in the liver by the same enzyme that metabolizes more than 50 other drugs. When the liver is swamped with too many substances, the enzyme focuses on metabolizing the grapefruit while ignoring the medication. Because the medication isn’t being metabolized, it builds up to dangerous levels and as a result, the body’s muscles start to break down. Some medications present in the body with grapefruit might actually become less concentrated, reducing their effectiveness. Either way, the occurrence is dangerous and the effect can last up to 12 hours.

So, while many patients on medication may be using grapefruit, whether as a daily habit or as part of a weight-loss regimen, they may be putting themselves at risk.

The list of grapefruit/drug interactions isn’t only limited to certain kinds of drugs. Birth control pills, AIDS medications, hormones and drugs for erectile dysfunction are only a few of the drugs that can cause complications when grapefruit is present in the body.

One 59-year-old obese man with high cholesterol was prescribed Lipitor by his doctor. After traveling to Florida and consuming two to three glasses of grapefruit juice a day, the man developed kidney failure and ultimately died two months later. It was a nurse who realized that the grapefruit juice increased the levels of the chemical-lowering Lipitor in his body, causing one of the most severe drug interactions.

Unfortunately, few health care professionals are aware of the possible danger in this citrus/medication cocktail. Subsequently, patients are rarely advised about the dangers when they receive their prescriptions. Amy Karch, R.N., M.S., clinical associate professor at the University of Rochester, N.Y., advises patients to read drug labels carefully. “A lot of people rely on their healthcare providers to alert them to anything that would really important,” she said. All too often, it seems that patients believe that spoken warnings are the most reliable.

Patients combining grapefruit and medications are encouraged to speak with their doctors about their drug treatment. Patients may eliminate grapefruit from their diets altogether or doctors may prescribe other medications that do not create complications when combined with the fruit.

Fortunately, most drugs do not create dangerous problems when combined with grapefruit. Even better, for the drugs that do interact, there are often alternative drugs available on the market.

Last updated: 03-Feb-05