Be Careful When Taking Drugs With Grapefruit

Be Careful When Taking Drugs With Grapefruit

Warning! People are trying to lose weight with many different methods. One way is by ingesting a lot of grapefruit. This information came to me and I felt I needed to share it with you.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal has recently published findings that a number of drugs can be detrimental to our health when eating or drinking grapefruit. Apparently, this is due to an influx of new medications and chemical formulations.

It is believed that grapefruit contains furanocoumarins which blocks an enzyme that usually breaks down certain medications for the body to use. If the medications are not broken down correctly, the medication levels can grow toxic in the body. This can cause an overdose and possibly death. Some other foods that contain furanocoumarins are Seville oranges, limes, and pomelos.

Prescription drugs that interact with grapefruit are taken by mouth and the degree of the grapefruit effect can vary. Just one serving of grapefruit with some drugs can make it seem as if the person is taking multiple doses of the drug. This could be very dangerous especially if one is taking several of these type drugs.

There is supposed to be more than 85 drugs on the market that can interact with grapefruit. Some of the drugs are statins that lower cholesterol such as lovastatin, atorvastatin, and simvastatin. There are some antibiotic, cancer drugs, heart drugs,  cardiovascular drugs, and hormonal type drugs.

It is better to be “safe than sorry”. Double check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if you have one of the drugs that could react with grapefruit. You can also try checking on the internet. Prevention is very important!

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