Common drugs that interact with grapefruit
- aliskiren (Tekturna) – also apple juice, orange juice.
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- amiodarone (Pacerone)
- atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- cilostazol (Pletal)
- clarithromycin (Biaxin)
- cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral)
What happens if you eat grapefruit while taking blood pressure medicine?
Grapefruit contains compounds that may interfere with how your body absorbs some drugs, including some blood pressure medicines. It can leave too much or too little of the drug in your bloodstream, which may be dangerous.
Is grapefruit an inhibitor or inducer?
Imatinib (Gleevec): Although no formal studies with imatinib and grapefruit juice have been conducted, the fact that grapefruit juice is a known inhibitor of the CYP 3A4 suggests that co-administration may lead to increased imatinib plasma concentrations.
How many hours after eating grapefruit can I take medication?
“Some have more of an effect if you take them in close proximity to drinking grapefruit juice than if you space it out, but there can still be an interaction if you take the pill the night before or 12 hours before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice.”
What should you not take with blood pressure medicine?
Some antacids and other stomach medicines. Many of these are high in sodium, which can raise blood pressure. So be sure to read labels carefully to check for sodium content. Some herbal remedies and dietary supplements.
Is grapefruit good for blood pressure?
Citrus fruits, including grapefruit, oranges, and lemons, may have powerful blood-pressure-lowering effects. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that may help keep your heart healthy by reducing heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure ( 4 ).
What blood pressure meds can you not eat grapefruit?
Only some medicines interact with grapefruit. Examples include medicines for: High cholesterol: atorvastatin (one brand: Lipitor) and simvastatin (one brand: Zocor) High blood pressure: felodipine (one brand: Plendil), nifedipine (one brand: Procardia), and nisoldipine (one brand: Sular)
Does grapefruit remove plaque from arteries?
In one study, animals fed a high-cholesterol diet plus grapefruit pectin had 24 percent narrowing of their arteries, versus the control with 45 percent narrowing. In other words, the pectin binds to cholesterol and helps to remove arterial buildup. The limonoids mentioned above also help lower high cholesterol levels.
Why is grapefruit bad with medication?
Many drugs are broken down (metabolized) with the help of a vital enzyme called CYP3A4 in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can block the action of intestinal CYP3A4, so instead of being metabolized, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer. The result: too much drug in your body.
What enzyme does grapefruit inhibit?
Scientific studies indicate that grapefruit and grapefruit juice inhibit CYP3A4, which metabolizes more than 65% of all drugs, as well as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and a number of other metabolic enzymes and transporters.
Why is grapefruit bad for medication?
Why does grapefruit affect medication?
Many drugs are broken down (metabolized) with the help of a vital enzyme called CYP3A4 in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can block the action of intestinal CYP3A4, so instead of being metabolized, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer.
Can you eat grapefruit while taking high blood pressure medications?
Generally speaking, a lot of high blood pressure medications do not interact with grapefruit juice, meaning you don’t automatically need to assume you cannot have grapefruit if you are taking a hypertension drug. The ones that do are based on felodipine, nifedipine, losartan, and eplerenone.
Does grapefruit increase blood pressure with erectile dysfunction medication?
Erectile dysfunction medications like sildenafil and tadalafil work by relaxing blood vessels, which increases blood flow to an erection. Because other blood vessels relax with these medications as well, increased blood levels of these drugs caused by grapefruit can decrease blood pressure ( 8 ).
How does grapefruit interact with other medications?
Some of the substances in grapefruit can interfere with the liver’s ability to break down medications, causing higher than normal blood levels of these drugs. This includes calcium channel blockers, which are often prescribed for the treatment of hypertension.
What happens if you drink grapefruit juice while taking Plendil?
For example, when a common calcium channel blocker blood pressure medicine by the name of felodipine (Plendil) is taken with grapefruit juice instead of water, blood levels of the drug can more than double.
