But does it apply to all meds, or are only some drugs at risk?
And what about grapefruit juice versus chunks of the actual fruit?
How does grapefruit interact with medication in the first place?
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And nope, this is not a good thing.
Higher levels of the drug can come with an increased risk of side effects.
Ultimately, this allows less of the drug to drop your blood, reducing its effectiveness.
Which medications should not be taken with grapefruit?
Note that not all drugs in these classes will have the same interactions.
And this list above isnt exhaustive either.
Do I need to worry about all grapefruit products or just the fruit itself?
Besides the intact fruit itself (including slices or pulp), grapefruit juice can also cause these issues.
In fact, it could even pose a higher risk, according to Dr. Guo.
Whats more, it doesnt take much to feel those effects.
PerHarvard Health, a single glass can reduce the amount of CYP3A4 enzyme by nearly 50%.
(By comparison, youd need to eat about one whole grapefruit to achieve that drop.)
So that could potentially mess with the effectiveness of the drugs, Van Eck says.
Do other types of fruit interact with meds too?
These include the bitter orange (a.k.a.
Like grapefruit, all of these contain furanocoumarins, so they can have the same effects on medication.
Uh-oh: My medication is on the list.
Is there a safe way to keep enjoying grapefruit?
Sorry, but the experts say no.
What to watch out for depends on what medication you’re taking, Dr. Guo says.
On the other hand, immunosuppressants like tacrolimus could cause shaking, according to Dr. Guo.
You could be in for muscle pain and weakness with statins.
Meds that treat irregular heart rhythms?
Irregular heartbeats andheart palpitations.
Usually, we’ll tell patients just to avoid it completely, Dr. Guo says.
Same goes for the bitter orange, pomelo, and tangelo listed above.
In fact, almost all other fruits are safe to take, Dr. Guo says.Vegetablesare totally fine too.
And if you really cant bring yourself to cut grapefruit or grapefruit juice out of your diet entirely?
I wouldnt consume it on a daily basis or even consume large quantities at any time.
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