While vitamin K is a concern with warfarin, grapefruit is not. Let me start with the good news here: grapefruit does not affect warfarin (Coumadin). If you have concerns about your grapefruit consumption and medication, talk with your doctor about an alternate medication. Severe side effects were observed in some people with just one cup of whole grapefruit segments. Īlso, even though it isn’t a calcium channel blocker, take caution with eplerenone (Inspra), as grapefruit can cause similar side effects ( 9).Īs with statins, the amount an individual may be able to consume safely is variable. If you are taking any of the following calcium channel blockers (not all calcium channel blockers interact), be sure to talk with your doctor about grapefruit: felodipine (Plendil), nimodipine (Nymalize), or nisoldipine (Sular) ( 6, 7, 8). Consuming grapefruit with calcium channel blockers can increase the amount of the drug circulating in your body, leading to dangerously low blood pressure, or other side effects. These medications metabolize via the same CYP3A pathway as the statins above, meaning they are also prone to interacting with grapefruit ( 5). Calcium channel blockers work by relaxing the muscles in the walls of your arteries, thereby lowering your blood pressure. The main group of blood pressure medications of concern related to grapefruit consumption is calcium channel blockers. It’s generally considered “safer” to consume grapefruit in its whole fruit form, as the compound responsible for the interaction is more concentrated in juice (it would take several grapefruit squeezed to make a glass of juice).
Many people will be able to consume half a grapefruit or a small glass of juice.
That’s why it’s so important to discuss it with your prescribing physician. The amount of grapefruit or grapefruit juice you may be able to consume without side effects varies, and it’s not possible to predict whether you’ll be able to tolerate more or less. If you love it and consume it often, you may be able to switch to a different statin. If you are taking any of those three statins, make sure to discuss grapefruit consumption with your doctor. There are three statins that are of concern here: simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor) ( 2, 3, 4). Not all statins use that same enzyme, though. That makes the drug more powerful than it is intended to be ( 1). Grapefruit contains compounds that inhibit this enzyme. That’s because these drugs metabolize in the gut, via a certain enzyme called CYP3A. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with some cholesterol medications, most notably, statins. Which ones? Read on to find out which heart medications may interact with grapefruit! Grapefruit and Cholesterol Medication That’s why it’s so important to avoid grapefruit when you take certain heart medications. This can lead to blood pressure that’s too low, medication toxicity, and (if untreated) potentially death. While grapefruit is certainly healthy, and even good for your heart, it also adversely interacts with many heart medications. Have you ever been told to avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice when you started a new medication? Or maybe you’ve seen it on the bottle: a warning not to consume grapefruit while taking that med? And isn’t grapefruit healthy? The article Grapefruit and Heart Medications is for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualized and qualified medical advice. 2018 doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqx078.Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding any concerns you may have about your medications or side effects. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Avocado consumption and risk factors for heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
0 kommentar(er)
