Grapefruit juice affects certain statins more than others. But to be on the safe side, check with your doctor, and avoid taking your pills with grapefruit juice. What's more, eating half a grapefruit is even less risky than drinking grapefruit juice, since it takes several fruits to make a single glass of juice. Compounds in grapefruit inhibit an enzyme in the digestive tract that breaks down these medications. Certain statins (atorvastatin, lovastatin and simvastatin) interact with grapefruit juice.
Atorvastatin interacts with grapefruit juice if you drink. Too many people don’t pay attention to the precautions offered with their drugs and then they have bad interactions. That's because the studies showing dangerous effects used massive amounts of furanocoumarins, the amount found in a quart or more of the juice. Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely. But if you can't switch, experts say it's probably okay to enjoy a small glass. Not all statins are affected equally by grapefruit juice, so grapefruit fans might want to switch to a statin that's less affected (see the table below). As a result, more of the drug is absorbed, making it more powerful than it's meant to be - even toxic in some cases. Notes for Professionals: Avoid grapefruit juice quantities greater than 1.2 L daily in patients taking atorvastatin to avoid the potential for drug accumulation. Grapefruit juice contains compounds called furanocoumarins that stop CYP3A from doing its job. Why?Ī: Certain classes of drugs - most notably statins - are metabolized (broken down) in your intestines by an enzyme called CYP3A, which normally reduces the amount of drug that enters your bloodstream. This can increase the risk of muscle breakdown, liver damage, and even kidney failure. Grapefruit juice can cause that statin to stay in your body much longer, and the drug can build up. Q: I've heard that people shouldn't drink grapefruit juice if they're taking a statin. With some statins, drinking grapefruit juice, or eating grapefruit, is a bad idea.
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