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 | I heard that grapefruit juice can interfere with some medicines. Is this true?
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|  Drinking just one glass of grapefruit juice or eating a single grapefruit can significantly interfere with the body's ability to eliminate certain drugs. So these drugs may be present at higher-than-normal levels, which can increase the risk of drug side effects. This interference occurs even when these drugs are taken several hours after a grapefruit snack. Other citrus juices such as orange juice don't affect drugs this way.Following is a list of common medicines that can interact with grapefruit juice. If you regularly take any of these medicines and also eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, don't make any changes to your medicines or current diet. Instead, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Benzodiazepines, especially triazolam (brand name Halcion) and alprazolam (Xanax). Anti-anxiety drug buspirone (Buspar). The calcium channel blockers felodipine (Plendil) and nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia). The antiarrhythmia drug amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone). Similar drugs, such as diltiazem (Cardizem) and amlodipine (Norvasc), are only slightly affected by grapefruit juice.HMG CoA reductase inhibitors ("statins") for high cholesterol, especially lovastatin (Mevacor) and simvastatin (Zocor).Cisapride (Propulsid).Ergot drugs for migraines, including dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergotamine (Bellergal-S, Cafergot), and methysergide (Sansert).The immune system suppressants cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral) and tacrolimus (Prograf).Protease inhibitors, such as indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), and saquinavir (Invirase).This may not be a complete list and not everyone will have the same reaction to these medicines with grapefruit juice, so always talk with your doctor regarding your medicines and grapefruit juice. Sources:
Hansten, P.D., J.R. Horn. Drug Interactions Analysis and Management. Applied Therapeutics, 1999.
The Johns Hopkins Complete Home Encyclopedia of Drugs. Medletter Associates Inc., 1998.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.
Drug Facts and Comparisons, Facts & Comparisons, 2006.
This answer prepared 7/17/2000.
This information updated 12/6/2006.
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