![]() ![]() They work by changing the way your blood vessels use calcium, relaxing the vessels, and relieving blood pressure. The first two medications in this list are known as calcium channel blockers. However, the following four blood pressure medications should be used cautiously: Most types of blood pressure medicines are not affected by grapefruit. Grapefruit can increase the side effects of some statin cholesterol medications, causing muscle damage. One study showed that drinking a glass of grapefruit juice with simvastatin or lovastatin increased blood levels of these statins by 260% ( 5).Īlternatives: Pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and fluvastatin (Lescol) do not interact with grapefruit ( 1). Grapefruit increases the blood levels of three common statins substantially, increasing the risk of rhabdomyolysis ( 4): This leads to muscle weakness, pain, and occasionally kidney damage ( 3). Statins can cause rhabdomyolysis, or the breakdown of muscle tissue. This improves the profile of lipoproteins in the blood and decreases deaths from heart disease in patients at risk of it ( 2). Statins work by limiting the natural production of cholesterol. Some cholesterol medications called statins are affected by grapefruit. With that in mind, here is detailed information about 32 common medications that may interact with grapefruit, categorized by use. For a small number of drugs, grapefruit’s effects can be serious. Taking your medication a few hours apart from consuming it isn’t long enough. Grapefruit’s ability to affect medication lasts for 1–3 days. One whole grapefruit or one glass of grapefruit juice is enough to alter how these medications affect you. There are three things to know to understand if and how you can safely consume grapefruit with these medications. In fact, studies show that they increase the blood levels of over 85 medications ( 1).īy slowing the way in which CYPs normally break down medications in your gut and liver, grapefruit can increase the side effects of these drugs ( 1). ![]() Grapefruit and a few of its close relatives, such as Seville oranges, tangelos, pomelos, and Minneolas, contain a class of chemicals called furanocoumarins.įuranocoumarins disrupt the normal function of CYPs. Medications are processed in your liver and small intestine by a specialized group of proteins called cytochrome P450 (CYPs).ĬYPs break down medications, reducing the blood levels of many of them. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |