This interaction is more likely when you drink or eat grapefruit at more than 1.2 liters daily.
These statins include:
2.
Calcium Channel Blockers
Grapefruit may interact with some blood pressure medicationsspecifically thecalcium channel blockerdrug class.
Getty Images /Aleksandr Zubkov
Some alternatives to calcium channel blockers with little to no interaction with grapefruit include:
3.
Overdose with estrogen may also cause nausea, vomiting, and vaginal bleeding.
It raises the levels of someimmunosuppressive drugs, which can increase the risk of problems such as kidney toxicity.
Buspirone
Grapefruit interacts with amedication called buspirone, which is used to treat anxiety disorders.
It does this by increasing the amount of the drug in your bloodstream.
Corticosteroids
Grapefruit can raise the levels of certain oralcorticosteroids (steroids)in the body.
Alternatives may include a similar but different class of diabetes medication calledglucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists.
Examples include Victoza (liraglutide) and Ozempic (semaglutide).
Allegra (Fexofenadine)
Allegra (fexofenadine) is an example of an OTCantihistaminethat interacts with grapefruit.
Grapefruit can limit how much fexofenadine enters the bloodstream.
This decreases the drug’s effectiveness.
An alternative antihistamine that is likely safe against grapefruit is Claritin (loratadine).
As a result, you might be at an increased risk of bleeding.
Examples of blood thinners that can interact with grapefruit are:
11.
Some dosage adjustments are possible with dasatinib.
However, grapefruit can lead to high drug levels by blocking the CYP3A4 liver protein.
This could result in increased side effects, such as low blood pressure.
Summary
Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that is a source of various nutrients.
However, grapefruit can also be dangerous due to numerous drug interactions.
Therefore, grapefruit should be avoided with certain medications.
While this article provided several examples of grapefruit medication interactions, it is not a complete list.
Food and Drug Administration.Grapefruit juice and some drugs don’t mix.
DailyMed.Label: atorvastatin calcium tablet, film coated.
Bailey DG, Dresser G, Arnold JMO.Grapefruit-medication interactions: forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences?CMAJ.
2013;185(4):309-316. doi:10.1503/cmaj.120951
DailyMed.Label: nifedipine tablet, extended release.
Kane GC, Lipsky JJ.Drug-grapefruit juice interactions.Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
2013;65(5):644-652. doi:10.1080/01635581.2013.795982
DailyMed.Label: estradiol tablet.
DailyMed.Label: tacrolimus capsule.
2013;48(6):489-493. doi:10.1310/hpj4806-489
PDR.BuSpar.
DailyMed.Label: buspirone hydrochloride tablet.
DailyMed.Label: amiodarone hydrochloride tablet.
DailyMed.Label: Multaq- dronedarone tablet, film coated.
Food and Drug Administration.Onglyza label.
Food and Drug Administration.Ozempic label.
Food and Drug Administration.Victoza label.
Poison Control.Loratadine (Claritin): side effects and interactions.
2014;95(3):307-313. doi:10.1038/clpt.2013.192
PDR.Dasatinib.
2020;26(9):1161-1170. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2020.04.019
DailyMed.Label: Paxlovid - nirmatrelvir and ritonavir kit.
DailyMed.Label: Paxlovid- nirmatrelvir and ritonavir kit.
DailyMed.Label: Biktarvy- bictegravir sodium, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate tablet.
DailyMed.Label: Pifeltro- doravirine tablet, film coated.
2017;10:1225-1239. doi:10.2147/JPR.S138698
PDR.OxyContin.
