Study: Dozens of drugs should not be taken with grapefruit juice
Before you pour a glass of grapefruit juice with breakfast , check your medicine cabinet.
A new study issued Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says 43 prescription drugs can cause serious side effects if taken with grapefruit juice.
That's up from a list of 17 just four years ago.
"Certain chemicals that grapefruit products and citrus fruits contain can interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) various medications in your digestive system," a post on the Mayo Clinic website by Katherine Zeratsky R.D. reads. "As a result, more medication stays in your body. This can increase the potency of your medication to potentially dangerous levels, causing serious side effects."
The side effects vary depending on the drug but can include a bleeding stomach, altered heart beat, kidney damage and in some cases, death.
Check with your pharmacist before mixing any prescription drugs and grapefruit juice.
What about the words "and citrus fruits"? Huge three words. Seems some of us need to do a little further reading....
Yep. You can't take it with Lescol (an anti-cholesterol drug), either.
This isn't breaking news. Interaction with grapefruit juice has been known for a long time.
 @Jamie It is to people who don't know about it. :-P
Yikes! Scary!
What do the Canadians know? Afterall, they have socialized medicine!
 @peckishpete Actually, they seem to know a lot more than we do. Look at the state of our nation's healthcare versus theirs. It may be slower but at least all their citizens can get care/medication whereas there are millions in the US who don't have insurance and are being refused to be treated or have to choose between food and medication. Oh, and this is a fact for at least one drug that I know of. My Dad takes Lipitor (and its generic forms) and is warned every time he gets his prescription not to eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice.
A lot of the "Statin" drugs can not be used with Grapefruit or Grapefruit juice. Pravastatin is one that can be taken, and also eat Grapefruit.
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