Patients taking many common medications should be weary of consuming grapefruit. Grapefruit (and grapefruit juice and grapefruit supplements) interact with these medications preventing (as I understand it) a liver enzyme from metabolizing the medication and thereby creating unsafe levels of the drug in the body.
Medications that may be affected include
- Anxiety: Xanax, Buspar, Versed, Halcion
- Depression: Luvox, Zoloft
- Allergies: Allegra
- Abnormal heart rhythm: Cordarone, quinidine
- Heart disease/stroke/blood clots: Coumadin
- Epilepsy: Tegretol
- Cancer: Cyclophosphamide, etoposide, ifosfamide, tamoxifen, vinblastine, vincristine
- Cough: Dextromethorphan (found in many over-the-counter cold medicines)
- HIV: Agenerase, Crixivan, Viracept, Norvir, Fortovase
- Prostate enlargement: Proscar
- Heart disease/High blood pressure: Coreg, Cardizem, Plendil, Cardene, Adalat, Procardia,
- Nimotop, Sular, Covera, Calan, Verelan
- Erectile dysfunction: Viagra, Cialis
- Asthma/Emphysema: Theophylline
- High cholesterol: Lipitor, Lescol, Mevacor, Zocor
- Pain: Alfenta, Duragesic, Actiq, Sufenta
- Infection: Biaxin, Sporanox, erythromycin, troleandomycin
As always, ask your doctor and/or pharmacist. Make sure he's aware of all supplements, etc., you are taking. Make sure YOU understand any warnings, precautions, etc., that may accompany your medications.
For more information check out the following links (provided by my dietician cousin!)
