What's the deal with grapefruit juice and ADs?

[Jalapeñomel]

Why can't you drink it when you take anti-depressants?

[Jalapeñomel]

Dec 19, 2014 19:25:24 GMT -5 mofongo said:

I didn't know about ADs, oops! It's definitely on the Xanax bottle, or instructions. I think it can enhance the effects of the medication.

Oh maybe it's anti-anxiety meds and not anti-depressants. 

EDIT: I just saw it on the Latuda commerical. 

[tripleshot]

Depending on the med it can decrease how quickly the body breaks down the med and/or increase the effects and side effects.
www.rxlist.com/grapefruit-page3/supplements.htm

[nursewife]

Usually it's statins that have this issue. It affects the way the body absorbs the medication.

[hbear]

Dec 19, 2014 19:29:52 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

It's not all antidepressants.

And it's not just antidepressants. Grapefruit interacts with a number of different types of medications.

Like birth control pills

[Jalapeñomel]

What is it in grapefruit specifically? Are there other fruits/foods that have the same reaction?

[blanca]

Grapefruit inhibits an enzyme in the liver that is responsible for metabolizing certain meds which can make their levels in the body toxic

[sandyapples]

Grapefruit is gross.

[Jalapeñomel]

Dec 19, 2014 19:43:58 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Dec 19, 2014 19:34:15 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

What is it in grapefruit specifically? Are there other fruits/foods that have the same reaction?

Here's some info I found here: www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0206d.shtml

Doctors are not sure which of the hundreds of chemicals in grapefruit are responsible. The leading candidate is furanocoumarin. It is also found in Seville (sour) oranges and tangelos; although these fruits have not been studied in detail, the guidelines for grapefruit should apply to them as well.

Grapefruit’s culprit chemical does not interact directly with your pills. Instead, it binds to an enzyme in your intestinal tract known as CYP3A4, which reduces the absorption of certain medications. When grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme, it’s easier for the medication to pass from your gut to your bloodstream. Blood levels will rise faster and higher than normal, and in some cases the abnormally high levels can be dangerous.

Huh, this is fascinating. 

[berbles]

Did you know that the pomelo is the original grapefruit?

The pomelo is one of the four original citrus species, from which the rest of cultivated citrus hybridized. Specially the common orange and the grapefruit are assumed to be natural occurring hybrids between the pomelo and the mandarin, of which the pomelo provided the bigger size and firmness.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo


ETA: #thisiswhyi'mgoodatjeopardybutcan'trememberbasicmath

[papie]

I drink orange-grapefruit juice every morning.  Oops.  WTF?

[bcv513]

I think antihistamines are the same. Allegra is anyway

[mich1]

I just asked the pharmacist about this, as it is contraindicated with Lipitor too. She told me that for certain meds, it can block absorption, decreasing blood levels to less effective AND it can enhance blood levels, raising them higher than they should be.

I got the impression if you eat or drink it occasionally, it's not a problem. But it is a bad idea to eat or drink it regularly.

Bummed, fresh grapefruit is my favorite juice.

[elleblue]

I imagine it's related to why I'm supposed to avoid taking vitamin C around the time I take my thyroid medication.

[SwimDeep]

Dec 19, 2014 19:49:11 GMT -5 berbles said:

Did you know that the pomelo is the original grapefruit?

The pomelo is one of the four original citrus species, from which the rest of cultivated citrus hybridized. Specially the common orange and the grapefruit are assumed to be natural occurring hybrids between the pomelo and the mandarin, of which the pomelo provided the bigger size and firmness.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo


ETA: #thisiswhyi'mgoodatjeopardybutcan'trememberbasicmath

I love pomelo! The first time I ever had it was in Cambodia. So refreshing!

ETA: To the point of the post, I have also heard that grapefruit prevents the liver from metabolizing various medications. (Kind of like antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of birth control?) My first gynecologist actually warned me about it when she gave me my first Rx for BC.

[SwimDeep]

intentionalsnarkshark - I take that too. I've been tempted to experiment a little bit to see if eating a bunch of grapefruit for a few days makes me feel any different...but if I eat/take that much vitamin C I tend to get UTIs...so...I just avoid grapefruit now

[TrickyBob]

So what you're telling me is that this can be used as a legit excuse to not give a vacuum sucking soul of death blow job?

[CloudBee]

I've never heard this. But I wasn't allowed to consume it when I was on blood thinners.

[katieido]

mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2012/12/17/grapefruit-is-a-culprit-in-more-drug-reactions/


Another article. I was just talking about this last weekend

[pantsparty]

Wow, grapefruit is not only a ridiculously named fruit, but a sneaky bitch.

[Deleted]

Da fuq? Well, I clearly don't abide by the rules of not drinking with my escitalopram, soooo....

[awick14]

I wasn't allowed to take it when I was on pills for GERD. But citrus fruits aren't good with the GERD in the first place so I never put much thought into it.

I didn't know it can make side effects of some meds worse, that's interesting.

[Jalapeñomel]

Dec 20, 2014 2:43:41 GMT -5 awick14 said:

I wasn't allowed to take it when I was on pills for GERD. But citrus fruits aren't good with the GERD in the first place so I never put much thought into it.

I didn't know it can make side effects of some meds worse, that's interesting.

Clearly my job is infecting my brain, because I read your last sentence as,"I didn't know it can make my side effect mad worse..."

[hisno1girl]

DH's chemotherapy pills have the same restriction about grapefruit and a couple of ther specific citrus fruits.