A member asked:

Hi doctor, can i know the risks of grapefruit for drug interaction and death ? i need a detailed answer plz

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Dangerous increases: Grapefruit drug interactions are very common. In the past few years the number of drugs that can lead to fatal interactions with grapefruit has more than doubled. Not only grapefruit but other fruits (limes, pomelos, other citrus fruits) contain a class of chemicals that block the normal rate of breakdown of drugs leading to toxic levels. The chemicals are “furanocoumarins” and they block an enzyme that breaks down drugs in the gut, limiting the amount absorbed, and the activity of this enzyme is taken into account when dosing these medications. When inactivated by the furanocoumarims, it is not possible to predict what doses are required to produce a therapeutic effect. Nor is it possible to time the consumption of the fruit to prevent this adverse effect. For example, grapefruit juice taken as long as 7-8 hours before a medication can still block the breakdown of the medication. Some reactions that can occur as a result are fatal abnormalities of rhythm leading to sudden cardiac death, muscle destruction (rhabdomyolysis) leading to damage to the kidneys and liver. The impact of grapefruit on drug levels is limited to drugs taken orally as the enzyme involved is a gut enzyme.

Answered 5/14/2018

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Dr. Heidi Fowler answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

Here is a list of: meds that might cause problems with grapefruit juice. Read the article as well. See: https://www.drugs.com/article/grapefruit-drug-interactions.html

Answered 11/14/2018

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