Grapefruit juice and some medicines don't mix

[Miulang]

If you drink grapefruit juice regularly and take some types of drugs (or have relatives or friends that do), that combination might make you sick or worse.


"...Unlike other citrus juices, grapefruit juice contains furanocoumarins, a substance that seems to affect the way your body absorbs certain medications, including cholesterol-lowering drugs, some antihistamines, erectile dysfunction drugs and blood pressure medications.

Normally, these drugs are partially blocked from entering the body by an enzyme in the intestine. However, furanocoumarins prevent this enzyme from working, allowing potentially toxic levels of the drug to enter to body, which may cause organ damage..."

Miulang

[LikaNui]

Re: Grapefruit juice?!?!??

I apparently missed the part where anybody here asked about grapefruit juice.

Miulang, I've gotta ask: are you a paid intern for HawaiiThreads? If not, how do you find the time to be here 24/7 and post such an incredibly high number of messages? Do you get paid by someone to do internet research on all these various topics, or...?
Just curious.

[pzarquon]

Re: Grapefruit juice and some medicines don't mix

She just shares when she finds something interesting, as we all do. She just finds a lot to be interesting. I'll take grapefruit juice over Iraq any day, frankly.

Back on topic... I swear this grapefruit business has been known for a long while now. Why, check out the Wikipedia page on grapefruit juice. Or this WebMD article, "Why Grapefruit Affects Some Drugs." (Okay, that's from May.) It's definitely mentioned as part of warnings for some drugs (and we all know how interesting those warnings can be).

Good ol' KITV... either telling us about experimental medical practices that may never see the light of day, or sounding the alarm about old news. (Just kidding, Dick. I love me some KITV.)

[Adri]

Re: Grapefruit juice and some medicines don't mix

Well, I think it's a fair warning since many sources say that grapefruit juice is good for lowering cholesterol and only recently have some sources been mentioning that grapefruit juice may clash with statins taken to lower cholesterol. It's something easy to slip through the cracks since I don't think doctors or pharmacists are routinely asking people if they drink grapefruit juice when they are taking statins or other medications that may clash with it.

[Miulang]

Re: Grapefruit juice?!?!??

I apparently missed the part where anybody here asked about grapefruit juice.

Miulang, I've gotta ask: are you a paid intern for HawaiiThreads? If not, how do you find the time to be here 24/7 and post such an incredibly high number of messages? Do you get paid by someone to do internet research on all these various topics, or...?
Just curious.

Heheheh. I WISH I got paid..I just happen to be a very voracious reader of a lot of different things...if you don't like what I post, or the frequency with which I post, just put me on ignore. It won't hurt my feelings, honest!

Miulang

P.S. the news that grapefruit juice might affect the efficacy of some drugs has been suspected for awhile, but apparently now scientists have actually figured out WHY it's happening. This could be a good thing because now pharmaceutical companies can decide if they want to reformulate some of their drugs to make them more safe or at least less harmful when they are consumed with commonly eaten foods.

[1stwahine]

Re: Grapefruit juice and some medicines don't mix

With all the ukapila meds I take...I lucky I no like the taste of grapefruit juice! Plus, I gave up dieting loooong ago. Not!

Auntie Lynn

[damontucker]

Re: Grapefruit juice?!?!??

I apparently missed the part where anybody here asked about grapefruit juice.

Miulang, I've gotta ask: are you a paid intern for HawaiiThreads? If not, how do you find the time to be here 24/7 and post such an incredibly high number of messages? Do you get paid by someone to do internet research on all these various topics, or...?
Just curious.

Miulang and Kimo get one bet going or something....

j/k

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Grapefruit juice and some medicines don't mix

Some studies have shown a similar effect with blood oranges.