Now is the season for grapefruit

Grapefruit also known as grapefruit

The flesh is beautiful and juicy

Rich in vitamins and low in sugar

Not only can it beautify your skin

Also helps with weight loss

Favored by the general public

But be careful

People who are taking medication

Best to stay away from grapefruit!

Why take medicine?

Grapefruit is not recommended

Grapefruit contains naringin, furanocoumarins and the flavonoid compound naringenin, which inhibit the activity of the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4 in the human body . Clinically, more than 50% of drug metabolism requires the participation of this drug-metabolizing enzyme.

The inhibition of CYP3A4 will cause the ingested drugs to stay in the body for too long, increase the drug concentration in the blood, increase the occurrence of serious adverse reactions, and in severe cases, sudden death . Taking different drugs will have different effects.

To put it simply: eating grapefruit while taking medicine is equivalent to increasing the dosage of the medicine invisibly.

It is currently known that more than 85 drugs are affected by grapefruit, and about half of them may cause serious adverse reactions. The list of drugs that may cause high risks when taken together is as follows↓

Drugs that may be affected by grapefruit

1

Very high risk

● Treatment of HIV infection : Maraviroc

● Lipid-lowering drugs : Lovastatin, Simvastatin

Antiarrhythmic drugs : Dronedarone

● Headache relief medicine : Ergotamine

● Anesthetic : Oral ketamine

Antipsychotics : Lurasidone

2

High risk

● Anticancer drugs : crizotinib, everolimus, pazopanib, dasatinib, lapatinib, sunitinib, erlotinib, nilotinib

Anti-infective agents : erythromycin, quinine, primaquine, rilpivirine

● Lipid-lowering drugs : Atorvastatin

Cardiovascular drugs : amiodarone, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, apixaban, eplerenone, verapamil, cilostazol

Antipsychotics : Buspirone, quetiapine, ziprasidone

● Cough suppressant : Dextromethorphan

● Analgesics : oral fentanyl, oxycodone

● Gastrointestinal medicine : Cisapride

Immunosuppressants : cyclosporine, sirolimus, everolimus, tacrolimus

If you still can't give up grapefruit, make sure to do at least two things: consult a professional doctor or pharmacist, and read the drug instructions carefully (usually in the drug interactions and precautions section).

Some unanswered questions

Having said so much, some people may still want to ask: Is it okay to eat less? Is it okay to eat every few hours?

Then why not continue reading:

1. Is it okay to eat less grapefruit while taking medicine?

One whole grapefruit or 200 mL of grapefruit juice is enough to cause an increase in blood drug concentrations and subsequent adverse reactions.

One or two petals may be okay, but there is no need to take the risk.

2. Is it okay to take medicine and grapefruit several hours apart?

No. Taking the medicine several hours apart does not reduce the potential risk.

The effect of grapefruit on the CYP3A4 enzyme is irreversible. Although there are individual differences, literature shows that after eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice, it may take up to 72 hours for the enzyme activity to recover.

So, not only should you not eat grapefruit while taking medicine, but if grapefruit will affect the medicine you are taking, it is not recommended that you eat grapefruit during the entire medication period.

If you really want to take it, stop taking it for more than 3 days before taking it again.

3. Can I eat ordinary grapefruit instead of grapefruit?

To be safe, it's best not to.

Warm reminder: Citrus fruits such as oranges, limes and grapefruits actually contain furanocoumarins, but the content is usually lower than that of grapefruit, and the danger is relatively smaller. At present, there are not many cases of danger caused by eating drugs and grapefruit or oranges together.

However, the furanocoumarin content varies greatly depending on the variety, and there is no way to quickly know the content in life. If you are really worried, try to eat less or not eat at the same time.

Grapefruit is delicious, but you’d better be patient when taking medicine.