Can i take lipitor with grapefruit juice

She experienced rhabdomyolysis after eating grapefruit daily for 10 days. However, if healthcare providers can treat rhabdomyolysis, it is possible for them to prevent or reverse complications in the body. In rare cases , this condition can lead to death. Learn more about rhabdomyolysis here.

Before consuming any grapefruit products, people taking statins should discuss with a healthcare provider whether it is safe for them. It is not advisable to consume any grapefruit or grapefruit juice with the statin simvastatin. With this in mind, drinking a single, occasional glass of grapefruit juice while taking some statins is unlikely to cause harm, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Because of this likelihood, some scientists argue that healthcare providers should not prohibit people from taking grapefruit in moderation with certain statins.

A person taking some statins may only start to see harmful effects if they drink 1 quart milliliters or more of grapefruit juice. Eating grapefruit is less risky because the typical serving size — about half a grapefruit — contains less than a typical glass of juice a person might have with breakfast.

However, taking a statin medication at a different time to consuming grapefruit may still cause an interaction. For some statins, this may be a lower interaction than if a person took them simultaneously.

Nevertheless, it may be better and simpler to avoid consuming grapefruit products when taking statins. If a person is taking statins and enjoys consuming grapefruit, they should discuss this with a doctor. A healthcare professional can advise whether it is safe to consume this fruit alongside their particular medication. People should also speak with a doctor as soon as possible if they take statins and are experiencing. These are common symptoms of the severe condition rhabdomyolysis.

Compounds in grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with statins. In extreme cases, this may lead to rhabdomyolysis and even death, but this is rare.

Food-drug interactions. Oman Med J. Guengerich FP. Chem Res Toxicol. Kiani J, Imam SZ. Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs. Nutr J.

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Was this page helpful? The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Grapefruit gets a bad reputation when it comes to drug interactions because it contains furanocoumarins. This family of chemicals impairs CYP3A4 , an enzyme in our body that does a lot of the work breaking down drugs.

Other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges which are often used in marmalades , as well as limes, and pomelos all contain this family of compounds. Grapefruit is simply the most widely studied of these fruits Bailey, Drugs that are taken orally, like Lipitor, are absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal GI tract and pass through the liver before being distributed to the rest of the body. During this process, your body uses certain enzymes to break down the drugs. CYP3A4 helps break down the medication in the small intestine, thereby reducing the amount that ever makes it into your blood.

But furanocoumarins interfere with this process, which may lead to higher than expected levels of drugs in the body Fukazawa, Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice can affect some medicines.

In most cases, it increases the level of the medicine in your blood. This can increase the risk of side effects or alter the effect the medicine has. If your usual diet includes grapefruit or grapefruit juice and you've been prescribed a medicine that's affected by grapefruit, speak to your GP or pharmacist. Do not stop taking your medicine without advice.

Statins are medicines that lower your cholesterol. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice affects some statins. Do not drink grapefruit juice if you're taking simvastatin. Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely. Atorvastatin interacts with grapefruit juice if you drink large quantities more than 1.

Currently, healthcare professionals advise it is safe to drink grapefruit juice and eat grapefruit if you're taking other types of statins. Calcium channel blockers are medicines that relax the muscles that make up the walls of your arteries.