Yes,grapefruitjuice chock-full of vitamins and nutrients. For many, a glass of grapefruit juice is a healthy way to start the day. However, if you’re on certain medications, such as certain heart medications called statins, you should avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking these medications.Grapefruit juice can inhibit your body’s ability to break down these medications, which in turn, can lead to adverse effects.
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Grapefruit Juice and Certain Statins Do Not Mix
Grapefruit juice and certain statins (used to treat high cholesterol) such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin) do not mix. Grapefruit juice inhibits a system of enzymes that helps break down dozens of medications, including Lipitor, Mevacor, and Zocor.
If you drink grapefruit juice while taking any of these medications, too much of the drugs’active ingredientmay enter your bloodstream. This could result in adverse effects, such as a dangerous muscle disorder or liver damage. More specifically, grapefruit juice inhibits the hepatic (liver) enzyme system P450, which breaks down drugs.
By messing with this liver enzyme, more active ingredient affects your body. In other words, the effects of statin drugs are increased in people who drink grapefruit juice. Adverse effects of statins include muscle and liver damage.Cytochrome P450enzymes are stored in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells found not only in the liver but also in the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs.
Please keep in mind that there are several more drugs that mess with cytochrome P450, and if you have any questions about potential interactions, please discuss them with your physician. Your physician should also check whether the medications that you are taking either have adverse interactions with each other or with your diet.
The time that you take one of these medications and the time that you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice does not reduce your risk of drug-related adverse effects–-an interaction can happen up to three days after consuming grapefruit.This means that you cannot drink grapefruit juice in the morning and take your medication later in the day.
What Are the Side Effects of Statins?
Medication Options
You have several options:
Several available statins do not interact with grapefruit juice and are safe to use. These include:
More Information
If you have any questions about drug interactions with grapefruit juice, please discuss these concerns with your physician. Please remember that your physician is an excellent source of information and is there to help guide you through treatment and work to ensure your good health.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, you should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor (atorvastatin). Compounds in grapefruit can negatively interact with certain statins, including Lipitor, Altoprev (lovastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin).Grapefruit should not be eaten while taking Lipitor because it can cause a dangerous interaction. Grapefruit contains substances called furanocoumarins, which interfere with liver enzymes that break down the medication. As a result, blood levels of the drug’s active ingredient become dangerously elevated, which can lead to a serious muscle disorder or liver damage.Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice if you take any of the following medications:Adalat CC (nifedipine), a high-blood-pressure medicationAllegra (fexofenadine), an antihistamineBuspar (buspirone), an anti-anxiety medicationCordarone (amiodarone), a heart arrhythmia drugEntocord EC (budesonide), a corticosteroidLipitor (atorvastatin), a statinMevacor (lovastatin), a statinNeoral (cyclosporine), an organ-transplant anti-rejection drugProcardia (nifedipine), a high-blood-pressure medicationPacerone (amiodarone), a heart arrhythmia drugSandimmune (cyclosporine), an organ-transplant anti-rejection drugUceris (budesonide), a corticosteroidZocor (simvastatin), a statin
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor (atorvastatin). Compounds in grapefruit can negatively interact with certain statins, including Lipitor, Altoprev (lovastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin).
Grapefruit should not be eaten while taking Lipitor because it can cause a dangerous interaction. Grapefruit contains substances called furanocoumarins, which interfere with liver enzymes that break down the medication. As a result, blood levels of the drug’s active ingredient become dangerously elevated, which can lead to a serious muscle disorder or liver damage.
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice if you take any of the following medications:Adalat CC (nifedipine), a high-blood-pressure medicationAllegra (fexofenadine), an antihistamineBuspar (buspirone), an anti-anxiety medicationCordarone (amiodarone), a heart arrhythmia drugEntocord EC (budesonide), a corticosteroidLipitor (atorvastatin), a statinMevacor (lovastatin), a statinNeoral (cyclosporine), an organ-transplant anti-rejection drugProcardia (nifedipine), a high-blood-pressure medicationPacerone (amiodarone), a heart arrhythmia drugSandimmune (cyclosporine), an organ-transplant anti-rejection drugUceris (budesonide), a corticosteroidZocor (simvastatin), a statin
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice if you take any of the following medications:
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Lee JW, Morris JK, Wald NJ.Grapefruit Juice and Statins.Am J Med. 2016;129(1):26-9. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.07.036Bushra R, Aslam N, Khan AY.Food-drug interactions.Oman Med J. 2011;26(2):77-83. doi:10.5001/omj.2011.21Guengerich FP.Intersection of the Roles of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes with Xenobiotic and Endogenous Substrates: Relevance to Toxicity and Drug Interactions.Chem Res Toxicol. 2017;30(1):2–12. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00226Kiani J, Imam SZ.Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs.Nutr J. 2007;6:33. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-33Bailey DG, Dresser G, Arnold JM.Grapefruit-medication interactions: forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences?.CMAJ. 2013;185(4):309–316. doi:10.1503/cmaj.120951U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Grapefruit juice and some drugs don’t mix.
Lee JW, Morris JK, Wald NJ.Grapefruit Juice and Statins.Am J Med. 2016;129(1):26-9. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.07.036
Bushra R, Aslam N, Khan AY.Food-drug interactions.Oman Med J. 2011;26(2):77-83. doi:10.5001/omj.2011.21
Guengerich FP.Intersection of the Roles of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes with Xenobiotic and Endogenous Substrates: Relevance to Toxicity and Drug Interactions.Chem Res Toxicol. 2017;30(1):2–12. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00226
Kiani J, Imam SZ.Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs.Nutr J. 2007;6:33. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-33
Bailey DG, Dresser G, Arnold JM.Grapefruit-medication interactions: forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences?.CMAJ. 2013;185(4):309–316. doi:10.1503/cmaj.120951
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Grapefruit juice and some drugs don’t mix.
Trevor AJ, Katzung BG, Kruidering-Hall M. Antifungal Agents. In: Trevor AJ, Katzung BG, Kruidering-Hall M. eds.Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology: Examination & Board Review, 11e.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2015.
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