Why Shouldn I Drink Grapefruit Juice With My Meds?
Why Shouldn’t I Drink Grapefruit Juice With My Meds?Any number of medications can apply to this Prozac, BuSpar, Tegretol, Lipitor, Verapamil, Prednisone and a host of others – even Viagra! Answer: The reason why grapefruit juice is a problem for people taking certain drugs – including many psychotropic meds – is that grapefruit juice (unlike any other citrus juice) inhibits two enzymes that are important in metabolizing, or breaking down, these medications. When the enzymes aren’t doing their job, much more of the drug in question remains available to enter the patient’s bloodstream, and in some cases, this can have dangerous, even toxic, effects. For example, as much as 99% of BuSpar (Buspirone) is normally metabolized before the drug ever enters the bloodstream. When taken in the presence of grapefruit juice (not even at the same time), the amount of BuSpar in the system could increase as much as 400% – a hazardous situation. According to
