statins and grapefruit interaction occurs in stomach

Statin-associated rhabdomyolysis triggered by grapefruit consumption.

Does grapefruit affect my medicine? (2018).

Grapefruit–medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences? You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. We link primary sources - including studies, scientific references, and statistics - within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Nevertheless, it may be better and simpler to avoid consuming grapefruit products when taking statins. For some statins, this may be a lower interaction than if a person took them simultaneously. However, taking a statin medication at a different time to consuming grapefruit may still cause an interaction.

One analysis found that taking grapefruit juice with certain statins may actually have beneficial effects, reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol by up to approximately 6 percentage points.īecause of this likelihood, some scientists argue that healthcare providers should not prohibit people from taking grapefruit in moderation with certain statins.Ī person taking some statins may only start to see harmful effects if they drink 1 quart (946 milliliters) or more of grapefruit juice.Įating 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. 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.

It is not advisable to consume any grapefruit or grapefruit juice with the statin simvastatin. Whether it is safe to consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking statins depends on the statin and the person’s specific condition.īefore consuming any grapefruit products, people taking statins should discuss with a healthcare provider whether it is safe for them.

In rare cases, this condition can lead to death. However, if healthcare providers can treat rhabdomyolysis, it is possible for them to prevent or reverse complications in the body. She experienced rhabdomyolysis after eating grapefruit daily for 10 days. One case report involved a 40-year-old female who was taking the statin simvastatin. In addition, some people who are experiencing an interaction between grapefruit and statins may experience mild muscle damage that may appear as myalgia. However, people with this condition may not experience all three.

There are three main symptoms a person with rhabdomyolysis may experience:

This can cause muscle cells to leak their contents into the bloodstream, leading to elevated levels of protein in the blood. It can occur when statin levels become too high in the blood.Ĭharacteristics of rhabdomyolysis involve damage to the body’s skeletal muscle tissue. This condition affects less than 0.1% of people taking statins. However, some varieties of citrus do not contain these interacting compounds, including navel oranges.Ī person taking statins can ask a healthcare provider what citrus fruits to avoid.Ĭonsuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice when taking statins comes with a rare but serious risk of rhabdomyolysis. In addition, other citrus fruits may contain compounds with similar interactions. Therefore, the body absorbs more statins than normal from the gut into the bloodstream.Īccording to one review by the research team that discovered the grapefruit-statin interaction, more than 85 drugs may interact with these compounds in grapefruit - not just statins. However, furanocoumarins, compounds that occur naturally in grapefruit, deactivate this enzyme, preventing it from breaking down statins. This process normally lowers the amount of statins reaching the bloodstream. Normally, when a person consumes statins without grapefruit juice, the enzyme CYP3A breaks them down within the intestines and liver. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with some statins, leading to potentially dangerous results.Įssentially, compounds in grapefruit prevent the body from metabolizing statins normally, which increases their concentration in a person’s blood. Share on Pinterest Valentyn Irin/Shutterstock

Statins and grapefruit interaction occurs in stomach