Can i eat grapefruit with simvastatin

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. The Concern. Safety and Considerations. Other Drugs. Of the seven statins approved for use in the United States, the drugs most affected by the consumption of grapefruit are : Lipitor atorvastatin Mevacor lovastatin Zocor simvastatin.

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Kurata, M. Med Chem. DOI: Lee, J. Food and Drug Administration. Silver Spring, Maryland; updated July 18, Related Articles. These include many drugs used to treat blood vessel and heart conditions. Grapefruit also interacts with drugs used to treat nausea and urinary tract infections, anti-rejection drugs, medications to treat cancer, and many drugs that affect the central nervous system, including anti-anxiety drugs.

Similar to how it affects certain statins, furanocoumarins in grapefruit can suppress the enzyme that helps your body process these medications. The compound hinders this enzyme, creating larger amounts of drugs in your bloodstream.

Although grapefruit interacts with over 85 medications, not all of the interactions cause serious side effects. Sometimes, grapefruit interacts with only some of the drugs in a category, not all. For example, you might need to stop taking lovastatin, atorvastatin, or simvastatin, but you might be able to take fluvastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, or rosuvastatin to lower your cholesterol.

If you have doubts or questions, talk to your doctor about the risks of mixing medications and grapefruit. Taking your statin medication at a certain time of day can make the medication more effective.

Learn why you should take some statins at night. Statins may help to lower your blood pressure. Grapefruit has many health benefits but can be dangerous if combined with certain medications. Here are 31 common medications that interact with…. High triglycerides can have many causes, including genetics. When it's an inherited condition, it's known as familial hypertriglyceridemia.

HDL cholesterol removes extra cholesterol and plaque buildup in your arteries. High cholesterol often has no symptoms, but can lead to serious health issues.

It can increase the effect of warfarin on your blood, making you bleed more easily. It's safer to drink grapefruit juice if you're taking the newer anticoagulants rivaroxaban , dabigatran , apixaban or edoxaban. Antiplatelet medicines prevent platelets a type of blood cell from sticking together and forming blood clots. They help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Do not drink grapefruit juice if you're taking the antiplatelet medicine clopidogrel , as it may mean your medicine works less effectively.

If you're taking ticagrelor , grapefruit may increase the effects of your medicine and make you bleed more easily. You do not need to avoid grapefruit if you're taking dipyridamole or low-dose aspirin. Ciclosporin, sirolimus and tacrolimus are medicines that moderate your immune system the body's natural defence system. If you're taking any of these medicines, do not drink grapefruit juice without consulting your doctor.

Entocort is a medicine that contains budesonide and is used to treat Crohn's disease , a condition that affects the digestive system. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you're taking this medicine, as the level of budesonide in your blood will increase.

Some medicines used in the treatment of cancers may interact with grapefruit juice. The severity of the interaction can be different depending on the person, the drug, and the amount of grapefruit juice you drink. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist, and read any information provided with your prescription or non-prescription OTC drug to find out:.

For example, if you drink a lot of grapefruit juice while taking certain statin drugs to lower cholesterol, too much of the drug may stay in your body, increasing your risk for liver and muscle damage that can lead to kidney failure.

Many drugs are broken down metabolized with the help of a vital enzyme called CYP3A4 in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can block the action of intestinal CYP3A4, so instead of being metabolized, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer. The result: too much drug in your body.