List of Medicines Having Interaction (Avoid ) with Grapefruit Juice
Drinking or eating grapefruit juice is a healthy habit but you should be very careful if you taking certain medications like blood pressure and heart rhythm. Possible side effects might increase the effect of medication taken or sometimes reduced.
In this grapefruit-drug interactions chart, we’ll explain which medications you should stay away from when you choose to eat grapefruit.
You can also checkout our Pediatric Dose Calculator for quick calculations.
This guide helps you understand why it’s important to be careful.
Complete List of Medications Which Not Safe with Grapefruit Juice
This list is double-checked with FDA official references. FDA is the responsible authority for drugs and their safe usage alerts.
Grapefruit Drug Interactions Chart
| Medication | Brand Name | Other Interactions |
| Aliskiren | Tekturna | Also apple juice, orange juice |
| Alprazolam | Xanax | |
| Amiodarone | Pacerone | |
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor | |
| Budesonide | Entocort EC, Ortikos, Tarpeyo, Uceris | |
| Buspirone | Buspar | |
| Carbamazepine | Tegretol | |
| Cilostazol | Pletal | |
| Clarithromycin | Biaxin | |
| Cyclosporine | Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune | |
| Colchicine | ||
| Dronedarone | Multaq | |
| Erythromycin | E.E.S., Eryped | |
| Felodipine | Plendil | |
| Fentanyl | Several brands | |
| Fentanyl transdermal system | Duragesic Skin Patch | |
| Fexofenadine | Allegra | Also apple juice, orange juice |
| Flibanserin | Addyi | |
| Indinavir | Crixivan | |
| Loratadine | Claritin | |
| Losartan | Cozaar | |
| Lovastatin | Several brands | |
| Nilotinib | Tasigna | |
| Naloxegol | Movantik | |
| Nifedipine | Procardia, Procardia XL | |
| Palbociclib | Ibrance | |
| Pazopanib | Votrient | |
| Pimozide | Orap | |
| Ranolazine | Ranexa | |
| Saquinavir | Invirase, Fortovase | |
| Sildenafil | Revatio, Viagra | |
| Simvastatin | Zocor | |
| Tadalafil | Adcirca, Cialis | |
| Vardenafil | Levitra, Staxyn | |
| Verapamil | Calan, Calan SR | |
| Warfarin | Several brands |
Pharmacists, Nurses and other allied health can always keep themselves up-to-date with similar changes by attending Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs and earning free CME points.
More often these these types of questions are asked in pharmacy uae exams.
Some of the commonly asked questions related to medications are not safe with grapefruit juice
Can I eat grapefruit with Losartan?
Do not eat grapefruit if you are taking losartan medicine. It might affect levels of losartan in your blood levels and might produce serious side effects.
What Side effects are possible after drinking Grapefruit with medicines?
Side effects can vary and may include irregular heartbeats, bleeding in the stomach, muscle discomfort, muscle strain, harm to the kidneys, low blood pressure, trouble breathing, and feeling very sleepy, and feeling lightheaded.
What are other drugs that are prone to an interaction with Grapefruit Juice?
Remember, some medications, whether they’re prescribed by your doctor or bought over the counter, can react with grapefruit juice. If you’re unsure or worried, it’s a good idea to talk to your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Should I Stop taking Grapefruit Juice now for lifelong?
If you keep taking these specific medicines, you might need to avoid drinking grapefruit juice. But if you’re not taking these medicines anymore or if your medications have changed, it’s okay to enjoy grapefruit juice.
What will happen if I accidentally have grapefruit?
Eating or drinking a little bit of grapefruit by accident once probably won’t cause any big issues. But, grapefruit can mess with how your body absorbs certain medicines for a few days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you’re feeling strange after having grapefruit and taking medicine. They can help you figure out what’s going on.
Do citrus fruits other than grapefruit juice cause the same problem?
Grapefruits are different from fruits like oranges, lemons, and tangerines because they contain special substances that can affect how some medicines work in your stomach. This can either make your body absorb too much or too little of the medicine, which is not good. So, when you’re taking medicine, it’s usually okay to have those other citrus fruits, but it’s better to steer clear of grapefruit juice.
What if I have always taken my medication with grapefruit juice?
Drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit juice can make the medicine you’re taking more powerful in your body. This might make you more likely to experience side effects. If you usually enjoy grapefruit juice and you’ve been given a medicine that can be affected by it, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it.
