After a very careless, stupid injury I have to begin a cycle of antibiotics. Any time I add a new drug to my repertoire I check to see if I should avoid grapefruit.
Furanocoumarins, a class of organic chemical compound, are present in grapefruit and get metabolized by the same enzyme that metabolizes many drugs. Depending on the medication the bioavailability can either be increased or decreased. Something like an antibiotic can't be fully incorporated into the body so the infection will last longer than expected. A cholesterol-lowering drug will remain in the bloodstream at dangerously high levels, causing a breakdown of muscles and eventually kidney failure.
Some of the medications that interact with grapefruit include: hormone replacements, antidepressants, blood pressure regulators, cholesterol regulators, anti-fungals, antibiotics, antivirals, immunosuppressants, antihistamines, and medications that are slow release.
The take home message is to read the warning label of your medications. There might be information present you never would have considered!
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