Do you actually read the three volume set of instructions that come with the medicines you buy? I don't. I am an idiot. I will begin that arduous task now that I have learned about the dangers of one specific fruit and its often disastrous interactions with over 30 different medications.

I don't. I am an idiot.

I will begin that arduous task now that I have learned about the dangers of one specific fruit and its often disastrous interactions with over 30 different medications.

The fruit in question is grapefruit. It's not one of my favorites but a lot of people do like it. I'd prefer to lick the bottom of my shoe rather than eat a grapefruit but that's a personal opinion. I thought all citrus fruits were good for you. Obviously, grapefruit does have many health benefits but it also has something that will interact with a lot of common medications.

I'd try to explain this in medical terms but we'd both get lost in the process. Here's the skinny for those of us that happened to miss those 14 years of medical school. There is a chemical compound in grapefruit juice that affects the stomach and digestive system's ability to break down drugs and toxins.

What that means is that your medication might go into your blood stream at a higher level than your doctor wants. This higher level could expose you a greater risk of side effects. The effects that grapefruit juice can have on your medication could last for a full day. So don't think you can have some grapefruit at breakfast and your medicines won't be affected later in the day.

What are the medicines that could be affected by consuming grapefruit? Here's a basic list but remember you can only find out what's best for you by speaking to your health care provider. Don't be shy, they love to answer questions.

If you take medicines to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure you'll want to speak to your doctor or even the pharmacist about grapefruit interaction.

Certain psychiatric drugs and anti-depressants could be affected by grapefruit juice.

Impotence drugs such as Viagra can be affected by grapefruit juice as can certain drugs that offer relief from pain.

There are several other basic classifications on the list, we obtained our information from WebMD which is a great source to get ideas for the questions you need to ask your doctor in person.

Please remember, I am a disc jockey and not a doctor. Use this information to create better questions for your healthcare provider.

 

 

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