Question

I've heard mentioned a couple times in instructions or on labels that "grapefruit juice should not be used with this product". I believe calcium and Cipro were two of the items. Why is this? And does it mean you have to leave grapefruit totally out of your diet or just not have it in the same time frame - i.e. would a pill with breakfast and grapefruit at lunch be OK?

Answer

Research has shown that there is a component in grapefruit juice that appears to interfere with the liver's ability to clear some drugs from the body. Consequently the levels of the drugs in the blood could build to a toxic level. However, it is fine to drink grapefruit juice at times when you are not taking your medications - i.e. a few hours later.

Neither calcium or Cipro appear to have an important grapefruit juice interaction. To learn more of the effects of grapefruit on drug absorbtion, go to the link below.

Links

• The Grapefruit Juice-Drug Interaction Website