What would happen if I had grapefruit while on my meds?

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I'm on Seroquel and Clomipramine and I can't remember which one isn't supposed to be taken with grapefruit but I know there's a warning on one of the bottles. If I disobeyed the warning how bad would the reaction be? Would it be lethal? Would it just be unpleasant but not dangerous in anyway? Would it be a risk that I may or may not get away with? I'm willing to deal with a reaction that causes digestive problems. I'm not willing to deal with it if it's going to kill me or put me in the hospital. If the reaction is going to be unpleasant but benign I'm going to put up with it and have some grapefruit juice. If it's going to put me in any danger I won't. I'm going to google it and I think I'm going to wait until June 25 when I can ask my psychiatrist. I have an appointment on that date. Even though I'm not going to do anything until I talk to a psychiatrist I'd like to get some opinions from the internet in the mean time. I just want some information. I'm not going to make a decision based on internet advice.

Does anyone know anything about the interactions between either Seroquel or Clomipramine and grapefruit? Is there anyone on those medications that has disobeyed the warning label and can tell me what happened? Is there someone who has academic knowledge on the subject? Any information is welcome.

Grapefruit juice can amplify effect of many medications by a factor of several times.

This is because the body usually breaks down and wastes most of the pill, but grapefruit juice stops that, and the entire pill is absorbed.

But the pills are sized accounting to the fact that most of them gets wasted. So with grapefruit you end up receiving a dose of the pill that's at least 3 times larger than intended.

It's not worth the risk.

Here, try this:

http://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

It's reliable; I've actually seen (younger) doctors use this on their iPhones during office visits.

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EDIT: Er, yeah, never mind. The above covers it.

Abstain from consuming grapefruit juice or any grapefruit products while on any medication. It`s not worth the risk.

If I were you, I would not eat any grapefruit or grapefruit products at all. I'm not on any of those meds that you've mentioned, but I am on Carbatrol, an anti-seizure medicine that does stop working if I digest grapefruit. So what I would do is to avoid grapefruit and, for juices that you're sure or unsure if it has grapefruit in it, look at the ingredients. If it says it has grapefruit, then it's a safe bet that it's not good to drink.

Last edited by WitchsCat on 01 Jun 2013, 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Grapefruit juice is famous for inhibiting an enzyme in the body called CYP4503A4.

What someone above said is correct. That and other enzymes are like paper shredders, where the paper is the drug. Grapefruit juice is like throwing a piece of wood into the paper shredder to temporarily jam it. The result is that less of the drug gets shredded so a higher level of it builds up in your body. The 3A4 enzyme is found in the intestine and liver, and the "jamming" effect can last for days.

I've never heard of someone being instructed by a prescription to drink grapefruit juice. They usually just say to avoid it and give you a dose sufficient enough to work without it. I'd say to be safe to take the meds without any grapefruit juice until you get clarification from your doctor.

Both of your meds are metabolized by CYP3A4, so the easiest option is to not ingest any grapefruit products while taking them. You wouldn't die from it, but it would make dosing much more difficult.

besides the health problems it will bring your not missing much not consuming grapefruit as its not very good
it does not taste like grape or fruit its a very misleading name if you ask me its kind of bitter

You mean if you down an children's aspirin with grapefruit juice you can, in effect, turn the aspirin into a Tylenol-4?

Damn!

You learn sumpin' everyday.

That's scary, shouldn't these sorts of things be common knowledge for them?....I haven't even gone to college and I'm pretty familiar & knowledgeable with what drugs & supplements will have interactions, and how and why they do.










Not quite...Tylenol-4 is a combination of paracetamol as well as a little bit of codeine. Eating grapefruit/drinking juice with children's aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) will not make codeine and paracetamol.


Generally speaking, though, anything that is metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme, which many drugs are...the effect will be intensified and prolonged. It really depends on the drug though because some are pro-drugs, which is where the body converts the drug into a more active drug (more active/effective/potent). If that drug is metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme, it's effects will be lessened to certain extent, possibly prolonged but milder effects. Enzymes/metabolization can get pretty complex, I have a basic understanding of them.

I think I would rather have my doctor do a double check than just go from memory

To me that's like an artist looking at a color wheel to double check that blue and yellow make green. Doctors are dealing with people and not paint, so I hear what you're saying, but still....

There are countless meds out there and no doctor has a computer for a brain.

Be glad that doctors find ways to better serve your needs.

Okay, here's e deal: it wont you but here arethe two side-effects I've seen regarding grapefruit and meds. the nonserious one is tjat grapefruit and other citrus fruits to a lesser degree can boost the strength of a med, causing it to simply be stronger in effect. The more serious side effect is serious stomach complications. because this side effeis not as commmon with mmeds, thebest thing i can reccomend is look up the specific meds online...

I never said I was instructed to take grapefruit juice. I said I'm not supposed to.

I know what I'm missing because I've had it. There has recently been a new warning label added to my meds but when I was a kid I ate it all the time. I think I was still on Seroquel back then. If not I was on Risperdal. I was definitely on Clomipramine the whole time. I don't know why it's believed to be unsafe all of the sudden.