Recent Blog Articles

Pouring from an empty cup? Three ways to refill emotionally

Give praise to the elbow: A bending, twisting marvel

Sneezy and dopey? Seasonal allergies and your brain

The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation

Apps to accelerometers: Can technology improve mental health in older adults?

Swimming and skin: What to know if a child has eczema

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Natural disasters strike everywhere: Ways to help protect your health

Dementia: Coping with common, sometimes distressing behaviors

Screening tests may save lives — so when is it time to stop?
Grapefruit, drug interactions
The potency of some cardiovascular and other drugs is affected by grapefruit, pomelo, and other juices. Some of the most common drugs affected by grapefruit are listed below.
Drugs that interact with grapefruit | |
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can boost blood levels of various prescription medications. Keep in mind that each category contains several other medications that aren't affected by grapefruit. | |
Drug category (major uses) | Drugs affected |
Statins (lowering cholesterol) | atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev, Advicor), simvastatin (Zocor, generic) |
Calcium-channel blockers (high blood pressure, angina) | diltiazem (Cardizem, others), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), nisoldipine (Sular), verapamil (Covera, Verelan) |
Other cardiovascular drugs | amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), cilostazol (Pletal, generics), losartan (Cozaar, Hyzaar) |
Immunosuppressants (prevent organ rejection) | cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, others), tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic) |
Sedatives (anxiety, insomnia) | diazepam (Valium, Diastat, Dizac), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion) |
Other neurological and psychiatric medications | buspirone (BuSpar), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol, Carbatrol), sertraline (Zoloft) |
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (erectile dysfunction) | sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra) |
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!