# "Do Not Take this Medication With Grapefruit Juice." Huh?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 27, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701 "2008-10-27T00:48:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701/21 "2008-10-27T21:15:23Z")

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Well, I don’t drink grapefruit juice, but I like to eat grapefruit. I take Lipitor; can’t I even eat an occasion grapefruit?

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**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701/22 "2008-10-27T22:40:23Z")

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It would be prudent to discuss this with your clinician. You shouldn’t even decrease your grapefruit consumption without discussing this with your prescriber. A lot of times the grapefruit-drug interaction is really nothing to be concerned about, but the statins are an exception to this. Just give him or her a quick call and see what they say.

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**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701/23 "2008-10-28T00:26:33Z")

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> [@teela\_brown](#):
>
> Well, I don’t drink grapefruit juice, but I like to eat grapefruit. I take Lipitor; can’t I even eat an occasion grapefruit?

As do I, and this is all news to me. I do read up on the drugs that I must take, but I completely missed any warnings about grapefruit and statins.

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701/24 "2008-10-28T01:05:07Z")

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> [@Smeghead](#):
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> Pineapple has a particularly strong protein-digesting enzyme. I assume it would chew up the gelatin.

Actually my grandmother made a very nice Jello mold containing grated carrots and crushed pineapple.

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**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-huh/469701/25 "2008-10-28T01:15:43Z")

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> [@ratatoskK](#):
>
> Actually my grandmother made a very nice Jello mold containing grated carrots and crushed pineapple.

> [@](#):
>
> Canned pineapple doesn’t contain bromelain. The canning process heats the pineapple to a temperature sufficient to break the enzyme down.

[Instant Knowledge - Editors of Mental Floss - Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=qJ2ENnuK5ZEC&pg=PA91&dq=pineapple+and+jello&lr=&ei=4GYGSfbHFpPyMvGq8ZAL&client=firefox-a)

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