# What is wrong with eating grapefruit while on certain medication?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-eating-grapefruit-while-on-certain-medication/149979>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 21, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-eating-grapefruit-while-on-certain-medication/149979 "2003-01-21T14:43:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-eating-grapefruit-while-on-certain-medication/149979/1 "2003-01-21T14:43:34Z")

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My hubby takes Lipitor. I came home with some grapefruit the other day and he said he isn’t able to eat it, because of the medication he takes. What would eating grapefruit have to do with the medication?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-eating-grapefruit-while-on-certain-medication/149979/2 "2003-01-21T14:58:16Z")

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Grapefruit contains substances that interfere with the activity of intestinal and liver enzymes involved in metabolizing some drugs. Depending the exact drug involved, that can make the drug stronger or weaker. See [Grapefruit Juice and Drugs](http://emphysemafoundation.org/Grapejuice.html) for more information.