jaytee Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Hey! So I've read up about grapefruit and grapefruit juice as well as being warned by my pdoc about not having it but I was wondering if anyone has any stories to tell? Is there a test that a doc can do to see if you have the enzyme that causes problems? I love grapefruit juice and I'd really like to know if I can drink it. Thx JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artemisia Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 As far as I know, a component of grapefruit juice inhibits the enzyme CYP 3A4, which is necessary for metabolism of some medications. Thus, drinking grapefruit juice causes these meds to hang around in your system longer than they normally would. Your blood levels of these meds are higher as a result, so you have to be extra careful about the dosage you take. This is different from being born a "slow metabolizer," for which a genetic tests exist. (I'm not sure how trustworthy those tests are.) Different CYP enzymes may be involved. This table looks interesting: http://mhc.daytondcs.com:8080/ddi46/resour...50BioTable.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 As far as I know, seroquel is the problematic drug in your cocktail as far as interactions with grapefruit go. As Artemisia said, the fruit/juice inhibits the enzyme needed to metabolise the med. I've never heard of a test to identify that particular enzyme - I'm open to correction, but I think it's actually something that we ALL have. IMO it's just safer to avoid grapefruit altogether if you're on seroquel. You're not doing your system any good by getting into a position in which you're essentially increasing your dose because the fruit slows down the rate in which it clears from your body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stasis Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 While they were ripping my lungs out and all that, they wouldn't let me have chamomile tea as it "interacted" with all the extra drugs in my system, couldn't get them to indentify a few affected meds. I too miss grapefruit juice, remembering getting gallons of it at firebases, great for getting that taste of dead forest(always overcooked(bad joke,those freezer bags work,really,no I never carried one. out of your throat. Now I want some. Stasis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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