Can You Drink Grapefruit Juice With Statins?

Can you drink grapefruit juice with statins? Grapefruit or grapefruit juice affects some statins.

Do not drink grapefruit juice if you’re taking simvastatin

. Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely.

What happens if you drink grapefruit juice while taking statins?

Some substances can interact with statins

With some statins, drinking grapefruit juice, or eating grapefruit, is a bad idea.

Grapefruit juice can cause that statin to stay in your body much longer, and the drug can build up

. This can increase the risk of muscle breakdown, liver damage, and even kidney failure.

Can I eat grapefruit in the morning and take Lipitor at night?

Does Lipitor have a grapefruit warning? Yes,

you should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor

(atorvastatin). Compounds in grapefruit can negatively interact with certain statins, including Lipitor, Altoprev (lovastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin).

Can I eat an occasional grapefruit while taking atorvastatin?

People who are taking simvastatin, atorvastatin, or lovastatin

should avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice to reduce the risk of an interaction

. Most people who take statins have minor side effects, if any. Minor side effects can include: pins-and-needles sensations.

What foods should be avoided when taking statins?

Grapefruit juice

is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. Statins do not directly interact with any food but people taking statins should moderate their intake of saturated fats to help lower their LDL cholesterol and overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

How much grapefruit juice is too much with statins?

Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely. Atorvastatin interacts with grapefruit juice if you drink large quantities (

more than 1.2 litres daily

), but an occasional glass is thought to be safe.

Can I drink orange juice while taking statins?

Sweet orange (citrus sinensis) may inhibit OATP, which helps mediate hepatic uptake and facilitates statin metabolism. Tangerines are related to sweet orange and may also inhibit OATP.

Patients should either avoid these juices altogether or limit consumption to 60 mL per serving

.

Will drinking grapefruit juice lower your cholesterol?

In a controlled study group of patients with heart disease, the scientists found that

feeding some patients the equivalent of one grapefruit daily significantly reduced levels of cholesterol in comparison to patients that did not eat grapefruit

. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Can you drink coffee with atorvastatin?

A 2008 study on rats suggests

caffeinated coffee may reduce one of the cardioprotective benefits of atorvastatin

. That’s because caffeine is a nonspecific adenosine receptor blocker. Adenosine receptor activation is essential for Lipitor to work. Meaning, your daily joe may make it less effective.

What should I avoid when taking atorvastatin?

While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid

high-fat and high-cholesterol foods

as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.

Can I eat oranges while taking atorvastatin?

Orange juice is safe to drink with Atorvastatin

. Contact your prescriber immediately if you experience unexplained muscle aches, muscle pain or tenderness, general weakness or fatigue, side or back pain, or decreased urination while taking Atorvastatin.

Why do statins have to be taken at night?

Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because

the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night

. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.

Do statins make you put on weight?

As with many medications, statins may cause side effects, including digestive problems, muscle pain and weakness, and cognitive dysfunction.

Another side effect that’s been linked to statins is weight gain

.

Can you drink alcohol while taking statins?

Drinking alcohol while on statins

Overall,

there are no specific health risks associated with drinking while using statins

. In other words, alcohol won’t immediately interfere with or react with the statins in your body.

Is there a link between statins and dementia?

Although this particular study found

no link between statins and dementia

, the research into statins and brain-related effects over all is best described as inconsistent, says Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Which statin does not interact with grapefruit juice?

Is it OK to eat grapefruit with blood pressure medicine?

Grapefruit contains compounds that may interfere with how your body absorbs some drugs, including some blood pressure medicines

. It can leave too much or too little of the drug in your bloodstream, which may be dangerous. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if grapefruit could affect the medicine you’re taking.

Is it OK to take vitamin D with statins?

Vitamin D supplement may have moderate or no effect on the dosage requirement or side effects of pravastatin, rosuvastatin and pitavastatin. Since vitamin D has mild HMG-CoA reductase activity,

it will work synergistically with all statins

.

How long do statins take to lower cholesterol?

You should see major changes in your cholesterol levels within

two to four weeks

after starting treatment. When you take a statin, you do more than improve your cholesterol levels. They also reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart problems.

Can I stop taking statins for a week?

You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level within a few weeks

. If you forget to take your dose, do not take an extra one to make up for it. Just take your next dose as usual the following day.

Does Oatmeal Lower cholesterol?

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol

, the “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.

Are bananas good for cholesterol?

Fruits like avocados and apples, and citrus fruits like oranges and bananas

can help lower cholesterol

.

What medicine should you not take if you eat grapefruit?

Some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin)

. Some drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as Procardia and Adalat CC (both nifedipine). Some organ-transplant rejection drugs, such as Neoral and Sandimmune capsule or oral solution (both cyclosporine).

Does atorvastatin cause weight gain?

Weight gain isn’t a side effect of Lipitor

. However, Lipitor belongs to a class of medications known as statins, which have been linked to weight gain. Some researchers have found that people who use statins tend to take in more calories than those who don’t. This includes getting more calories from fat.

Do cardiologists take statins?

What a Cardiologist Wants You to Know.

About 35 million people take statins in the United States

, but research says only 55% of those who are recommended to take a statin are taking one.

What are the negative side effects of atorvastatin?

• Cold-like symptoms.
• Joint pain.
• Diarrhea.
• Urinary tract infection.
• Stomach pain.
• Nausea.
• Muscle pain and spasms.
• Difficulty falling and staying asleep.

Can you take vitamin D with atorvastatin?

No interactions were found between atorvastatin and Vitamin D3

.

Do statins affect bowel movements?

The side effects of statins include

diarrhoea and constipation

, although no pathophysiological explanation is provided by the manufacturer.

Can I eat pineapple while taking statins?

Can you stop taking statins Once you start?

Do not suddenly stop taking your prescribed medication without talking with your doctor first

. If you have side effects from the medication, your doctor might adjust your dosage or recommend a different statin or other combination of medications.

Can you take a statin every other day?

Background: Statins are generally well tolerated, but some patients discontinue therapy secondary to adverse effects.

Dosing a statin (rosuvastatin) every other day (EOD) may provide significant lipoprotein changes while avoiding common adverse effects in this statin-intolerant population.

Is 40 mg of atorvastatin too much?

What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

• Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. …
• Plant stanols and sterols. …
• Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. …
• Niacin. …
• Policosanol. …
• Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) …
• Natural products.

Can statins make you tired?

In recent years, researchers discovered that

people taking statins reported increased levels of general fatigue and tiredness, especially after exertion

. A study from the University of California San Diego found that people taking statins experienced lower levels of energy than people who took a placebo.

Do statins make you puffy?

Statins can occasionally cause muscle inflammation (swelling)

and damage. Speak to your doctor if you have muscle pain, tenderness or weakness that cannot be explained – for example, pain that is not caused by physical work.

How much grapefruit juice is too much with statins?

Grapefruit juice increases the level of simvastatin in your blood and makes side effects more likely. Atorvastatin interacts with grapefruit juice if you drink large quantities (

more than 1.2 litres daily

), but an occasional glass is thought to be safe.