A Combination Of Grapefruit And Prescription Medication May Be A Deadly Mix

If you are taking certain medications and eat grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice you may be a ticking time bomb. I read a true story that shocked and surprised me. I bet it will shock and surprise you too. Here is why this is so surprising. In this story, a retired gentleman spends his summers up north and winters in the south as many do. This is what natives call a snowbird in the east coast. Two months after coming to sunny Florida, this retiree dropped dead. Doctors believe the cause was a deadly interaction between the two to three glasses of fresh grapefruit juice he drank everyday and his medication that he took also. Drinking grapefruit juice and eating grapefruit can be deadly for people who take certain medications, according to a paper. In this particular case of the snowbird, the fatal interaction is believed to be between the grapefruit and Lipitor.

The victim had high cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease. For this, doctors put him on Lipitor and he began a diet and exercise program. Two weeks after going to Florida for the winter, he went to the emergency room complaining of muscle pains, fatigue and fever. That's where he went into kidney failure and died. Although experts know the problem exists, most laymen and health care professionals are still in the dark about the deadly risks, even though the FDA requires all prospective new drugs to be tested for interactions with grapefruit juice, and a warning about grapefruit juice is included in the "food-drug interactions" that come with dozens of medications.

Since grapefruit juice is metabolized by the same enzyme in the liver that breaks down many drugs that are taken, it is one of the foods most likely to cause interactions with drugs. When the system is overloaded with too much, scientists said the grapefruit juice can swamp the system, keeping the liver from doing its complete job. It blocks it from breaking down drugs and other substances.

Scientists say that the most severe effects are likely with some statins. While the liver devotes its resources to the grapefruit juice, the medication can build up to dangerous levels. This causes a breakdown of the body's muscles and even kidney failure. This eventually can lead to death.

So here is a tip. If you are taking any prescription medication especially when it comes to statin drugs, be sure to ask your primary doctor about the possible interactions with grapefruit juice. You should also read the warning labels on your medication bottle. Even though there may be a lot of fine print in these labels, it could make the difference between life and death.

Why do you think there is so much fine print in the first place? This is because all drugs have toxic side effects. That is not to say they don't save lives and are not needed in certain situations. Clearly they do and are. But, the goal of real health should be to have your body function properly without drugs, or at least with as little drugs as humanly possible. How? Through proper diet, exercise, stress management and chiropractic care. I recently read a quote from a famous NFL coach, Jimmy Johnson. He said something like this: There are more things that can go bad with a passing play, than a running play. That's why, when in doubt, if at all possible, run the ball. I have the same philosophy with health. If at all possible, do it naturally.