Grapefruit, when combined with contraceptive birth control pills, can raise your estrogen levels. Contraceptive birth control pills have been one of the top two most popular birth control methods used by women in the United States since 1982. Since so many women in the U.S. choose the Pill as their preferred method to prevent pregnancy, it is important for them to be aware that grapefruit and birth control pills can create a toxic combination.
Blood Clots and Gangrene
An article in an April 2009 edition of the Lancet Medical Journal illustrated just how toxic the combination can be. The journal described a woman who had been on a grapefruit diet for only three days, hoping to shed some weight. She was on birth control pills when she was consuming the grapefruit and, because of this, her estrogen levels were raised so much that she developed a blood clot in her leg. The clot turned gangrenous and her leg nearly had to be amputated.
Increased Estrogen
The estrogen found in birth control pills makes your risk of getting a blood clot only minimal. But if you are taking birth control pills and eating grapefruit, your estrogen level can greatly increase. This greatly increases your risk of developing a blood clot, as well as your risk of developing a stroke or heart attack. The reason grapefruit increases your estrogen levels if you are on the Pill is that grapefruit prevents your body from metabolizing medications. The lack of metabolizing of birth control pills causes there to be extra of the medication in your system, creating additional estrogen and potentially extra complications.
Excess Estrogen Side Effects
Besides clots, strokes, heart attacks and gangrene, an overload of estrogen can also cause dizziness, diarrhea and facial hair growth. Other side effects of increased estrogen levels may include a racing heart, fever, joint pain and rapid weight gain. With a raised estrogen level, you may also experience hives and a tightening of your chest, as well as chest pain. Headaches, facial swelling, chills and blurred vision are also possible side effects. As are difficulty sleeping, swollen neck glands and difficulty urinating.
Other Drug Interactions
Grapefruit can raise the level of other medications in your body besides birth control pills. The danger of raised levels of medications can be great. The New York Times warns against taking the following medications with grapefruit: Norvir, Viracept, Invirase, Hismanal, Seldane, Ortho-Cept, Procardia, Cardene, Pledil, Buspar, Lipitor, Baycol, Agenerase,Viagra, Versed, DynaCirc, Nimotop, Sular, Depo-Medrol, Rapamune, Prograf, Sandimmun, Seroquel, Tegreto, Serzone, Desyrel, Mevacor, Halcion, Sonata, Valium, Zocor, Cordarone, Propulsid and Claritin. The list may go on, so if you are on any medications, check with your doctor before eating grapefruit.
References
- "The New York Times"; Experts Reveal the Secret Powers of Grapefruit Juice; Nicholas Bakalar; March 21 2006
- "The Sun"; Killer Grapefruit Alert To Slimmers; Emma Morton; April 3 2009
- "The Western Mail"; Grapefruit Linked To Blood Clot Risk For Women; (NO BYLINE); April 3 2009
- Guttmacher Institute: Facts on Contraceptive Use in the United States; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Estrogen (Oral Route, Parenteral Route, Topical Application Route, Transdermal Route); Nov. 5 2010
