Lipitor is the trade name of a medication used to lower high blood cholesterol. Lipitor falls under a class of medications called statins. If your doctor recommends that your take Lipitor, part of your success with this medication requires you to make lifestyle and dietary changes. You may need to remove certain familiar foods and beverages, such as grapefruit and grapefruit juice, from your menu. The effects of eating grapefruit while taking Lipitor can be very unpleasant --- and dangerous to your health.
Lipitor Basics
Lipitor is the trade name for the medication atorvastatin, and it's one of several statin drugs used to control your cholesterol. Others statins include simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and rosuvastatin. MayoClinic.com indicates that your doctor may recommend Lipitor or another statin drug if your total cholesterol level is 240 mg/dL or higher or your low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol level is 130 mg/dL or higher. These drugs work by helping your body eliminate dangerous plaque the builds up on the walls of your arteries, thus reducing your risk for heart attacks and other serious medical problems. Lipitor and other statins do have side effects, such as aching muscles, nausea and diarrhea or constipation, which are fairly common. However, statin drugs can also have more serious effects on your body including liver damage and painful, tender muscles, known as statin myopathy. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are more likely to increase your risk of developing these side effects.
Grapefruit Effects
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can increase the bioavailability of certain medications, making its effects more potent. MayoClinic.com explains that grapefruit products may interfere with how your body metabolizes these drugs, so that more of the drug remains in your system. Lipitor and other statin medications are one class of medications that don't mix well with grapefruit. A review published in the September-October 2002 issue of "Therapie" indicates that grapefruit can affect numerous drugs, not just statins. Researchers at the Universitaire de Rennes in France identified the constituents in grapefruit that may be responsible for this interaction: the fruit's flavonoids, furanocoumarins and sesquiterpen. Researchers further noted that of 42 medications reviewed, only 12 displayed no interactions with grapefruit. Although grapefruit juice appears to be the beverage commonly mentioned in conjunction with these dangerous side-effects, grapefruit and grapefruit supplements can also interfere with Lipitor and other statins a well.
Other Lipitor Cautions
In addition to grapefruit, Lipitor and other statin medications may also interact with other medications and dietary supplements. Tufts Medical Center states that the herbs chaparral, comfrey, coltsfoot, St. John's wort and Chinese skullcap may also result in a potentially harmful interaction, as can pomegranate and red yeast rice. According to PubMed Health, Lipitor can interact with numerous drugs including antifungal medications, antibiotics and even oral contraceptives.
Considerations
Once you start taking statin medications for cholesterol control, it is usually a lifetime commitment, notes MayoClinic.com. If you take Lipitor, another statin or any prescription medication, always talk to your doctor before you consume grapefruit. Certain types of statin medications, such as fluvastatin and pravastatin, may be safe when combined with grapefruit; however, if you take other statins, it's best to avoid the fruit entirely.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Statins: Are These Cholesterol-lowering Drugs Right for You?
- MayoClinic.com; Grapefruit Juice: Beware of Dangerous Medication Interactions; K. Zeratsky; November 2010
- PubMed Health: Atorvastatin
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Grapefruit
- Tufts Medical Center: Statin Drugs
- "Therapie"; Grapefruit Juice and Drugs: A Hazardous Combination?; F. Lohezic-Le Devehat et. al; Sept-Oct 2002
