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Grapefruit Intensifies Statin Side Effects

Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A June 26, 2007

Grapefruit Intensifies Statin Side Effects

Q. A few weeks ago I could not get out of my chair to go to bed. I was telling my body "stand up" but my back and legs just wouldn’t respond.

I eventually managed to lever myself up with my arms but I had considerable difficulty getting to bed. This was odd because I am in pretty good physical shape.

About a week before this event I had bought two gallons of grapefruit juice because it was on sale and had been consuming quite a large quantity daily. I have been on Lipitor for about 18 months. Could my back pain and muscle weakness be explained by Lipitor plus grapefruit juice?

A. Grapefruit interacts with dozens of drugs, raising blood levels. This may increase the risk of side effects.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor) and simvastatin (Zocor) are all affected by grapefruit. Since muscle weakness and pain are possible side effects, it is conceivable that your experience was triggered by a grapefruit interaction that resulted in an overdose. Other drugs that are affected by grapefruit include some anti-seizure medicine, estrogen hormones, heart and blood pressure pills and sleeping pills.

We discuss this issue in far greater depth in our Guides to Grapefruit Interactions and Cholesterol Lowering Drugs. They can also be downloaded for $2 from the Website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Tags: Back Pain, Cholesterol, Grapefruit, Lipitor, Muscle Weakness, Side Effects, Statins

Reader Comments

The comments below are provided by the users of this site and not by The Peoples Pharmacy or the Graedons. Please also remember that nothing contained in this site is intended as a substitute for medical advice.

Is there any way to really tell if your muscles are weakening from a statin drug? I SEEMED to have a lot of pain after being on pravachol for 2 years- hard to get out of my car. I have a lot of arthritic pain, though, and it was helping my neuropathy. Is there a lab test or some way to know for SURE??

Posted by: Janet Shelden | June 29, 2007 9:31 AM

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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

© 2007 King Features Syndicate, Inc.