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.
