General Chat

IGP ...............

I take Simvastatin, and that's the one that has the warning I posted earlier ........

"Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice at any time while taking this medication"

ie, not merely avoid but do not eat or drink at all

Rollo, your clopidogrel reduces the risk of blood clots. Statins are prescribed to reduce cholesterol. Both conditions can be deadly, but are different.

Today o.h. walked to the shops here in Frinton because he had forgotten to pack his shaving gel. He came back in pain as it was a lot further than he thought but he used the spray and rested, and felt better.

I had a short walk to the beach, and had a paddle in the sea, it was lovely! Lots of dog walkers about who stopped to chat. This is such a nice place, apparently frequently chosen for retirees. Suits me!

Lizxx

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/801822

Since my mini stroke I have been taking clopidogrel.
Now and again I eat a fresh grapefruit for breakfast. No known problems.

It seems the grapefruit warning is different depending on which statin you are prescribed.

My wife has Simvastatin which advises:-
"Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with simvastatin and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products while taking this medicine"

I have Atorvastatin which advises:-
"Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with atorvastatin and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Avoid drinking more than 1 litre of grapefruit juice while taking this medicine"

Big difference between one litre and none at all.....!

My prescription vial of statins comes with a bright yellow warning label that says ........

"Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice at any time while taking this medication"

That's been greatly expanded since the warning some years ago that said something like Eat grapefruit rarely


Pat ........ we're also told that eating porridge is great for keeping cholesterol low. But I usually can't be bothered making it from scratch (even though we use Quaker Quick Oats that only take about 5 minutes or so!), and I don't like the ready-made packages

Porridge has been suggested but, according to him, it sets like concrete :-D ;-)

I don't take statins but do take blood pressure tablets and I've been told it's unpredictable. People are different so some people who eat grapefruit and have blood pressure tablets the grapefruit negates the effects of the tablets with others it increases the effects of the tablets.

I like grapefruit but haven't eaten it since taking the tablets.

For those on statins I've read an article - a bowl of porridge a day is just as effective as a statin tablet. I make my own muesli in summer with oats and have porridge in winter and guess who has low cholesterol. :-D

No - its the other way around :-0

I think it is because grapefruit makes statins more potent and eating more than a minimal amount of grapefruit would make it impossible to keep any control over the dosage. You would, of course, have very clean arteries.

I think it is because grapefruit makes statins more potent and eating more than a minimal amount of grapefruit would make it impossible to keep any control over the dosage. You would, of course, have very clean arteries.

Pat, that's what his GP said a number of years ago. Apparently Grapefruit cancel out the effect of the Statins.
Mind you, 'they' change their minds on other health related things, so why not this?

I think it is because grapefruit makes statins more potent and eating more than a minimal amount of grapefruit would make it impossible to keep any control over the dosage. You would, of course, have very clean arteries.

I think it is because grapefruit makes statins more potent and eating more than a minimal amount of grapefruit would make it impossible to keep any control over the dosage. You would, of course, have very clean arteries.

I think it is because grapefruit makes statins more potent and eating more than a minimal amount of grapefruit would make it impossible to keep any control over the dosage. You would, of course, have very clean arteries.

Out here they tell you no grapefruit at all.

It's a pity because grapefruits grow here.

I haven't read one for a long time, I hope I am not lying. Going to have to find one.

It is pretty devastating to me as well, I probably eat one grapefruit in a year of heavy usage!

That's interesting, Sharron. When passing that on to OH, he pointed out that the pharmacist label on his box of Simvastatin actuallly says ' Avoid consumption of grapefruit'. We don't have the insert for the current box; that got binned when it was opened.

No loss as far as he's concerned. He doesn't like grapefruit :-D

How many people have read the paperwork with the statins that says you can eat grapefruit but not in enormous quantities? I think it is something like a litre of juice a day that you should not exceed.

my prescriptions for BP and statins warn not to eat grapefruit Pat. A shame as I used to like the grapefruit liqueur that we got in Lanzarote.