A must-read for patients with chronic diseases! Pharmacists give Mid-Autumn Festival Medication Guide: 2. Eat less fruits and do not mix them with 3. drinks
Can’t pomelo be taken together with blood pressure medicine? Is eating too much of these fruits a landmine?
The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and many people will eat pomelo (also known as Wendan) to celebrate the occasion. However, if you have a chronic disease and are taking medication, you need to be aware of the risk of “interaction” caused by using fruits and medications together. Pharmacist Cai Guoren from the Pharmacy Department of New Taipei City Hospital said in an exclusive interview that citrus fruits such as pomelo and grapefruit contain furanocoumarins, which inhibit the enzyme “CYP3A4” in the human body that is responsible for metabolizing drugs.
Therefore, if you take specific drugs such as antihypertensive drugs, antihyperlipidemic drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, immunosuppressants, etc., it may cause the drug metabolism to slow down, make the drug stay in the body longer, increase the concentration, and increase adverse reactions. or the incidence of side effects. In addition, enzyme inhibition can last for several hours or even 2-3 days, and it cannot be avoided even if you take it at intervals.
In addition to pomelo and grapefruit, Pharmacist Cai Guoren also reminded that citrus fruits such as bitter oranges, limes, tangerines, etc. also contain furanocoumarins, but the content is smaller and has less impact on medicines. However, if the public is taking medicine During this period, you still need to pay attention to taking in an appropriate amount and not overdoing it to avoid affecting the effect of the medicine.
Do I need to stop taking medicine immediately after eating grapefruit? Medications can only be taken with “this drink”
If you accidentally eat citrus fruits after taking medication, should you stop taking the medication immediately? Pharmacist Cai Guoren said that most of the drugs that can cause “interactions” are used for chronic diseases, and it is not recommended that people with chronic diseases stop taking the drugs directly, which will lead to poor control of the disease. The best way to deal with it is to stop ingesting the fruit and take the medicine normally, and check whether there are any adverse reactions within 2-3 days. If you feel that your body is not adapting, seek medical attention immediately.
Pharmacist Cai Guoren pointed out that there are many types of drugs that interact with grapefruit. For example, antihypertensive drugs may cause hypotension and dizziness, anticoagulant drugs may cause bleeding and local bruising, and sedatives and sleeping pills may cause patients to remain drowsy in the morning. sleep. It is recommended that if patients have interaction problems, they can go to the hospital or pharmacy to consult the pharmacist on relevant issues and precautions.
Can nutritional supplements commonly taken by the public, such as vitamin D and vitamin B complex, be taken with citrus fruits? Pharmacist Cai Guoren said that the enzyme that metabolizes vitamins in the human body is not the aforementioned “CYP3A4”. There is basically no serious problem in eating fruits in moderation and taking nutritional supplements. However, there are currently many health foods on the market, and people still need to pay attention to the labels on the packages before purchasing, confirm whether there are relevant interactions, or consult the store pharmacist.
Medications can only be taken with “this drink”! Patients with chronic diseases should pay attention to “3 major things”
Can the medicine be taken with common tea and coffee? Pharmacist Cai Guoren reminds the public that it is recommended to take the medicine with boiled water and do not mix it with other drinks such as coffee and tea without authorization. Unless the medicine is specifically labeled, it is always recommended to take the medicine with boiled water to avoid possible interactions.
Pharmacist Cai Guoren further explained that taking drinks such as coffee or tea as an example, the caffeine contained in them has a refreshing effect. If taken together with sedative or sleeping drugs, the effect may be limited; not to mention that drinks such as alcohol can cause interference with liver metabolic function.
Pharmacist Cai Guoren finally reminded patients with chronic diseases that they should abide by the following matters during the Mid-Autumn Festival to ensure safe medication:
Take medicine on time and do not stop taking medicine on your own. Be sure to take the medicine with boiled water, and do not take it with caffeine or alcoholic beverages.
You can taste 1 or 2 pieces of grapefruit according to the situation, but do not eat in large quantities.
If an interaction occurs accidentally or you have doubts about medication-related knowledge, you should immediately contact the pharmacist or go to the pharmacy to inquire about the use of the medication to avoid harm to the body.
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