Doctors: Fruit Juice Could Interfere With Medication
Water Best Choice For Taking Meds
Updated: 12:46 pm CDT August 25, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- Grapefruit juice has long been a foe of many types of medication, but a new study raises concerns over other types of popular juice.
VIDEO: Watch The Report"I get up at 5 a.m. every morning and so I take my medications about 5:30 a.m. with my breakfast and I usually have fruit juice," said Shareen Martin.Medical experts said that besides grapefruit juice, orange and apple juices, when mixed with some common prescriptions, are preventing the medicine from being as effective."Some medications aren't absorbing well in the gut when they're taken around certain fruit juices," said St. Mary's Hospital pharmacist Bryan McGill.McGill said common medications that treat infections, high blood pressure and allergies could be affected."If you were taking an allergy medication, Allegra, and you took it with your fruit juice in the morning it wouldn't work as well," said McGill.Doctors said that depending on the medication, decreased absorption typically occurs when the two are taken within two hours of each other, but effects can occur for up to four hours."If you still wanted to have your fruit juice, it would be best to try and separate it from your medications," said McGill.Doctors warn that some effects may be noticeable, but others might not."My ankles would swell up and then also my blood pressure would go up," said Martin. "My ankles I can see, but your blood pressure, you can't usually tell that it's rising."Medical experts said that because the study is so new it is merely a recommendation for now. Prescriptions are not labeled accordingly, but those on medications need to take their doctor's advice seriously."I think I'll probably stop drinking the fruit juice," said Martin.Pharmacists advise all patients to take their medications with a glass of water to prevent interactions, reported WISC-TV.The findings were presented this week at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society by researchers at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.
VIDEO: Watch The Report"I get up at 5 a.m. every morning and so I take my medications about 5:30 a.m. with my breakfast and I usually have fruit juice," said Shareen Martin.Medical experts said that besides grapefruit juice, orange and apple juices, when mixed with some common prescriptions, are preventing the medicine from being as effective."Some medications aren't absorbing well in the gut when they're taken around certain fruit juices," said St. Mary's Hospital pharmacist Bryan McGill.McGill said common medications that treat infections, high blood pressure and allergies could be affected."If you were taking an allergy medication, Allegra, and you took it with your fruit juice in the morning it wouldn't work as well," said McGill.Doctors said that depending on the medication, decreased absorption typically occurs when the two are taken within two hours of each other, but effects can occur for up to four hours."If you still wanted to have your fruit juice, it would be best to try and separate it from your medications," said McGill.Doctors warn that some effects may be noticeable, but others might not."My ankles would swell up and then also my blood pressure would go up," said Martin. "My ankles I can see, but your blood pressure, you can't usually tell that it's rising."Medical experts said that because the study is so new it is merely a recommendation for now. Prescriptions are not labeled accordingly, but those on medications need to take their doctor's advice seriously."I think I'll probably stop drinking the fruit juice," said Martin.Pharmacists advise all patients to take their medications with a glass of water to prevent interactions, reported WISC-TV.The findings were presented this week at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society by researchers at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
