Lipitor and Grapefruit

Lipitor and grapefruit can interact, resulting in an increased level of Lipitor in the blood. If you are taking Lipitor, you should not eat grapefruit, drink grapefruit juice, or take grapefruit supplements. The combination of Lipitor and grapefruit in the blood can increase your chances of developing serious muscle problems, which can potentially lead to kidney failure or other life-threatening complications.

 

Lipitor and Grapefruit: An Overview

Grapefruit products, such as grapefruit, grapefruit juice, or grapefruit supplements, can interact with some cholesterol-lowering statins and increase the level of medication in your blood. Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) is one of these statins.
 

The Lipitor-Grapefruit Interaction

It's believed that grapefruit products interfere with an enzyme your body uses to break down Lipitor. This means that Lipitor stays in your body longer when it interacts with grapefruit. In fact, clinical studies have shown that grapefruit can significantly increase the levels of Lipitor in a person's blood.
 
In one study, Lipitor levels increased by 83 percent in those who drank grapefruit juice four times a day compared to the people who only drank water.
 

Suggestions Concerning Lipitor and Grapefruit

If you are taking Lipitor, you should NOT:
 
 
  • Drink grapefruit juice
  • Eat grapefruit
  • Use grapefruit supplements.
 
Doing any of these things can increase the levels of Lipitor in your blood. This can increase your chances of developing serious muscle problems (myopathy or rhabdomyolysis) that can lead to kidney failure and other life-threatening complications (see Lipitor and Muscle Pain).
 
If you are currently on Lipitor and want to continue eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice, talk to your doctor about other cholesterol medications you can take. Several cholesterol drugs do not seem to interact with grapefruit. For example, Crestor® (rosuvastatin calcium) does not appear to have any negative interactions with grapefruit products (see Crestor and Grapefruit).
 
(Click Lipitor Precautions and Warnings for additional warnings to be aware of with this drug.)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;