Why a breakfast of grapefruit and marmalade on toast could be lethal for people taking medication

• Both grapefruit and Seville oranges contain chemicals that may communicate with certain drugs for example statins and mao inhibitors
• Negative effects may include acute kidney failure, respiratory system failure, internal bleeding and sudden dying

By Jenny Hope

Released: 17:07 GMT, 26 November 2012

Grapefruit consists of chemicals that may communicate with certain drugs, which makes them stronger

Doctors are warning about serious health issues triggered by mixing medications and grapefruit.

Even though it had been known that some drugs are influenced by grapefruit, the amount has bending within the last 4 years.

You will find now some 85 such drugs, including statins, anti-biotics, mao inhibitors, drugs to deal with cancer and cardiovascular disease, plus others utilized by patients who may have had organ transplants.

Grapefruit may either increase the strength of drugs, potentially resulting in an overdose, or render them less efficient which puts patients vulnerable to receiving not enough medication.

It has brought to sudden dying, acute kidney failure, respiratory system failure and intestinal bleeding, Canadian experts say.

Dr David Bailey, from the Lawson Health Research Institute, working in london, Ontario, stated there was a ‘marked increase’ in prescription medications that communicate with grapefruit. However, many doctors and patients remain not aware from the problem.

Their email list of danger medications includes remedies for anxiety, depression, allergy, Aids infection, seizures, heart rhythm irregularities and cholesterol

He added: ‘Many from the drugs that communicate with grapefruit are highly recommended and therefore are essential to treat common health conditions.

‘Recently, however, a disturbing trend continues to be seen. Between 2008 and 2012, the amount of medicines using the possibility to communicate with grapefruit and cause serious negative effects has elevated from 17 to 43 – a typical rate of increase exceeding six drugs each year.

‘This increase is because of the development of new chemical organizations and formulations.’

In excess of 85 drugs that could communicate with grapefruit, 43 might have serious side-effects, states a study within the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Grapefruit consists of a substance, furanocoumarin, that stops the enzymes within the intestine, accountable for keeping foreign substances from the body, from working correctly.

This can lead to more medication being absorbed, effectively doubling or perhaps tripling the dose in some instances.