Fluvoxamine/Grapefruit Juice
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug, changing your diet or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Very important. A change in your diet, medicine, or dosage may be necessary. Promptly consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How the interaction occurs:
Grapefruit juice may increase the amount of fluvoxamine your body absorbs.
What might happen:
When fluvoxamine is taken with grapefruit juice, the grapefruit juice may cause the fluvoxamine to build up in your body. This increased amount of fluvoxamine will have a greater effect of both desired and undesired effects.
What you should do about this interaction:
While you are taking this medicine, you should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. You may choose an alternative citrus beverage (such as orange juice). In the event that you are instructed by a healthcare professional (e.g., doctor, pharmacist, or dietitian) to eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice you should discuss with your doctor the effects of graprefruit on the blood levels of this medicine. These effects can occur even if grapefruit is not consumed at the same time of the fluvoxamine dose This interaction may occur at any time in your treatment with fluvoxamine if grapefruit or grapefruit juice is consumed.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.Hori H, Yoshimura R, Ueda N, Eto S, Shinkai K, Sakata S, Ohmori O, Terao T, Nakamura J. Grapefruit juice-fluvoxamine interaction--is it risky or not?. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2003 Aug;23(4):422-4.
2.Bailey DG, Dresser GK. Interactions between grapefruit juice and cardiovascular drugs. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2004;4(5):281-97.
