Meds Not to Mix: Your Guide to Taking OTC Drugs Safely

SPECIAL OFFER: - Limited Time Only!
(The ad below will not display on your printed page)

SAVE EVEN MORE! Say "Yes" to Fitness® Magazine today and get a second year for HALF PRICE – 2 full years (20 issues) for just $15. You also get our new Fitness Band and Total Body Express Band Workout ABSOLUTELY FREE! (U.S. orders only)

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

100% Money-Back Guarantee: You must be pleased, or you may cancel any time during the life of your subscription and receive a refund on any unserved issues – no questions asked. Fitness® Magazine is currently published 10 times annually – subject to change without notice. Double issues may be published, which count as 2 issues. Applicable sales tax will be added. E-mail address required to access your account and member benefits online. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here to view our privacy policy.

« Back to slideshow |

Print |

Meds Not to Mix: Your Guide to Taking OTC Drugs Safely

Grapefruit Juice and OTC Antihistamine, Fexofenadine (Allegra)

A study conducted by the University of Western Ontario in Canada revealed that grapefruit products and some citrus fruits, like oranges, contain chemicals that can affect various medications in your body, often times causing the medicine to stay in your body longer. "In grapefruit juice, it is thought that naringin, a flavonoid compound naturally found in the fruit, interferes with the absorption of some drugs," says Joseph S. Bertino Jr., Pharm.D and associate professor of pharmacology at Columbia University. "Grapefruit juice turns on a pump in the small intestine that blocks some drugs from moving through and into the blood."

If you were to take Allegra with grapefruit juice, the liquid can actually decrease the amount that reaches the bloodstream, making it less -- if not completely -- ineffective. The way grapefruit juice affects drug absorption is dependent on the source of the juice (fresh, frozen, or bottled), but Bertino says that to be safe, unless told otherwise, take medications with only water.