LADIES. READ.

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http://www.livestrong.com/article/285831-grapefruit-birth-control-effectiveness/


If you love grape fruit & take birth control read this ^^

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  • KumariM
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    Grapefruit is known to interact with a great amount of medications, increasing their blood levels. Not only birth control but also statins or benzodiazepines for example.
    In the other hand, there is a lot of drugs that interact with oral contraceptives. That's why you should always ask your doctor or pharmacist :p
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
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    That is the number one reason why you should have a close relationship with your physician. They should know EVERYTHING about you and your health history. They need to know what meds you take, prescription and over the counter and that includes herbal remedies. You should tell your doctor if you do recreational drugs. They cannot turn you in to the cops of tell them, you are protected under dr/patient confidentiality. They need to know if you smoke.

    If you don't tell your doctor what type of diet you eat, what you are shooting up, snorting, or smoking, and what you are taking. If you don't, and they prescribe you something, and it A. makes you very ill, B. causes you to have a stroke or heart attack, or C. die, you can't blame anyone but yourself.
  • think48
    think48 Posts: 366 Member
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    What the hell? Really?? NOTHING is safe to eat anymore. OMG. This is ridiculous....not the article or the poster. But the fact that EVERYTHING is bad for you now. *sigh*
  • toabetterlifestyle
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    damn. bye bye grapefruittttt
  • toabetterlifestyle
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    please tell me that grapefruit / orange / pineapple juice doesn't do that..
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 994 Member
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    Something really stupid that happened to me, it took almost a year for a pharmasist (doc never mentioned) that antibiotics affected the entire cycle, not just while you were on the antibiotics... :S talk about having possible major consequences!
  • KumariM
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    please tell me that grapefruit / orange / pineapple juice doesn't do that..

    Grapefruit juice yes. Orange and pineapple are safe XD
  • texancountess
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    This is why I switched to Implanon birth control. Don't have to remember to take a pill and there's only 1 type of antibiotics that interacts with it. Everything else is golden. And I can eat what I want.
  • tataliciousd89
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    That is the number one reason why you should have a close relationship with your physician. They should know EVERYTHING about you and your health history. They need to know what meds you take, prescription and over the counter and that includes herbal remedies. You should tell your doctor if you do recreational drugs. They cannot turn you in to the cops of tell them, you are protected under dr/patient confidentiality. They need to know if you smoke.

    If you don't tell your doctor what type of diet you eat, what you are shooting up, snorting, or smoking, and what you are taking. If you don't, and they prescribe you something, and it A. makes you very ill, B. causes you to have a stroke or heart attack, or C. die, you can't blame anyone but yourself.
    Well that is all good and well, but I will say that most physicians dont know crap about drug interactions. You really need to talk to the pharmacist and read the handouts they give with each med.
  • Mom0fTwo
    Mom0fTwo Posts: 326 Member
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    good thing I hate them, now just another reason
  • missleah26
    missleah26 Posts: 146 Member
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    What it doesn't mention is how MUCH grapefruit you have to consume to throw off the effectiveness of the Pill. Any at all? Once a day? 15 grapefruits a day? I'm not a huge grapefruit fan, but I just realized I like it sprinkled with a little cinnamon/sugar and broiled for a while... great timing haha

    Off to do more research...
  • natalieg0307
    natalieg0307 Posts: 237 Member
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    You shouldn't have grapefruit if you take calcium channel blockers (high bp, heart arithmias).
  • KumariM
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    What it doesn't mention is how MUCH grapefruit you have to consume to throw off the effectiveness of the Pill. Any at all? Once a day? 15 grapefruits a day? I'm not a huge grapefruit fan, but I just realized I like it sprinkled with a little cinnamon/sugar and broiled for a while... great timing haha

    Off to do more research...

    Even an amount as small as a glass of juice can mess with the blood levels of some drugs. The same goes for St. John's wort which tea is used around here and also interacts with a very large amount of drugs.

    It must be said that it's your pharmacist (and doctor) duty to always inform you of drug interactions and side effects.
  • avaloneternal
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    Thanks a lot, now I am craving a giant glass of Ruby Red Grapefruit juice. Glad I am not on the pill anymore (for many other reasons as well).
  • GaiaGirl1992
    GaiaGirl1992 Posts: 459 Member
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    i just read through the board lol......very happy its not all citrus!
  • missleah26
    missleah26 Posts: 146 Member
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    What it doesn't mention is how MUCH grapefruit you have to consume to throw off the effectiveness of the Pill. Any at all? Once a day? 15 grapefruits a day? I'm not a huge grapefruit fan, but I just realized I like it sprinkled with a little cinnamon/sugar and broiled for a while... great timing haha

    Off to do more research...

    Even an amount as small as a glass of juice can mess with the blood levels of some drugs. The same goes for St. John's wort which tea is used around here and also interacts with a very large amount of drugs.

    It must be said that it's your pharmacist (and doctor) duty to always inform you of drug interactions and side effects.

    Thanks! That's what I started to gather, but I still couldn't really find anything definitive. Note to self: leave the grapefruits for the hubby and the free grapefruit juice at work for everyone else!
  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
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    hah, yeah i JUST started eating them a couple weeks ago! ive been on birthcontrol forever! .. Never even thought bout this happening lol! .. unfortuneatly i bought a bag of them at COSTCO, so naturally they are in a basket on my table and its all i can smell .. -sighhh-.
  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
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    bump