The "The Deadly Grapefruit" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just picked up my Simvastatin prescription at Walmart.  I take one 20mg tablet every day because for years I ate way too much ice cream and it caused my cholesterol to skyrocket.  The daily tablet has lowered my cholesterol to just about a perfect range.  That, plus reducing my ice cream intake.  I am now reading more about how the group of drugs labeled statins not only helps in lowering your cholesterol, but also lowers the risk of death from cancer.  Statins reduce the liver's production of cholesterol, but not to the point that they will prevent cholesterol from building, maintaining and reproducing cell membranes.  Therefore, when cholesterol production is limited by statins, the ability of cancer cells to reproduce uncontrollably is also diminished.  There is also evidence that statins may increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for patients who have cancer.  Pretty neat if statins can work for both problems.  Then I also read in the "Alive" section of our local Sunday newspaper, that eating grapefruit for breakfast or drinking beverages made from grapefruit will probably cancel out the effect of the statin drug I take.  Last year, before I went on vacation, I asked my doctor about the effects of alcohol on my system, since I take a cholesterol-reducing drug.   He said that the days I plan to drink alcohol I might as well not take the pill, since alcohol reverses what the statin does.  And ...... eating grapefruit or drinking beverages with grapefruit in them can also negate the cholesterol drug he told me.  He said that studies have been done that say eating grapefruit or drinking beverages with grapefruit in them can prove dangerous, even deadly, if you take a statin drug.  Hey, pretty funny that I read all this in a newspaper section call "Alive."  This is true also for people who take drugs to treat  high blood pressure, heart artery blockage disease and other common cardiac conditions.  A compound in grapefruit called furanocoumarin inhibits an enzyme that lines the gastrointestinal tract.  The enzyme serves as a first line of defense against over-absorption of a drug.  The grapefruit can suddenly shut down the enzyme causing over-absorption of certain drugs.  For people who are on anti-clotting medications, eating or drinking something with grapefruit in it is fatal in 50% of cases.  Wow!  "But when I'm on vacation, is it OK to drink maybe one or two Tings during the entire vacation," I asked.  (Ting is a soda made from Jamaican grapefruit)  "Why would you want to if you already know the consequences?" he replied.  Then I came back with, "Well, how about a shot or two of Ma Doudou flavored rum?"  He looked at me and shook his head.  I got the point!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.