How long should I wait before taking it?

Question

Hey, I was prescribed 50mg of sertraline today, but I read that grapefruit doesn't mix well with it. How long should I wait before taking it?

beyouhp7 · Answer

? Not at all, you just drank a liter of grapefruit juice.

ralfie489 · Answer

In grapefruit there is something that inhibits an enzyme that plays a role in the degradation of many drugs. It's nothing dramatic. If you still take the drug, the blood level may be temporarily somewhat higher. It wouldn't be good for a long time.

nocturne1337 · Answer

You don't have to worry about it, but in principle, grapefruit is digested after an hour. then the tablet can take in any case

willibergi · Answer

The problem of food with grapefruit is that the preserved furocoumarin causes irreversible inhibition of the liver enzyme CYP3A4. Drugs that are metabolized over it can then be degraded worse and there is a higher blood level. Because the inhibition is irreversible, these liver enzymes have to be re-formed and this can take 24h to a few days.

Sertraline is mined, among other things, via CYP3A4, so that there is a risk of a higher blood level.

You don't have to worry about a bit of grapefruit. In order for the irreversible inhibition of CYP3A4 to produce a significant increase in action, moderate to high quantities of food containing grapefruit must be consumed. In addition, 50 mg are a low entry dose anyway, so that there is at most the risk of increased side-effects during the day.