ELI5. Grapefruit juice and the effects on mental health medication?

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To me it’s interesting that grapefruit juice is listed as a “no no” while taking antidepressants/anti-anxiety medication.

I’ve looked into it and I still don’t understand. Can someone explain why you aren’t supposed to mix them? I’m only asking because I like a good Ruby Grapefruit White Claw once and a while…

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13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I used to regularly take kratom and it just wasn’t the same without grapefruit or cranberry juice.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Chemicals in the grapefruit inactivate enzymes in the liver that process drug molecules. This can mean that too much of a drug enters your system in the first place or that it’s broken down more slowly than expecting, allowing a toxic dose to build up, or (the strangest case) some drugs are given in a form that require those liver enzymes to turn it into the active drug, meaning you’d get *too low a dose* of such medicines as a result.

I made a video about this! [Three ways grapefruit can kill you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJdU5VXo85M). 🙂

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s not just mental health medication. It’s tons of medications and not because the juice interacts directly with the drug, it inactivates enzymes that metabolize many things which can alter the duration or the dosage you are taking.