Does Amoxicillin Interact With Grapefruit?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not grapefruit or grapefruit juice interacts with amoxicillin.
I accidentally mixed my amoxicillin 500 mg capsule with grapefruit juice. Is it still okay to take?
Nov 01, 2022- Amoxicillin does not interact with grapefruit or grapefruit juice and they are safe to use together.
- Amoxicillin is not metabolized by the enzymes and transporters that grapefruit affects, which is why no interaction occurs.
Answer
Amoxicillin does not have a listed or reported interaction with grapefruit juice and the combined use of both is considered to be safe.
Drug–Grapefruit Interactions
Grapefruit has notable interactions with many different medications. The interaction occurs via several different mechanisms including:
- Inhibition of CYP3A metabolizing enzymes
- Inhibition of organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs)
Both grapefruit (the whole fruit) and juice have been found to interact with medication. In fact, it can take just one grapefruit or as little as one cup (i.e. 8 ounces) of grapefruit juice to cause a drug interaction.
Making potential interactions worse, enzyme inhibition from grapefruit can last for over 24 hours, thus making separating medication and grapefruit/juice insignificant.
Fortunately, amoxicillin is not metabolized by anything that is affected by grapefruit/grapefruit juice, at least not significantly. They are considered safe to take together.
Final Words
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References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- CYP3A
- A protein in your body that breaks down many medications so they can be eliminated from your system.
- OATPs
- Proteins in your cells that transport certain drugs across cell membranes to help eliminate them from your body.
- Enzyme inhibition
- The process of blocking or slowing down the action of proteins that normally break down drugs in your body.
- Metabolized
- The process by which your body breaks down a drug into forms that can be eliminated.
- Drug interaction
- A change in how a medication works when combined with another substance, which could make it less effective or cause unwanted effects.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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