Violet’s Very Important Question…I take the beta blocker Coreg (carvedilol) and have been warned to avoid drinking grapefruit juice as it can interact dangerously with the Coreg. Does grapefruit oil/extract in a shampoo have the same potentially dangerous effect, when absorbed through the scalp? (The shampoo in question is Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo, which lists grapefruit oil about tenth down the list of ingredients.) Thanks for your help!
The Left Brain Attempts An Important Answer:
I think the chances of the grapefruit ingredients in your shampoo being absorbed into your bloodstream and interacting with your beta blocker the same way as ingested grapefruite juice would is extremely unlikley. However, we’re cosmetic scientists, not doctors, so we really can’t give you medical advice. You’d better check with your physician just to be safe.
PS. Tell your doctor to read our blog.
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Grapefruit juice interacts with some drugs. Some of the compounds found in grapefruit juice, furanocoumarins, can be metabolized by the same P450 enzyme subtype as your medication. In plain English: your medication may be metabolized by the same critter that metabolizes part of the grapefruit juice, which can result in a greater amount of your prescription drug remaining in the body or, on the other hand, your drug being metabolized too quickly.
However, if you’re not digesting the juice (like in the shampoo) it is most likely harmless. Then again, I’m not an MD so call your doctor.
Its highly unlikely that a grapefruit based shampoo would react with your medication.
For expert opinion, doctor knows the best.
Its very unlikely, but grapefruit is good for us anyway. Hi Can we xlinks?
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