People taking captopril, fosinopril, or enalapril for high blood pressure or heart failure may be putting themselves at risk by consuming a common household fruit, a doctor has cautioned. Whilst fruits offer numerous essential nutrients and vitamins, they can sometimes interact adversely with certain medications, triggering unexpected side effects.
Particular drugs prescribed for hypertension and heart failure belong to a class called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Medications such as fosinopril function by blocking the angiotensin hormone, enabling blood vessels to dilate and relax, thereby reducing blood pressure.
Despite their effectiveness, Dr Chris House alerted viewers on ITV’s This Morning programme that certain foods can completely prevent some medications from functioning correctly. This encompasses a broad range of everyday fruits including grapefruit, limes, and bananas.
Dr Chris specifically highlighted that bananas could interfere with ACE inhibitor medications such as captopril, enalapril, and fosinopril, explaining that they can upset the body’s potassium balance. He stated: « Bananas (as well as oranges and certain salt substitutes) are high in potassium. Mixed with these drugs, these foods can cause high potassium levels.
« Too much can cause irregular heartbeats and palpitations. Tell your GP if you’re taking potassium or diuretics alongside blood pressure medication.
« Avoid eating large amounts of foods high in potassium if you’re on ACE inhibitors. »
Complications from high potassium in the body
Potassium is a mineral vital to the body that helps the nerves and muscles operate properly. In particular, it’s essential for heart health as it can help to maintain a normal heart rhythm while managing blood pressure by aiding the body in getting rid of excess salt.
However, the body can have too much potassium, which can lead to a condition known as hyperkalaemia. According to Kidney Research UK, this can cause a number of alarming symptoms such as:
- Muscle weakness
- A slow heartbeat
- Heart stopping (in severe cases)
Other foods that can interact with drugs
Dr Chris also pointed out that numerous medications can have unexpected interactions with particular foods and beverages. For instance, he observed that certain antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin can react with milk.
He explained: « Calcium can interfere with the effects of some antibiotics, so you shouldn’t take these at the same time as eating foods high in calcium, like milk, yoghurt or cheese. Supplements containing calcium should also be avoided for a few hours before and after taking these antibiotics.
« Don’t drink it when you take some antibiotics including tetracycline, ciprofloxacin (quinolone antibiotics), and certain osteoporosis medication, such as alendronate (Fosamax). »
He also recommended to avoid the following if you take certain drugs:
- Grapefruit if you take statins for high blood pressure
- Black liquorice if you take certain heart medicines such as digoxin
- Leafy greens if you take anticoagulants
- Coffee if you take bronchodilators for asthma
- Smoked salmon and alami if you take antidepressants
- Limes if you take cough medicine
Dr Chris emphasised: « You should always ask your doctor about precautions you should take while being prescribed any new medication. Avoiding certain foods, altering your lifestyle habits, or taking other precautions might be necessary to avoid undesirable side effects. »
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