Amiodarone is a drug occasionally used to treat life-threatening arrhythmias of the heart.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
May Be Beneficial:Side effect
reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or
severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication.
Vitamin E
Avoid:Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements when taking this
medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous results.
Grapefruit juice
Pomegranate juice*
Depletion or interference
None known
Supportive interaction
None known
Reduced drug
absorption/bioavailability
None known
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the
interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific
evidence.
Interactions with Dietary Supplements
Vitamin
E
Test tube research on human lung tissue suggests that vitamin E might reduce lung toxicity
caused by amiodarone.1 More research is needed to further investigate this
possibility.
Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds
Grapefruit
juice
In one controlled study, drinking grapefruit juice while taking amiodarone dramatically
increased blood levels of the drug.2 Consequently, people taking amiodarone should
avoid drinking grapefruit juice (and eating grapefruit) to prevent potentially serious side
effects.
Pomegranate
juice
Pomegranate juice has been shown to inhibit the same enzyme that is inhibited by grapefruit juice.34 The degree
of inhibition is about the same for each of these juices. Therefore, it would be reasonable to
expect that pomegranate juice might interact with amiodarone in the same way that grapefruit
juice does.
References (To view, roll mouse over the "References" heading; to hide, click on the heading)
1. Kachel DL, Moyer TP, Martin WJ 2d. Amiodarone-induced injury of human
pulmonary artery endothelial cells: Protection by alpha-tocopherol. J Pharmacol Exp
Ther 1990;254:1107–12.
2. Libersa CC, Brique SA, Motte KB, et al. Dramatic inhibition of
amiodarone metabolism induced by grapefruit juice. Br J Clin Pharmacol
2000;49:373–8.
3. Sorokin AV, Duncan B, Panetta R, Thompson PD. Rhabdomyolysis
associated with pomegranate juice consumption. Am J Cardiol 2006;98:705–6.
4. Summers KM. Potential drug-food interactions with pomegranate juice.
Ann Pharmacother 2006;40:1472–3.
The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only.
It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience,
or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur
in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over
the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist
for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in
prescribed medications. Information expires February 2010.
