Grapefruit and PDE5 inhibitors (boner pills)

[MA11]

One might take grapefruit juice for several reasons like absorption of orally administered steroids.

[Does grapefruit juice increase the bioavailability of orally administered sex steroids?] - PubMed

Our results suggest that grapefruit juice may increase bioavailability of orally administered estradiol and progesterone. The response varies markedly between individuals. This observation may be of some importance also for users of OC and HRT.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

According to the drug pamphlets of several PDE5 inhibitors (Tadalafil/Cialis, Sildenafil/Viagra, etc) one should not take any grapefruit products while on boner pills. Grapefruit might enhance the side (and wanted) effects.

Has anyone taken both the same time in significant amount?

 

[Inspired]

One might take grapefruit juice for several reasons like absorption of orally administered steroids.

[Does grapefruit juice increase the bioavailability of orally administered sex steroids?] - PubMed

Our results suggest that grapefruit juice may increase bioavailability of orally administered estradiol and progesterone. The response varies markedly between individuals. This observation may be of some importance also for users of OC and HRT.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

According to the drug pamphlets of several PDE5 inhibitors (Tadalafil/Cialis, Sildenafil/Viagra, etc) one should not take any grapefruit products while on boner pills. Grapefruit might enhance the side (and wanted) effects.

Has anyone taken both the same time in significant amount?

Yes, grapefruit works. You can use GSE (grapefruit seed extract) if don't want to eat grapefruits all the time.

You can also try things like piperine (Bioperine 10mg is a place to start).

You can also just take more of your preferred PDE5 inhibitor.

The only way to know is to try it, but I would do it carefully.

If you are concerned about negative side effects and fear that accidently eating grapefruit will give you problems while taking PDE5 inhibitors, I would say that generally, it most likely won't be a problem. The negative interaction you'd know for sure about would most likely be a case of priapism. If you encounter priapism, it's not fun, but most times if you exercise vigorously, the priapism will resolve on its own. It can be scary though so I don't recommend putting yourself into positions where this may happen.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Grapefruit juice is a staple in my diet for this and for hematocrit. Definitely noticed it making orals more effective.

It isn't that it's enhancing side effects, it's physically allowing more drug to reach the bloodstream by inhibiting enzyme action.

Definitely talk to a doctor about interactions with prescription drugs.

 

[MA11]

I had grapefruit accidentally in a drink while taking 5 mg Tadalafil ED and I didn't notice anything but it was a small dose anyway.

I will try some grapefruit and see what's happening. I tolerate Tadalafil very good. 5 mg or 10 mg doesn't make a difference.

But Sildenafil... That's a different league. 25 mg is already a rocket, 50 mg is a nuclear strike and 100 mg, that I took foolishly once, is a near death experience with a raging, pulsating boner and lots of ridiculous sides. No chance I'd ever mix Sildenafil with grapefruit.

You guys take pde5 inhibitors and grapefruit?
I'd expect to find some first hand experience warnings when I search online.

 

[BBC3]

Grapefruit juice is a staple in my diet for this and for hematocrit. Definitely noticed it making orals more effective.

It isn't that it's enhancing side effects, it's physically allowing more drug to reach the bloodstream by inhibiting enzyme action.

Definitely talk to a doctor about interactions with prescription drugs.

Slightly hijacking but I am starting to see liver action a bit different in terms of steroid use. I like pink Grapefruit juice, but actually consciously refrain from buying it these days because I just don't know the effect.

@Mac11wildcat I understand what you are saying but I have come to have a different take on liver enzyme actions, and with specific regard to steroid metabolism. In that, CONSIDER inhibition of liver enzymes can many times render a drug or substance ineffective if not negative, as an enzyme might be REQUIRED to metabolize a drug to make it work.

For example if you inhibit the production/action of esterase enzyme, you will wind up with esterified steroids in circulation that can not be activated. Now you have a scenario where you have a drug as simple as testosterone cypionate not only not working, but circulating around the body with it's capacity to BIND TO FAT still active. You then further now have t-cyp accumulating in your liver thus further poisoning it and interfering with re-normalization of enzyme production. After all why is esterified t-cyp going to bite on muscle, or even adipose tissue, when the fatty ass liver is right there...!! I am running into this believe me it is real... I am starting to think that long term "TRT" may not even biologically possible with injectible esterified steroids. Especially if you consume even the slightest amounts of alcohol, or have a fatty liver. I have run experiments from many angles and I can tell you that on TRT I can't even touch a couple beers now without my liver hurting on TRT alone and without alcohol involvement. Oddly, if I take away the steroids, I can drink like fish..

I speculate high SHBG is an indicator of steroid application that has shifted to a poor ester cleaving scenario. Or any SHBG over 15 for that matter...

I have NOT ruled out that alcohol as a single actor may effectively numb the liver while damaging it as I have seen high LFT numbers on alcohol alone a couple of times. It is further noted that alcohol is not sufficient to "numb" liver pain when combined with steroid induced liver pain, with the exception of while/during drunk as hell, but will hell to pay in the coming couple of days. I speculate that other pharma drugs in play with alcohol alone were most likely the primary suspects for MY said "single-line" liver dysfunction and that I am not even willing to test again (Zoloft)... I am also not yet considering the impact of a fatty diet or fatty liver combined.

I am planning to report on this hypothesis after my next round of blood work on alcohol alone. And believe me I have gotten to where I can beat my doc at ALT and AST predictions based on the way my liver "feels" to me at the time of blood draw. I can guess it within 10 points.

I will say that I rarely see IM steroid users complaining of liver issues (however they are usually cyclers/non drinkers) .. Which tells me that perhaps alcohol has a specific effect on the enzymes that cleave esters from steroids. Of course that makes sense in that any real body builders or professional steroid users won't drink (regularly if at all) when using roids. So I am a one-off I suspect... But there is more than one of me out there. And I will also say I got away with drinking on testosterone for almost a couple decades. So I am a bit of a loss... Perhaps FAT is coming into play more than I want to admit. I am not ruling out a fatty diet, fatty liver, and high body fat composition possibly contributing to, or possible even rudimentary as it is the one increasing constant factor over time.

ON TOPIC, I would suggest being careful with grapefruit juice as a general as it is a joker card and it is reported to act both ways unpredictably to the layman, as well as having combination interactions which are very poorly understood with almost no way to publicly document or track yet... Whether or not grapefruit juice expedites or hinders the uncleaving of steroid esters I have little researched. A couple of articles indicate that grapefruit flavonoids may affect some liver enzymes to increase bioavailability of certain compounds. Notably oral estrogens would appear to guarantee you an embolism with grapefruit juice combined .. On a skim... Be that parent drugs or what unclear, the data definitely suggest that certain liver enzymes are affected more than others and how that plays in to any particular drug is up to you to further investigate.

One would like to think that some regulating authority is running "if's software" statistically correlating and analyzing all trends and vector intersections to better understand these concepts in the name of medical science. But don't count on "medical science" to do that as they may be too corrupted by doleros at this juncture and why inhibit SALE$ after all .. ... ......

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Slightly hijacking but I am starting to see liver action a bit different in terms of steroid use. I like pink Grapefruit juice, but actually consciously refrain from buying it these days because I just don't know the effect.

@Mac11wildcat I understand what you are saying but I have come to have a different take on liver enzyme actions, and with specific regard to steroid metabolism. In that, CONSIDER inhibition of liver enzymes can many times render a drug or substance ineffective if not negative, as an enzyme might be REQUIRED to metabolize a drug to make it work.

For example if you inhibit the production/action of esterase enzyme, you will wind up with esterified steroids in circulation that can not be activated. Now you have a scenario where you have a drug as simple as testosterone cypionate not only not working, but circulating around the body with it's capacity to BIND TO FAT still active. You then further now have t-cyp accumulating in your liver thus further poisoning it and interfering with re-normalization of enzyme production. After all why is esterified t-cyp going to bite on muscle, or even adipose tissue, when the fatty ass liver is right there...!! I am running into this believe me it is real... I am starting to think that long term "TRT" may not even biologically possible with injectible esterified steroids. Especially if you consume even the slightest amounts of alcohol, or have a fatty liver. I have run experiments from many angles and I can tell you that on TRT I can't even touch a couple beers now without my liver hurting on TRT alone and without alcohol involvement. Oddly, if I take away the steroids, I can drink like fish..

I speculate high SHBG is an indicator of steroid application that has shifted to a poor ester cleaving scenario. Or any SHBG over 15 for that matter...

I have NOT ruled out that alcohol as a single actor may effectively numb the liver while damaging it as I have seen high LFT numbers on alcohol alone a couple of times. It is further noted that alcohol is not sufficient to "numb" liver pain when combined with steroid induced liver pain, with the exception of while/during drunk as hell, but will hell to pay in the coming couple of days. I speculate that other pharma drugs in play with alcohol alone were most likely the primary suspects for MY said "single-line" liver dysfunction and that I am not even willing to test again (Zoloft)... I am also not yet considering the impact of a fatty diet or fatty liver combined.

I am planning to report on this hypothesis after my next round of blood work on alcohol alone. And believe me I have gotten to where I can beat my doc at ALT and AST predictions based on the way my liver "feels" to me at the time of blood draw. I can guess it within 10 points.

I will say that I rarely see IM steroid users complaining of liver issues (however they are usually cyclers/non drinkers) .. Which tells me that perhaps alcohol has a specific effect on the enzymes that cleave esters from steroids. Of course that makes sense in that any real body builders or professional steroid users won't drink (regularly if at all) when using roids. So I am a one-off I suspect... But there is more than one of me out there. And I will also say I got away with drinking on testosterone for almost a couple decades. So I am a bit of a loss... Perhaps FAT is coming into play more than I want to admit. I am not ruling out a fatty diet, fatty liver, and high body fat composition possibly contributing to, or possible even rudimentary as it is the one increasing constant factor over time.

ON TOPIC, I would suggest being careful with grapefruit juice as a general as it is a joker card and it is reported to act both ways unpredictably to the layman, as well as having combination interactions which are very poorly understood with almost no way to publicly document or track yet... Whether or not grapefruit juice expedites or hinders the uncleaving of steroid esters I have little researched. A couple of articles indicate that grapefruit flavonoids may affect some liver enzymes to increase bioavailability of certain compounds. Notably oral estrogens would appear to guarantee you an embolism with grapefruit juice combined .. On a skim... Be that parent drugs or what unclear, the data definitely suggest that certain liver enzymes are affected more than others and how that plays in to any particular drug is up to you to further investigate.

One would like to think that some regulating authority is running "if's software" statistically correlating and analyzing all trends and vector intersections to better understand these concepts in the name of medical science. But don't count on "medical science" to do that as they may be too corrupted by doleros at this juncture and why inhibit SALE$ after all .. ... ......

That was a lot. I’ll say simply that in the absence of a study outcome, I observed needing less orals (specifically the ones I was taking) when a little grapefruit juice is involved. This is after running a check on known interactions.

 

[MA11]

So I've popped 10 mg Tadalafil and ate a grapefruit. I didn't feel any different. Might be different with other drugs.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

So I've popped 10 mg Tadalafil and ate a grapefruit. I didn't feel any different. Might be different with other drugs.

why would you feel diffenrt after taking a cialis…

And grapefruit does alter your body’s metabolism of cialis. I’d be careful taking it daily at your normal dose.

 

[MA11]

I meant side effects.
Stuffy nose, heartburn, red face, etc.
Tadalafil gives me very little side effects and I thought I might get some stronger sides with grapefruit.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I meant side effects.
Stuffy nose, heartburn, red face, etc.
Tadalafil gives me very little side effects and I thought I might get some stronger sides with grapefruit.

You *may* soon as lessening the amount of drug lost to pre-metabolization would eventually lead to build up higher than your dose without an inhibitor would.

 

[MA11]

Just saw your edit and yes I agree.
In meso terms, I am a cautious guy.