Sildenafil is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), commonly known as impotence, in men.
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.
 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 |
| Side effect reduction/prevention | 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.
Interaction with Foods and Other Compounds
Grapefruit juice
In one study, ingestion of 250 ml (approximately 1 cup) of grapefruit juice one hour before and together with sildenafil increased the total amount of sildenafil absorbed by 23%, but tended to delay the absorption of the drug.1 The authors of this study recommended that sildenafil and grapefruit juice not be taken together.
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice has been shown to inhibit the same enzyme that is inhibited by grapefruit juice.2 3 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 sildenafil in the same way that grapefruit juice does.
References
1. Jetter A, Kinzig-Schippers M, Walchner-Bonjean M, et al. Effects of grapefruit juice on the pharmacokinetics of sildenafil. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2002;71:21–9.
2. Sorokin AV, Duncan B, Panetta R, Thompson PD. Rhabdomyolysis associated with pomegranate juice consumption. Am J Cardiol 2006;98:705–6.
3. Summers KM. Potential drug-food interactions with pomegranate juice. Ann Pharmacother 2006;40:1472–3.
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2006-09-07
