Grapefruit Juice and Verapamil: A Toxic Cocktail

Abstract

The US public consumes grapefruit juice in large quantities, with 14% of the population drinking the juice at least weekly. Grapefruit juice is a well-documented inhibitor of the CYP3A4 isoenzyme, which is involved in the metabolism of over 50% of commonly prescribed drugs. Here we report an unusual case of verapamil toxicity in a 42-year-old female, which resulted from accidental ingestion of only three tablets of the sustained release preparation (120 mg each) over 24 hours which resulted in severe toxicity.