Drug interactions
Axitinib + Grapefruit
Severity: Moderate
Axitinib and Grapefruit: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Grapefruit and its juice can raise axitinib blood levels by reducing the first-pass breakdown of axitinib in the gut wall and liver. Higher exposure may increase adverse effects such as hypertension, diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, and fatigue.
What this interaction means in plain words
Axitinib and Grapefruit can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Grapefruit constituents inhibit intestinal and hepatic CYP3A4, decreasing axitinib metabolism.
What to do
Advise patients to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice during axitinib therapy. Monitor blood pressure and tolerability if intake cannot be stopped.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Axitinib
- Amobarbital + Axitinib Major
- Apalutamide + Axitinib Major
- Atazanavir + Axitinib Major
- Axitinib + Carbamazepine Major
- Axitinib + Clarithromycin Major
- Axitinib + Cobicistat Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Axitinib with Grapefruit?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Axitinib and Grapefruit can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Grapefruit and its juice can raise axitinib blood levels by reducing the first-pass breakdown of axitinib in the gut wall and liver. Higher exposure may increase adverse effects such as hypertension, diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, and fatigue.
How serious is the interaction between Axitinib and Grapefruit?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Advise patients to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice during axitinib therapy. Monitor blood pressure and tolerability if intake cannot be stopped.
What other medicines interact with Axitinib?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Axitinib with, for example, Amobarbital, Apalutamide, Atazanavir. The full list is on the Axitinib page.
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