Drug Interaction Checker for Pomelo & Seville Orange
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Enter your medication name to see if it interacts with pomelo or Seville orange
Safety Note
Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before changing your diet when taking medications. This tool is for informational purposes only and doesn't replace professional medical advice.
Most people know grapefruit can mess with their meds. But what about pomelo or Seville orange? These fruits arenāt just exotic snacks-theyāre silent troublemakers when youāre on certain prescriptions. If youāre taking statins, blood pressure pills, or immunosuppressants, eating one of these without knowing the risk could land you in the hospital.
Why These Fruits Are Just as Dangerous as Grapefruit
Pomelo and Seville orange arenāt just similar to grapefruit-theyāre often worse. Both contain high levels of furanocoumarins, especially bergamottin and 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin. These chemicals shut down a key enzyme in your gut called CYP3A4. That enzyme normally breaks down drugs before they enter your bloodstream. When itās blocked, the drug builds up to dangerous levels. A 2014 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found pomelo has 1.5-2.5 Ī¼M of bergamottin, while grapefruit has 1.0-2.0 Ī¼M. Seville orange? Some varieties hit 3.0-4.0 Ī¼M. Thatās up to 30% more than grapefruit. And itās not just juice. Marmalade made from Seville orange peel packs even more punch because the peel is where furanocoumarins concentrate. The effect doesnāt vanish after one bite. These compounds bind permanently to the enzyme. Even if you eat the fruit in the morning and take your pill at night, the damage is already done. The enzyme stays blocked for up to 72 hours. That means if you eat pomelo on Monday, youāre still at risk on Thursday.Which Medications Are at Risk?
Not all drugs are affected. But the ones that are? Theyāre serious.- Statins like simvastatin and atorvastatin: Eating pomelo can spike simvastatin levels by 350%, raising the risk of rhabdomyolysis-a condition where muscle tissue breaks down and can cause kidney failure.
- Calcium channel blockers like amlodipine and felodipine: Blood pressure can drop dangerously low.
- Immunosuppressants like tacrolimus and cyclosporine: Transplant patients who ate Seville orange marmalade have been hospitalized with toxic drug levels.
- Anti-anxiety drugs like buspirone and some benzodiazepines: Can cause extreme drowsiness or breathing trouble.
- Some anti-arrhythmics like amiodarone: Risk of irregular heartbeat increases.
Why Nobody Talks About This
Grapefruit gets all the attention. Thatās because itās been studied since the 1980s. Pomelo and Seville orange? Not so much. Only 37% of products containing these fruits carry warning labels, compared to 78% for grapefruit. A 2022 FDA review found most pomelo sold in U.S. markets is mislabeled as āChinese grapefruit,ā so people assume itās safe if theyāve heard grapefruit is bad. Itās not. Even worse, only 42% of community pharmacists routinely ask patients about pomelo or Seville orange use. Most still only check for grapefruit. A Reddit post from October 2022 tells the story: a patient developed rhabdomyolysis after eating pomelo daily for two weeks. No one warned them. They thought grapefruit was the only one to avoid.
What You Should Do
If youāre on any of the medications listed above, hereās what to do:- Check your prescription label. If it warns about grapefruit, assume it warns about pomelo and Seville orange too.
- Ask your pharmacist. Donāt assume they know. Say: āDoes this interact with pomelo or bitter orange?ā
- Read labels on marmalade. If it says āSeville orangeā or ābitter orange,ā avoid it. Sweet orange marmalade is fine.
- Know what pomelo looks like. Itās huge-sometimes as big as a soccer ball-with thick, pale yellow or green rind and pink or white flesh. If youāre unsure, ask the produce clerk.
- Avoid all three fruits for at least 3 days before and during treatment. Even a small amount can trigger an interaction.
Whatās Being Done About It
The science is clear. The FDA, European Medicines Agency, and Mayo Clinic all say: treat pomelo and Seville orange like grapefruit. But policy hasnāt caught up. The FDA received 217 adverse event reports linked to pomelo-drug interactions between 2018 and 2022-a 43% increase from the prior five years. In response, they proposed new labeling rules in 2023 that will require warnings on all furanocoumarin-containing citrus fruits. Implementation is expected by mid-2025. The University of Washington just launched a $2.1 million NIH-funded study to map exactly how pomelo affects drug levels. Meanwhile, 17 EU countries now require warning labels on pomelo and Seville orange products. But until those rules are in place, the burden is on you.
What About Other Citrus?
Sweet oranges (like navel or Valencia), tangerines, clementines, and mandarins are safe. They donāt contain enough furanocoumarins to cause interactions. Same goes for limes and lemons-unless theyāre processed into juice with peel included (which is rare). The only other citrus to watch is bitter orange extract in supplements. Itās sometimes used for weight loss or energy, but itās packed with the same compounds as Seville orange. Avoid it if youāre on meds.Bottom Line
You donāt need to give up citrus. Just know which ones are dangerous. Grapefruit, pomelo, and Seville orange are a dangerous trio. If your medication warns about grapefruit, treat the other two the same way. Itās not about fear. Itās about awareness. A single slice of pomelo can be enough to overload your system. A spoonful of marmalade can send a transplant patient to the ICU. Talk to your doctor. Read labels. Ask questions. Your life might depend on it.Can I eat pomelo if Iām not on any medication?
Yes. Pomelo is perfectly safe if youāre not taking medications that interact with furanocoumarins. Itās a nutritious fruit high in vitamin C and antioxidants. The risk only exists when youāre on certain drugs. If youāre unsure, check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding it to your diet.
Is Seville orange the same as regular orange?
No. Seville orange, also called bitter orange, is a different species from sweet oranges like navel or Valencia. Itās sour, bitter, and used mainly for marmalade and traditional medicines. Regular sweet oranges donāt contain enough furanocoumarins to cause drug interactions. If a product says āSeville orangeā or ābitter orange,ā avoid it if youāre on meds.
How long do the effects last after eating pomelo or Seville orange?
The enzyme inhibition lasts up to 72 hours. Thatās because furanocoumarins permanently damage the CYP3A4 enzyme in your gut. Your body needs time to make new enzymes. Even if you eat the fruit one day and take your pill the next, the interaction can still happen. Thatās why experts recommend avoiding these fruits for at least three days before and during treatment.
Can I just eat less pomelo to avoid the interaction?
No. Even small amounts-like 200 mL of juice or one segment of fruit-can trigger the interaction. The effect is not dose-dependent in a linear way; itās all-or-nothing. Once the enzyme is inhibited, even a tiny bit of furanocoumarin can block enough of it to raise drug levels dangerously. Thereās no safe threshold.
What should I do if I accidentally ate pomelo and took my medication?
If you took your medication within 72 hours of eating pomelo or Seville orange, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Watch for signs like muscle pain or weakness (especially with statins), dizziness or fainting (with blood pressure meds), or confusion and nausea (with immunosuppressants). Donāt wait for symptoms. Early intervention can prevent serious harm.
Susan Arlene
January 5, 2026 AT 14:20So i just ate a whole pomelo for breakfast and took my statin at noon... hope i dont turn into a pile of mush by tomorrow lol
Joann Absi
January 5, 2026 AT 19:42THIS IS WHY AMERICA IS FALLING APART š No one reads labels anymore. We got people eating exotic fruits like theyāre candy while their meds turn into poison. šŗšø We need to ban this nonsense. Also why is the FDA so slow?? š¤¬
Mukesh Pareek
January 6, 2026 AT 05:23The pharmacokinetic implications are non-trivial. Furanocoumarins act as irreversible CYP3A4 inhibitors, leading to first-pass metabolism suppression. The AUC increase for simvastatin exceeds the therapeutic window by 3.5x. This is not anecdotal-itās biochemically deterministic.
Ashley S
January 6, 2026 AT 12:36Ugh. I hate when people make everything sound like a death sentence. I eat grapefruit all the time and Iām fine. Stop scaring people.
Jeane Hendrix
January 7, 2026 AT 23:27Wait so if iām on cyclosporine and i had a slice of pomelo on mondayā¦ does that mean i canāt take my pill until thursday? Thatās wild. I never realized it lasted that long. My pharmacist never mentioned this. š
Tom Swinton
January 8, 2026 AT 06:18Look, Iāve been on blood pressure meds for 12 years, and I just found out about this yesterday. I used to love Seville orange marmalade on my toast. I thought it was just ābitter orangeā and figured it was fine. Iām so grateful for this post. Iām switching to sweet orange jam today. Seriously, thank you for sharing this. I feel like I just dodged a bullet.
Katelyn Slack
January 8, 2026 AT 22:34just read this and my heart stoppedā¦ i eat pomelo every week. i take atorvastatin. iām gonna call my doctor tomorrow. thanks for the warning.
Melanie Clark
January 8, 2026 AT 23:38This is all part of the pharmaceutical-industrial complexās plan to make you dependent. They donāt want you to know that natural foods like pomelo can heal youā¦ but they profit from your broken liver. The FDA is in their pocket. And donāt get me started on how they mislabel pomelo as āChinese grapefruitāā¦ itās mind control. I stopped taking all meds after this.
Harshit Kansal
January 10, 2026 AT 00:53Bro this is legit. My cousin in Mumbai got hospitalized after eating bitter orange marmalade with his transplant meds. He thought it was just āorange jamā. We all need to spread this info. Seriously.
Brian Anaz
January 10, 2026 AT 21:57Why are we letting foreigners import dangerous fruit without warnings? This is a border security issue. If we had real leadership, this wouldnāt be happening.
Venkataramanan Viswanathan
January 12, 2026 AT 14:02In India, we call Seville orange ākagzi nimbuā and use it in Ayurveda. But we also know its potency. My grandmother always warned: āNever mix with heart pills.ā The science is old, but the world forgot. Good to see itās being recognized now.
Vinayak Naik
January 14, 2026 AT 09:32Yo this is wild-my aunt used to make this crazy sour marmalade from these bitter oranges she got from her cousin in Kerala. She swore it cured her arthritis. Turns out she was on a blood thinner. Iām so glad sheās okay. But now Iām telling everyone: if it tastes like regret, donāt eat it with your pills š