We learned that grapefruit might make your medications toxic.

Long a breakfast staple, grapefruit contains a chemical called furanocoumarins.  This chemical removes an enzyme in the body that is necessary to break down some medications when they enter the digestive system.  As a result, the body absorbs significantly more of the medication than it can handle, sometimes to the point of making the medication toxic to the body.

The number of drugs that have this interaction with grapefruit rose from 17 in 2008 to 43 in 2012. 

Doctors should be well aware of these interactions and notify you accordingly, but it’s never a bad idea to double check.