Medication Malfunction

I'ts no secret that I take medication for my ED and depression. I have also been having a hard time lately. My anxiety skyrocketed, and I stopped sleeping and my digestive system was in turmoil. I was agitated and moody all of the time, even when things were going well. I could be relaxing on the couch, just watching tv or reading a book when suddenly I would feel like crying or screaming out of anger, completely unprovoked. I was having a very hard time. I had been doing so much better, I had been sleeping and enjoying life when suddenly I was thrown violently back into depression.

I had been eating better in an effort to heal my body. My in-laws had even given me a juicer which was allowing me to supplement my diet with fruit and veggies without overloading on the fiber. I was experimenting with juicing everything including beets, broccoli, herbs, carrots and citrus. Two weeks ago I was at an all time low. Suicidal thoughts began whispering in my mind again. What was the point of all of the hard work? I was never really going to get better. It didn't matter what meds I took, food I ate or support groups I went to.  But then, thankfully, I figured out what was wrong. Strangely enough I clued in to the possible problem while on break at work. Somehow the topic turned to grapefruit and medication reactions. And it hit me, things began to go down hill after I got the juicer, and began eating grapefruit regularly.

Healthy or Harmful?

I added it to my diet because it is healthy, and I want to loose weight. But it can have a strong impact on how medications are metabolized  I researched it and found that my symptoms could have been caused by the sudden spike in prozac remaining in my blood stream. And to my shock I found out that left unchecked it could have progressed to serotonin syndrome which could have been fatal. I immediately stopped eating grapefruit. Later in the week I brought up the topic at my support group and the nurses confirmed that it was likely what had been happening. I don't remember if my pharmacist warned me against grapefruit. He likely did but it slipped my mind. I had been working at not actively harming myself for so long that I wasn't suspicious of things that are commonly thought of as healthy. So if any fellow dis-functionals out there are on meds please take the time to talk to your pharmacist about possible interactions. Ask not only about grapefruit but any other OTC meds you may be taking. It's not your fault you are sick. And sometimes when things are going badly there is a simple explication and an easy fix. Thankfully I realized what was wrong before it became fatal.