Will Grapefruit Juice Lessen Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms ?

[tayo]

The question, Could grapefruit juice lessen opiate withdrawal symptoms, and possibly shorten recovery time?

SWIM concludes that use of chronic grapefruit juice during withdrawals, will ease and lessen withdrawal symptoms. Here's SWIMs logic.

So since opiates are metabolized by Cytochrome P450's CYP2D6 enzyme... which is inhibited by grapefruit juice, wouldn't the endogenous endorphins structurally related to morphine used in pain response by the body also be metabolized by this enzyme. And by prolonging the time until elimination of these recovering endogenous opiates, couldn't this make withdrawal symptoms less/ much less painful. Wouldn't chronic use of grapefruit juice inhibiting CYP2D6 allow the body's natural painkillers to stockpile and essentially replenish much faster? Does this make sense to everyone? Why hasn't anyone else thought of this? Someone please do correct SWIM if wrong by explaining why, and if SWIM is correct than give SWIM props!

[rxbandit]

well endorphins are excreted directly into the blood rather then having to be processed by the stomach.CYP2D6 enzyme is an enzyme active in the liver, through which most opiates are processed. Swim is not sure if the endorphins released into the blood would have any contact or interaction with this enzyme since they are endogeneous.Swim believes the endorphins would not be subject to interaction with this enzyme however he may have neglected something in his logic

[Paracelsus]

That would mean grapefruit has opiate-like effects by itself (by boosting endorphins). This is not the case.

Grapefruit does NOT inhibit CYP2D6. It inhibits CYP3A. Read this.

Shorten your thread title. Or maybe this shouldbe closed, since the hypothesis is all wrong.

[tayo]

okay so my thread that was closed to you, cyp3a4 is inhibited, if thats the one w/ grapefruit and opiates, or whatever, piperine inhibits it too, are the liver enzymes responsible for breaking down the bodies natural painkillers, and if they were inhibited it would slow their elimination time if the enzymes were inhibited yes? what might that be?

[tayo]

and GFJ wouldn't have opiate like effects on its own because our bodies don't produce endogenous opiates unless responding to pain, that would explain that. Maybe the O-demethylation of the endogenous opiates would also be stopped. See what SWIM is saying? SWIM still thinks there is validity to grapefruit juice in helping in withdrawals, help SWIM understand if wrong.

[Paracelsus]

Sorry. There may be indeed some validity. I asked MrJim to re-open your thread and move your posts from here into it.

P.S.: Since you are a silver member, you can probably edit your posts. Please add text to a post rather than posting twice in a row. Helps keep the forum a bit cleaner.

[Alfa]

Posts moved.

[kailey_elise]

So, am I understanding your question(s) right? I'm interpreting it like this:

"If I consume grapefruit juice before running, will my "runner's high" (from endorphins) be off the chart?"

(well, that was the best way I could think of to explain it. LOL)

I don't have an answer, though.

~Kailey

Originally Posted by tayo

and GFJ wouldn't have opiate like effects on its own because our bodies don't produce endogenous opiates unless responding to pain, that would explain that. Maybe the O-demethylation of the endogenous opiates would also be stopped. See what SWIM is saying? SWIM still thinks there is validity to grapefruit juice in helping in withdrawals, help SWIM understand if wrong.

[tayo]

SWIM thinks the endorphins from a runner's high are different from those released during other kinds of pain, though not positive, just from the experience of the feeling itself. But if they are the same SWIM thinks that could be just about right, yes. It would take less time to feel the runner's high. Or in the event that someone breaks their leg, natural pain killers begin to flow, it would maybe slow the breakdown and allow for more accumulation of these in the body. Or maybe after one goes to the gym and is sore the next couple days, GFJ could help ease the pain more than without drinking it.

Conceptually the idea makes sense right? Suppose more feedback will tell, maybe someone has proof.