Cannabidiol is an active chemical found in the cannabis plant or hemp plant. There are more than 80 cannabinoids in the hemp plant, including CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Unlike marijuana, CBD contains trace amounts of THC, meaning it doesn’t have psychoactive effects and won’t get you high.
Since the passage of the Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, CBD has received a lot of attention for its relaxing and pain relief effects, among other things. The CBD industry is booming, with countless CBD products on the market today. However, you may have some questions about CBD and how it interacts with medications you may be taking.
CBD may impact the effectiveness of medications.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, has been gaining popularity as an effective way to ease the symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety, inflammation, and chronic pain. Research has shown that CBD, which works with your naturally occurring endocannabinoid system, is safe to consume and has few, if any, side effects. Many people use CBD products in addition to daily vitamins and nutritional supplements. However, it’s important to talk to your doctor first. CBD does have the potential to interact with certain over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs.
Drug metabolism and cannabidiol can work together.
Your body breaks down or metabolizes medication in your stomach and liver, as well as other parts of the body. A family of enzymescalled CYP450 is responsible for converting foreign substances so they can be eliminated from the body. Certain prescription drugs and substances can affect CYP450 by slowing down or speeding up drug metabolism.
CYP450 metabolizes both medications and several cannabinoids like CBD, which interferes with CYP3A4, an important enzyme within the CYP450 family. When CBD inhibits CYP3A4 it’s unable to effectively metabolize other drugs in your system. You can end up with more prescription drugs in your system at once if your body is metabolizing them too slowly.
Once there is an increased level of these in your system, it triggers unwanted side effects. On the other hand, if your body is metabolizing your prescriptions too fast there may not be enough in your system to effectively treat a health issue. When you take CBD with a prescription pill that also inhibits CYP3A4, your body can’t process the CBD effectively.
CBD can increase the amount of certain drugs such as antidepressants, antihistamines and beta-blockers in your bloodstream. This boost depends on the dosage of pills and dosage of CBD that you take.
Research is still ongoing to determine interactions between CBD and certain prescriptions. As a rule of thumb, follow the grapefruit warning: if your prescription pills have a grapefruit warning on the label, don’t use CBD. Your pharmacist should discuss any potential side effects and drug interaction warnings, such as the grapefruit warning, when you fill your prescription.
Talk to your pharmacist about whether or not taking dietary supplements like CBD along with your regularly prescribed pills is safe. Pharmacists can reference a drug list of medications with known interactions and side effects to ensure that you understand what to expect of the pills you take.
One of the biggest reasons that CBD products have become so popular is that anyone can afford to try beneficial cannabinoids. For some people, the cost of prescription drugs is too much to pay and they either opt not to take the pills or find an alternative such as a natural product. If you’re struggling to pay to fill a prescription, you should know that USA Rx makes prescription drugs affordable for anyone at thousands of pharmacies across the United States with their free USA Rx discount card. Simply sign up for the card with your email address, download the mobile app, and use the prescription finder to locate a participating pharmacy. Your pharmacist will compare the cost to your insurance and you pay whatever is lowest price.
The form of CBD you use matters.
CBD can be consumed orally, sublingually, or topically. Each method delivers a different amount of CBD into your bloodstream. How you choose to consume CBD influences how it interacts with other prescribed pills you may be taking. Using CBD sublingually or inhaling it is the most direct way to deliver CBD to the bloodstream, while ingesting CBD reduces the amount of CBD absorbed in the bloodstream. The topical application of CBD delivers a negligible amount of CBD to the bloodstream.
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Whether you are interested in CBD oil, tinctures, CBD edibles, CBD joints or hemp buds, be aware that cannabidiol can interact with prescription drugs. Talk to your health care provider about your medical conditions and any pills you are taking to determine if there are any risks involved in your consuming CBD.
