Cannabidiol (CBD) is not a medication, but it can offer relief for a variety of conditions such as sleeplessness, anxiety, and seizures. CBD has also been used effectively as a pain reliever. Additionally, it can affect the mood receptors in your brain. By producing serotonin, a chemical naturally found in your brain that makes you feel happy and at ease, CBD has the potential to change your mood for the better.

Despite the wide variety of benefits CBD can offer, there are some common prescription medications that it interferes with.

Before beginning CBD treatment, you should consult with a doctor to find out how it interacts with any other medications in your body. 

How It Works

CBD can offer relief for numerous aches and pains but it might not be the right fit for everyone. CBD can interfere with certain medications that use the same family of enzymes (CYP450) to break them down. 

Because CBD interferes with some of the enzymes in this family, it can make certain drugs break down slower, potentially increasing any side effects you might have while taking both at the same time. 

CBD can also do the opposite to the enzymes, speeding the breakdown of certain drugs to make them less effective unless the dose is increased.

Most common medications taken with CBD will have minimal side effects, but some potentially serious drug interactions with CBD include blood thinners like acenocoumarol and warfarin. Talk to your doctor before beginning any CBD treatment in order to avoid any negative side effects that could arise. 

Everyday Medications That Interact with CBD

Antihistamines

Using CBD alongside antihistamines like Benadryl may lead to increased sleepiness and fatigue.

Cannabidiol, grapefruit and St. John’s Wort have been shown to inhibit the P-450 system in your body. When the P-450 system is inhibited, medications take longer to be metabolized. This leads to the accumulation of drug substrates in your blood.

Antihistamines use the P-450 system as well, which means using them at the same time as CBD treatments can slow down your body’s ability to break them down and increases the chances you’ll see side effects like sleepiness and fatigue.

Antidepressants

The same enzymes that are responsible for metabolizing antidepressants are responsible for metabolizing CBD, which means if you take them at the same time your body will have higher concentrations of antidepressants in your system. 

The side effects of taking both at the same time are typically minimal, but it’s best to check with your doctor before combining the two.  

Oral Contraceptives 

Taking CBD and certain oral contraceptives at the same time may speed up how quickly your body processes the contraceptives. 

This means that contraceptives like “the pill”, patches, implants, some IUDs, and the ring may not be effective with CBD and shouldn’t be used together. The same goes for emergency contraceptives, which may require a larger dose than normal to be effective if taken at the same time as CBD.

Thyroid Hormones

CBD can also cause certain thyroid medications, such as levothyroxine, to be metabolized quicker in your body. Just like emergency contraceptives, this means that your thyroid medicine could lose efficacy and stop providing the usual results.

Stimulants 

Taking CBD with stimulants such as Adderall causes the side effects of the stimulants to increase. Your appetite may decrease, or you might find yourself extremely drowsy and fatigued. 

Conclusion

Be sure to consult your doctor before combining CBD treatments with your medications. The side effects may be minimal, but it’s still worth consulting a medical professional. 

Despite the way CBD interacts with some medications, it still helps relieve pain, anxiety, depression and can help reduce the symptoms of insomnia in most people if used consistently and at the correct dosage.

If you need advice on where to start with CBD, contact Hunstsboro Hemp today. We would love to hear any questions you have and look forward to serving you!