Does CBD Interact With Medications?

If you take prescribed medications, it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects of interactions between CBD and your prescriptions. 

Fortunately, it’s possible to avoid the side effects of these interactions by talking with a pharmacist beforehand. Here’s what you need to know about how CBD can impact the effects of your medications:

1. CBD Changes the Way Your Liver Metabolizes Many Medications

If you take CBD, it could change the way that your liver metabolizes certain medications, and that’s because it affects a certain essential enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down certain drugs and medications, such as these:

  • Blood thinners
  • Cholesterol lowering medications
  • Anti-anxiety medications
  • Stimulant medications for ADHD treatment
  • Heart medications

Why Does CBD Interfere With This Enzyme?

The reason why it interferes with this enzyme is the fact that the body uses it to break down CBD. As a result, toxic levels of certain medications can build up in your system. Thus, the nature of the side effects will depend on the specific medication that CBD tinctures from HempFusion or another manufacturer are combined with. However, these are a few of the more extreme manifestations of these interactions that an individual can experience:

  • A breakdown of muscle tissue
  • Heart problems
  • Damage to the liver and kidneys
  • Extreme medication side effects
  • Nausea, vomiting, and other forms of GI distress

2. Some Medications Can Cause Excessive Sleepiness When Combined With CBD

Due to the fact that CBD has sedative properties, some medications can cause excessive sleepiness when they’re combined with it. These are a few examples of drugs and medications that can interact with CBD in this manner:

  • Benzodiazepines
  • Over the counter sleep aids
  • Melatonin
  • Ambien and other prescription sleep aids

3. Know What’s In the CBD Product You’re Taking

It’s important to know that there are important differences between different types of CBD products. That’s because the presence of THC can lead to stronger medication interactions for many individuals. However, most of them fall into one of these categories:

Full-Spectrum Products

Full-spectrum products contain all cannabinoids that can be found in the hemp plant. However, they contain a delta-9 THC level that’s 0.3% or less by weight.

Broad Spectrum Products

Broad-spectrum products contain CBD and a wide range of cannabinoids. However, they don’t contain any THC.

CBD Isolate

CBD isolate only contains CBD. There are no other cannabinoids in these products.

CBD That Has Been Enhanced With Other Cannabinoids

Some CBD products contain other cannabinoids, which have been added to them. Here are a few examples of compounds that are often added to CBD supplements:

  • Delta-8 THC
  • THCV
  • CBN
  • Terpenes

4. Know How Dosage and Route of Administration Will Affect Interactions

In addition to the list of medications you’re taking, the pharmacist will also consider the dosages you’re taking. This applies to both your prescriptions and the dose of CBD that you’re considering. In general, higher dosages of CBD and/or prescription medications are more strongly associated with interactions.

CBD Can Interact With Many Prescription Medications

It’s important to make sure that you always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before taking CBD if you’re on any medications. Not only can the interaction impact the way that your medications affect you, but it can also impact how CBD is likely to affect you.