CBD Vs Other Drugs Interactions: What Drugs Should Not be Taken with CBD?

Cannabis is a sophisticated plant that contains more than a thousand different phyto or plant-based cannabinoids. Cannabidiol aka CBD is the second most prevalent Phyto cannabinoids present in cannabis Sativa plants. Some sparse study suggests that CBD might have therapeutic advantages for a variety of ailments. However, as CBD becomes more widely available, questions like: “What drugs should not be taken with CBD?”, “How will CBD interact with my existing medications?” often arise in consumers’ minds.

CBD may cause harmful interactions with several other existing prescribed drugs, according to somewhat limited studies. The conclusions aren’t definitive, and further study into CBD’s interactions with various medicines is required.

Most physicians and healthcare practitioners advise people who use CBD for medicinal or pleasurable purposes to avoid combining it with other prescribed regular medications. Most importantly, talk to your doctors first about potential CBD drug interactions and side effects before introducing any CBD products for trial use.

In this post, we will try our best to answer all the questions mentioned above. Especially What drugs should not be taken with CBD, plus the CBD effects & interactions with conventionally prescribed medications.

Do you know or hear something about the grapefruit tests? Several pharmaceutical medicines will have grapefruit warning signs on it’s packaging label to recommend the ingestion of citrus fruits before treatment. A set of proteins called cytochrome P450 (CYPs) enzymes break down several medicines in the liver and small intestines. This technique offers the advantage of a drug to the desired objective.

Grapefruit interrupts CYP activities and slows down the typical breakdown of the drug by these proteins. The fruits further enhance the negative impacts and effectiveness of the medication. A 2013 research released in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association entitled “Grapefruit Medication Interactions: Forbidden Fruit or Avoidable Consequences?” found that grapefruit can raise blood pressures by combining with around 85 medicines. The documented effects included irregular beating of heart, major organ failures, internal bleedings and fatality.

Further, in 1993 research carried out at the University of California, San Francisco, by pharmacology experts and published in the ‘Biochemical Pharmacology’ magazine CBD found that the normal function of cytochrome P450 enzymes in mice is disrupted like the grapefruit tests. The study suggested that while obstruction can enable patients to absorb lesser prescribed dosages, it might also trigger a lethal chemical compounds formation on the body. Following the release of this report, numerous medical and scientific publications have provided proof of the effects of CBD on people like grapefruit tests on human beings.

The category types, grade and pureness of CBD significantly influence how it reacts to our body as well as prescribed common drugs. You may also detect how the two can interact in your body by taking CBD and any other prescription medicine. But CBD vs drugs interactions on any person, based on gender, age, weight & several variables naturally responds uniquely.

Now let’s explore the existing CBD drug interactions studies with a range of everyday prescription and pharmaceutical medicines.

The NSAID is a medication that lowers bodily pain and inflammation and is an anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal medication. Ibuprofen is susceptible to blood thinning and may induce vertigo, breathlessness, and vomiting.

The danger of undesirable negative effects may possibly extend the duration and force of ibuprofen. Thus far, no research on the human subject has explicitly examined the interactions of CBD and NSAIDs. However, two experiments of the animal models of 2006 and 2008 published in Pain and Pharmacology respectively show the use of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen in the reduction of pain in other cannabinoids can synergize.

Before using ibuprofen with CBD, patients should visit their health care practitioner.

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Thyroid medicine is used for the treatment of thyroid disorders. Mainly an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) by replacing thyroid hormones and an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) with anti thyroid drugs as well. Various drugs accomplish such goals via alternative routes inside the human body. Thyroid hormone substitution treatments have side effects such thoracic discomfort, anxiousness, hypertension, and nausea. Although rashes, irritation, temperature, pains and headache may involve negative impacts of anti-thyroid drugs.

There’s currently limited information on CBD oil and thyroid medication interactions, especially with standard thyroid hormone substitution and thyroid medicines. Thyroid patients should be consulted with their doctor first, if they wish to try a CBD solution.

Eliquis often termed apixaban is a blood thinning drug used in veins, heart, lungs and limbs after any hip and knee replacement surgery. Apixaban is a blood thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke or blood clots. Eliquis raises the threat of serious hemorrhage. So doctors usually prescribe specific doses of Eliquis for the general patients.

The Eliquis process in the liver, the same proteins on which CBD works to slow down metabolization, is processed by CYP proteins. It might lead to a significant risk of serious bleeding, an overdose of the body’s substances.

Before utilizing CBD and Eliquis patients should contact their doctor first.

Metoprolol is a beta-blocker that is meant to cure high blood pressure by lowering the pace of the heart and altering epinephrine, a hormone associated with stress and other mechanisms. Beta blockers reduce blood pressure and can cause unwanted symptoms like: vertigo, lightheadedness, breathlessness, heartburn, and chilly arms and legs.

There was no study showing possible CBD interactions with metoprolol. Some placebo-controlled study in 2017 published on JCI Insight, from the University of Nottingham, England has connected CBD to reduced blood pressure when taken independently. Nonetheless, the people using metoprolol might have negatively affected CBD blood pressure levels.

A 2011 research on rats presented in the British Journal of Pharmacology also reveals that CBD has possible nausea-reduction characteristics that might help calm down metoprolol related negative effects.

Patients using the CBD should visit their doctor to find out whether they are taking metoprolol or other beta-blockers.

Statins are a subclass of cholesterol-lowering and protective medicines for cardio-vascular or heart related attack and stroke. The common adverse effects of statins include muscular pain, increased sugar levels, nausea and headaches.

The CYP activity in the liver which inhibits CBD processes statins. Although no study has investigated special encounters between CBD and statins. The strength, duration of statins in the system and the risk of adverse effects might possibly be increased by CBD.

Prior to utilizing CBD, those who take statins should contact their medical practitioner.

When evaluating whether CBD is taken with certain drugs or not, CBD’s known effects on liver function and enzymes which decompose specific pharmaceutical drugs are significant. The effect of CBD works on the same metabolites as grapefruit is consequently identical to the risk of many pharmaceutical drugs including grapefruit warning signs should not be taken with CBD.

These classes of drugs include a substantial percentage of contemporary prescription medicines, such as benzodiazepines, antihistamines, haloperidol, anti-retroviral, statins, cyclosporine, sildenafil, warfarin, and other CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 metabolized medicines.

Another kind of medication which is not recommended to use in combination with CBD is clobazam, mainly used to treat epileptic seizure. But Epidiolex is a CBD based medication authorized by the FDA which may be prescribed for epilepsy by doctors. There is substantial information from medical test trials on Epidiolex. However, a 2019 study released in the journal F1000Research done by Columbia University researchers suggests that the medicine Epidiolex might produce negative side effects.

No studies have demonstrated that grapefruit and medication interactions might cause severe consequences, involving irregular heartbeat and sudden cardiac death, kidney failure and muscle damage. While the 2013 survey previously referenced in Canadian Medical Association Journals showed that it can lead to severe effects. Each patient’s condition is distinct, and if they contemplate using CBD along with special prescription medicines, they should talk to their medical practitioners first.

Related: How Much CBD Oil Should I Take? | Complete CBD Dosage Guide!

There are no studies showing that the blood can be diluted by CBD oil itself. As previously referenced in a 2017 study published in Case Epilepsy & Behavior Reports, CBD oil does boost the effects of bloods diluting or thinning meds like warfarin. Also might potentially push the presence of warfarin above appropriate limits.

So, before using CBD and blood thinner together patients should contact their doctor first.

Caffeine and CBD are becoming two highly popular consumer products, especially when combined together. Caffeine may revive and alert people who are falling asleep. In addition, a 2007 study on rats published in Pharmacology Reports demonstrated that caffeine is processed by CYP enzymes which are inhibited by CBD. This might prolong the duration of caffeine presence on the body and the stimulant effects of caffeine might increase.

Related: “How to Take CBD? | Six Unique Ways for CBD Beginners!”

You must consult your doctor before using any cannabidiol for the first time. If you are unclear whether CBD interacts with a medicine that you are already taking. Substantial mild benefits of such non-intoxicating, non addictive cannabinoid especially apply to CBD’s possible medication contraindications.

In all cases, it is not CBD that is responsible for the hazardous consequences that occur when you are using other medicines with this cannabinoid. It is only the fact that many prescription drugs on the market are safe only when they are metabolized at a particular pace and CBD might accidentally intoxicate such medicines by allowing them to last longer than they should in your system.

Legal: The detailed information on this informative article is founded on existing research and must not be interpreted as clinical counsel. If you have any queries regarding any prescription drugs and CBD, definitely discuss it with your physician or medical practitioner first.