
Some medications should never be taken with CBD the use of other medications may need to be modified or reduced to prevent serious issues. The bottom line: Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if using or considering CBDĬBD has the potential to interact with many other products, including over-the-counter medications, herbal products, and prescription medications. All of this is further complicated by the fact that none of these products are regulated or checked for purity, concentration, or safety. Topical formulations, such as creams and lotions, may not absorb and get into the blood in sufficient amount to interact with other medications, although there is very little information on how much of CBD gets into the blood eventually. Edibles require longer time to absorb and are less likely to produce a high concentration peak, although they may eventually reach high enough levels to cause an issue or interact with other medications. Inhaled CBD gets into the blood the fastest, reaching high concentration within 30 minutes and increasing the risk of acute side effects. The researchers further warned that while the list may be used as a starting point to identify potential drug interactions with marijuana or CBD oil, plant-derived cannabinoid products may deliver highly variable cannabinoid concentrations (unlike the FDA-regulated prescription cannabinoid medications previously mentioned), and may contain many other compounds that can increase the risk of unintended drug interactions.

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine evaluated existing information on five prescription CBD and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabinoid medications: antinausea medications used during cancer treatment (Marinol, Syndros, Cesamet) a medication used primarily for muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis (Sativex, which is not currently available in the US, but available in other countries) and an antiseizure medication (Epidiolex). Such drug interactions are usually hard to predict but can cause unpleasant and sometimes serious problems. The altered concentration, in turn, may lead to the medication not working, or an increased risk of side effects. Many drugs are broken down by enzymes in the liver, and CBD may compete for or interfere with these enzymes, leading to too much or not enough of the drug in the body, called altered concentration. Taking CBD with stimulants (such as Adderall) may lead to decreased appetite, while taking it with the diabetes drug metformin or certain heartburn drugs (such as Prilosec) may increase the risk of diarrhea. Increased sedation and tiredness may also happen when using certain herbal supplements, such as kava, melatonin, and St. In other words, taking CBD at the same time with OTC or prescription medications and substances that cause sleepiness, such as opioids, benzodiazepines (such as Xanax or Ativan), antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihistamines (such as Benadryl), or alcohol may lead to increased sleepiness, fatigue, and possibly accidental falls and accidents when driving. Taking CBD with other medications that have similar side effects may increase the risk of unwanted symptoms or toxicity. While generally considered safe, CBD may cause drowsiness, lightheadedness, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, and, in rare instances, damage to the liver. These include known side effects of CBD, but also unintended interactions with supplements, herbal products, and over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.

CBD is a biologically active compound, and as such, it may also have unintended consequences. But it won't hurt to try, right? Well, not so fast. Some of these claims have merit to them, while some of them are just hype.

Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) seem to be all the rage these days, promising relief from a wide range of maladies, from insomnia and hot flashes to chronic pain and seizures.
