Can You Take CBD Oil While on Prescription Drugs?
Updated April 14, 2023.
CBD oil has become a popular way of treating a wide variety of medical conditions. However, as with all substances, its interactions with medicines are critically important to patients. So in this article, we’re going to examine whether it's safe to take CBD oil while using other prescription drugs.
Safety Record
The first thing to note is that CBD oil currently possesses an exceptional safety record. It is almost impossible to overdose on CBD oil, and there are very few reported cases of any serious side effects. An extensive review by the World Health Organisation noted that CBD oil is mostly safe as a functional compound.
Other Medication
CBD oil is a substance metabolized by the liver before being accessible to the rest of the body. The liver utilizes enzymes to reduce CBD oil into more digestible compounds. This is part of the natural process of consuming the substance, but it also means that other medicines and drugs can impact the process.
Other drugs also require the liver to metabolize them, which means that the liver is effectively overworked. Adverse effects can then occur, as either the medication or the CBD oil substance is not broken down into smaller components effectively.
Enzyme Issues
CBD oil particularly requires an enzyme that is referred to as P450 to be effective. This is significant as numerous commonly used medicines also require this enzyme to be metabolized. Some examples are beta-blockers, steroids, antidepressants, antihistamines, and antibiotics.
This doesn't necessarily mean that you can’t use CBD oil if you are also using these medicines. Still, it definitely does mean that you should seek advice from a medical physician before engaging in a program of CBD oil. There can be issues with other prescription drugs, and it is better to be safe than sorry.