CBD is thought of as a wonder drug in many ways, but are CBD oils and other products able to affect the presence of other drugs in your body? What are the CBD drug interactions that you should be aware of?
While there may not be any notable negative CBD side effects for most users, that doesn’t mean that these products won’t interact with other substances or impact your drug metabolism.
We’ll take a look at these interactions today, exploring how CBD operates and what it might do to the other drugs in your system. Let’s get started.
CBD and the ECS
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the system in the body that deals with cannabinoids like CBD and THC. When we ingest CBD products, they’re broken down and introduced to endocannabinoid receptors.
Depending on the cannabinoid in question, the substance then produces an impact on the way that various parts of the ECS operate. The Endocannabinoid system’s functions include appetite management, pain relief, digestion help, immune function, heart rate, stress response, and more.
The reason that CBD might be so effective and safe is that it engages with the ECS in a way that’s natural, seeming to benefit these functions of the system. It’s not pushing the body to do anything that it wouldn’t do otherwise, just giving it a nudge in a direction that you feel is beneficial.
At the same time, our liver and body are still processing a foreign substance, which affects the way that we process other things we’ve put into our bodies.
CBD Drug Interactions
The primary thing to think about is the set of enzymes that work to break things down in the liver. The liver is used to process many of the things we put into our bodies, and the enzymes therein are our little heroes that do that work.
When you ingest CBD, you inhibit some of those enzymes, preventing them from breaking down chunks of other drugs you might be taking. On the other side of things, CBD products might activate other enzymes that lead the liver to break things down more quickly.
The result is that the drugs you’re taking might have reduced or increased effects as a result of CBD’s presence. That can be a dangerous thing, depending on the drug or medication in question.
The best thing to do if you’re on medication and want to take CBD is to talk with your doctor. They’ll be able to monitor potential interactions and let you know whether or not CBD is the right choice for you.
While the immediate effects of CBD and drug interactions won’t be severe or alarming, the reduced or increased impact of different drugs you’re taking could lead to severe issues.
Want to Learn More About CBD Drug Interactions?
There are a number of potential CBD drug interactions that you should be aware of. If you’re not on medications now, it’s smart to know about things to look out for in the case that you do start taking some medications later.
We’re here to help with more information. Explore our site for more ideas on drug metabolism, the endocannabinoid system, and CBD benefits.
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