CBD and Prescription Drugs
As a company involved in the distribution of CBD products, we are legally obliged to state that CBD cannot be used to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or illness. It is a supplement and a doctor or medical practitioner should be consulted as part of any healthcare solution.
CBD Interacts with some prescription Drugs...
It's very important to note here that CBD can interact with certain prescription drugs. CBD inhibits certain enzymes (within the cytochrome P450 enzyme family) located in the liver. When you take prescription drugs that are metabolised by these enzymes, when the enzyme is inhibited by CBD, that can lead to an increased amount of the prescription drug in your system, which then could result in increased therapeutic benefits but also worryingly, it can increase side effects, so timing i.e. leaving sufficient gaps to certain medications, may be highly advised.
With some drugs like warfarin or bisoprolol or certain antibiotics, this can be extremely dangerous, and even if cbd is taken safely, bi-monthly check ups are recommended.
One of the enzymes in this group is responsible for the breakdown of upto 60% of all prescription drugs.
CBD is also a direct agonist of the 5-HT1A receptor in the brain - if you are also taking medication that also has a direct effect on serotonin, it’s also advised that you leave a suitable gap between the medications and CBD.
If you are taking any prescription medication and would like to have clarification on whether what you are taking is safe - please either send us a message by using the "contact us" page of the website here or send us a message over the social media channels below, at the bottom of the article.
If you're interested in learning more, here is a link to a helpful blog here from our friends at Grow Well CBD. You could also speak to a pharmacist who would usually be far more acutely aware of the interaction effects that a GP or Doctor.
The Side Effects of Prescription Drugs, Can CBD Help?
The side effects of prescription drugs however can be wide ranging, extremely damaging and sometimes they can be nothing short of unbearable.
From opiate medications, anti depressants, to chemotherapy patients and even high THC cannabis treatments, studies have shown that CBD has potential to help people feel less side effects.
Common prescription drug side effects that CBD may be able to offer some help with are:
Headaches suggested as demonstrated in this study here
Digestive issues suggested by this study here
Nausea suggested by this study here
Appetite suggested by this study here https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19367510/
Mood swings suggested by this study here
Blurriness or dizziness and also aggressiveness suggested by the study referenced here.
"Pamplona FA, da Silva LR, Coan AC. Potential Clinical Benefits of CBD-Rich Cannabis Extracts Over Purified CBD in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy: Observational Data Meta-analysis [published correction appears in Front Neurol. 2019 Jan 10;9:1050]. Front Neurol. 2018;9:759. Published 2018 Sep 12. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00759"
Tremors suggested by this study here
Drowsiness and Focus suggested by this study here
Fatigue suggested by this study here
Effects of THC by this study here
Insomnia and anxiety by this study here
TCBD opicals (or CBD products that are used on the skin) could also help soothe rashes and hives, as these are also known side effects borne from prescription drugs.
As you can see above, there are lots of side effects that studies suggest CBD could help with.
CBD and Addiction
The most important point to note here is that CBD is not addictive.
CBD actually has the ability to help people wean themselves off prescription drugs, should the prescription drugs they are taking be addictive. This is demonstrated by testimonials from people who have managed to stop taking a variety of drugs such as codeine with the help of CBD, this is shown in this study referenced here
CBD as a supplement has been known to help people to a point where they were able to stop taking prescription drugs altogether, as CBD benefitted them more than the drug they were prescribed. Here is a great example of a story where someone managed to do exactly that. Obviously any reduction of prescribed drugs needs to be discussed with a doctor or pharmacist.
The above certainly paints a picture of help from CBD in relation to prescription drugs rather than hinderance, as long as it is taken in a safe way.
If you are taking prescription drugs and would like to try CBD to help, please speak to us here before you do, so we can outline how to do this safely depending what medication you take.
Thank you,
The Bio Med CBD Team
