The interaction of CBD with various other drugs has always been a concern among people. Even though this compound does not cause any problems with most of the other prescription medications, it is found to interact with certain drugs thereby leading to harmful effects in the human body. Therefore, it is important for you to be careful when using CBD with other drugs.
CBD is found to have potential antidepressant properties. Therefore, a lot of people are using CBD for depression and various other problems resulting from it. However, many people are worried about the interactions of CBD with other antidepressant drugs. There is a great possibility for CBD to interact with these drugs thereby leading to severe health impacts. So you should be aware of the risks associated with CBD and antidepressants before taking them together. Hence, we examine the impacts created by the combination of antidepressants and CBD for your knowledge.
Can CBD Interact With Antidepressants
CBD is generally considered safe for use, as it is free of severe side effects. In addition to this, it can relieve anxiety, stress, etc. and encourages relaxation in people. These properties of CBD make it a wonderful natural cure for a large number of common mental health conditions like depression.
However, when CBD is taken with certain antidepressant drugs, it is found to create some adverse reactions. These problems are generally caused by the inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 system in the liver by CBD. This system is responsible for breaking down medications so that your body can easily process them.
But CBD will slow down this system thereby affecting the processing of various drugs by the human body. When the activity of this specific system is inhibited, certain drugs, like tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors will remain in the system for more time thereby increasing the risk of side effects. Hence, when CBD is taken with these medications, there is a great possibility for you to experience side effects when compared to taking these drugs alone.
However, these particular impacts are not common for all antidepressants. Even though certain other antidepressant medications like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) also utilize the same pathway, there is no proof to suggest that CBD adversely affects these drugs.
Safely Taking CBD With Antidepressants
Before you take CBD with other antidepressants, it is important to ask your doctor regarding its safety. Also, if you are planning to use CBD with antidepressants or wish to replace other medications with this compound, then make sure to start with low dosages to reduce the chance of unwanted effects.
If you experience any side effects when using CBD alone or with other antidepressants, it is better to stop its use and seek the help of your doctor to find out if you can use it again.