Will a CBD Topical Interfere With Medication?

CBD products have provided many users a sense of relief for a variety of reasons and ailments. However, CBD will not work well if it is not taken properly. There is more to using a CBD product than just popping it in your mouth or applying it to your skin. You should do plenty of research into the source of your CBD and the method used to extract this plant compound from hemp. You should also check with your doctor before using any CBD product on a regular basis. CBD is known to interact with certain common medications and supplements, and have unintended side effects. Read on to learn more about these potential interactions and what will happen when you combine a CBD topical with your daily medication or vitamins.

What Are The Potential Benefits of CBD?

Despite the potential of drug interactions, there are people who take CBD products to relieve a variety of symptoms or ailments. When CBD is taken orally and ingested, it enters your bloodstream and interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system in a variety of ways. These interactions can lead to relief of the symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, epilepsy, and even more that researchers are still looking into. There is a lot to still be learned about CBD, but plenty of anecdotal testimonies about the benefits people have already experienced.

When applied as a topical though, CBD only sinks in skin deep and interacts with receptors within the body on this level instead. In this way, CBD topicals can help relieve skin level inflammation in scrapes, burns, acne, and sore muscles. But most CBD topicals will not enter your bloodstream, which is a key fact to keep in mind when it comes to CBD interacting with other medication.

How Does CBD Interact With Other Medication?

A “drug interaction” according to the FDA, can make drugs less effective, cause unexpected side effects, or increase the action of a drug. This can occur when you take more than one medication or supplement at a time. It is also why your list of current medications and supplements is a common question found on healthcare paperwork. Unintended side effects can happen when some medications are combined, which can potentially cause harm in the long run.

When CBD is ingested into the body and enters your bloodstream, it has the potential to interact with any other medication or supplements in your body. It also has a list of both potentially beneficial and unintentional side effects. CBD may cause users to feel drowsy, lightheaded, nauseous, or experience diarrhea or dry mouth. Also, when any drugs that provide similar effects as CBD are combined with CBD, they may increase these unwanted effects. When ingested, CBD is competing with other enzymes in your liver to be broken down in your body. If your liver is overloaded with enzymes, then they may interfere with each other and lead to too much or too little CBD making it into your body. The general rule of thumb is that any medication that has the “grapefruit warning” on it should not be mixed with CBD because it could cause a drug interaction. However, the safest method is to speak with your healthcare provider before taking CBD on a regular basis.

How Does a CBD Topical Interact With Other Medication?

However, as mentioned before, CBD topicals work a little differently with the body than when CBD is taken orally or inhaled. When inhaled, CBD can reach the bloodstream within thirty minutes. But when CBD is ingested with edibles or mixed tinctures, it can take as long as a few hours to be absorbed by your body and for you to start feeling the effects. However, CBD topicals can have effects immediately and only affect your skin cells. When applied as a topical, CBD may not reach your bloodstream. It therefore has little to no risk of interacting with other medications you might be taking or have in your system. This can include over-the-counter medication, herbal products, and prescription medications. So, it might be safe to assume that a CBD topical will be safe to combine with any other health regimen our prescription you have, but it is always safest to check with your doctor first.

When ingested, it is important to avoid combining CBD with any drugs that could potentially cause a drug interaction. CBD is intended to provide relief, and this cannot be accomplished with the risk of causing drug interactions with your current prescriptions or daily supplements. When using a CBD topical such as a lotion, balm, slave, or chapstick though you should be pretty safe to combine it with your daily medication. But we aren’t medical professionals and you should always check with one first!

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