Do CBD and antidepressants interact with each other?

Modified on: 02/04/2024

Cbd and antidepressants: what happens if they are taken at the same time

Mixing cannabis and hashish with medication?

Needless to say, this could be very dangerous, especially if one ignores the possible side effects.

That is why in this article we decided to shed some light on a topic that intrigues many: the interaction between CBD and antidepressants.

Can CBD and antidepressants be taken together?

Antidepressants’ is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of different products that use different mechanisms to treat depression.

However, a common feature of all classes of antidepressants is that they are metabolized by the liver before they can start working in the body.

How?

To put it simply, the liver contains several different enzyme systems that facilitate chemical reactions. In particular, one of these systems is the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, which metabolize most drugs, including antidepressants.

You may now ask: “yes, but what does all this have to do with Cannabidiol?”.

You should know that cannabidiol has demonstrated a potent inhibitory action on these enzymes, suggesting that there may be interactions between CBD and antidepressants (if you wish to explore this further, you will find the effects of CBD and sertraline interaction in this guide).

But what kind of interactions are we talking about?

• Does taking CBD and antidepressants together mean that they produce a stronger effect?
• Or, because of this inhibitory mechanism, perhaps they should not be taken at the same time?

Let’s try to answer these questions.

Read also: Sublingual CBD oil: what is the difference with other modes of intake?

What can happen when taking CBD with antidepressants

CBD is a substance that is generally considered safe, but it is always important to be cautious when mixing it with other substances, especially antidepressants.

Because the most common side effects of CBD include lightheadedness, dry mouth, sedation and (rarely) diarrhoea, taking it with other drugs that have similar side effects could increase the likelihood of unwanted symptoms or toxicity.

But there is more.

Taking CBD with substances such as benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antidepressants, or alcohol—may lead to an increase in:

• fatigue;
• drowsiness;
• possible driving accidents.

In short, quite a disaster.

So, in a nutshell, CBD can alter and/or increase the effects of antidepressants.

Since CBD interferes with the liver enzymes that break them down, their interactions may lead to insufficient concentrations of the drug in the body, resulting in a sub-therapeutic effect.

Depending on the type of interaction, CBD can even increase the concentration of the drug in the blood and, as mentioned earlier, increase the risk of side effects.

This is why, if you are taking antidepressants and plan to consume CBD products (e.g. CBD oil), it is essential to consult your doctor to ensure that the drug does not interact with cannabidiol.

Is the form of CBD important in CBD-drug interactions?

Absolutely.

Inhaled CBD enters the bloodstream more quickly, reaching maximum levels within 30 minutes and increasing the chances of acute side effects.

CBD edibles for anxiety need more time to be processed by the digestive system and are less likely to produce high concentration levels.

However, they can reach levels high enough to interact with other drugs.

Topical formulations (defined by the Treccani as ‘administration of a drug or pharmacologically active substance by a local route’) would be considered the safest because they are not absorbed and do not reach the bloodstream, so they cannot interact with other drugs.

Summing up, the problem with estimating the likelihood of CBD-drug interactions is the difficulty in finding safe CBD products, which could cause problems with purity, concentration, or safety.

This is why it is essential to buy only from safe, reliable and professional shops such as Justbob, the CBD shop that for several years now has become a real benchmark for most in the industry.

By deciding to buy from us, you are guaranteed safe products for your health and, above all, in full compliance with Italian regulations.

To find out more, visit our website of Justbob.

Read also: CBD and CBDA: what are the differences?

Conclusions

In this article, we have seen how cannabidiol would interact with antidepressants.

As you may have read, there is no single answer at the moment because this depends on the type of drug and the composition of the CBD product (such as CBD crystals).

In any case, we reiterate that it is essential to consult your doctor and consider the possible side effects of the drug you are taking. Secondly, we recommend that you rely solely on specialized legal marijuana dealers, such as Just Bob.

See you soon!