You’re ready to try CBD. You’ve hit the point where you’re curious enough, or desperate enough, or educated enough to try it.
Congratulations!
There’s just one thing you need to know before you dive in:
While CBD is incredibly safe, it can interact with other medications you’re currently taking.
The Grapefruit Warning
Has your doctor told you to avoid grapefruit juice while taking your current medications? If so, CBD may not be for you (for now).
CBD, like grapefruit, interacts with certain medications in a way that can be dangerous. Forbes explains this effect well:
The reason for the warning is that grapefruit contains compounds called furanocoumarins that bind with and effectively neutralize enzymes in the gut (specifically a type called CYP450 enzymes), which help break down and eliminate drugs from the body. When these enzymes can’t do their job, too much of the drug enters the liver and flows unprocessed into the bloodstream. That elevates risk of having dangerously high levels of the drug in your system.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2019/06/30/what-cbd-and-grapefruit-have-in-common-when-it-comes-to-drug-interactions-risks-you-should-know/#539f6f8c719d
When should I avoid CBD?
From Drugs.com, “Examples of some of the most common grapefruit or grapefruit juice drug interactions include:”
- alprazolam
- amiodarone
- atorvastatin
- carbamazepine
- cilostazol
- clarithromycin
- colchicine
- dronedarone
- erythromycin
- felodipine
- fentanyl
- fentanyl transdermal system
- fexofenadine
- indinavir
- loratadine
- losartan
- lovastatin
- nilotinib
- pazopanib
- pimozide
- ranolazine
- saquinavir
- sildenafil
- simvastatin
- tadalafil
- vardenafil
- verapamil
While we’re big fans of CBD here at Holden Farms, we’re even bigger fans of health. Please be safe as you determine whether CBD is right for you!