CBD is more popular in recent years because of its wide range of therapeutic effects and ability to effectively relieve a range of symptoms while being safe and having fewer side effects. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC) and the other most abundant cannabinoids found in cannabis plants, CBD is not toxic or psychoactive. For many people, taking cannabis extracts with high THC levels is undesirable, but unavoidable. As people learn more about CBD, more and more countries are beginning to release restrictions on its use.
CBD is well known and widely used to treat such as epilepsy, but has also been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms of other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, Parkinson's disease, Crohn's disease and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease, as well as certain types of cancer. We know these, however, those are for medical professors, how about more? Is CBD safe to use individually?
The vast scientific studies have shown that CBD oil is safe to use alone. However, CBD is a powerful compound and very active that can interact with a variety of systems in the body. As a result, CBD not only shows potential as a powerful therapeutic agent, but can also become less benign when taken with other substances, such as pharmaceutical drugs.
CBD metabolism is like food that has to go through the process, and therapeutic compounds like CBD undergo pharmacometabolism as drugs. Drug metabolism refers to the rate at which drugs and other therapeutic compounds are broken down by the body into individual metabolites, and the time those metabolites stay in the body. When CBD is taken orally in oil, tincture, capsule, or edible form, it must pass through the digestive system and enter the bloodstream through the intestines for systemic circulation.
However, as a powerful chemical, CBD can interact with other pharmaceutical chemicals to affect the rate at which drugs are metabolized in the body, simply, how long they stay in the body. In addition, some studies have shown that CBD molecules in the body also have active chemical reactions with enzymes. When CBD binds to sites where enzyme activity occurs, it acts as a "competitive inhibitor", replacing its chemical competitors and preventing the CYP system from metabolizing other compounds.
How successful it is in competition with other drugs depends on several factors, but mainly the amount of CBD entering the bloodstream. If not a lot, the effect on CYP activity will be minimal to nonexistent, and most of the drug will be metabolized. On the other hand, if you take a large dose of CBD, it binds to more of the enzyme's active sites, leaving more of the other drugs unmetabolized.
When the body's systems are affected by CBD in this way, it both alters the metabolism of certain other drugs and blocks the metabolism. When this happens, it can make other drug compounds to stay in the body at the same time.
At least, these elevated concentrations can cause unwanted side effects, such as increased risk of bleeding or suppression of the immune system, but more worryingly, it can easily lead to overdoses.
Therefore, it is vital to consult your doctor or treating physician before using any CBD oil or product during medicine times to ensure CBD safe usage. Your doctor will not only be able to advise you on possible interactions between CBD and medications, but also monitor the effects and side effects of CBD oil and medications you are taking. Similarly, your doctor can help you adjust the dose of both medication and CBD so you can take both at the same time and safely.
