CBD may interact with different medications. It may alter their metabolism, affect various organs, and more. Therefore, before taking CBD, it is vital to understand what drugs should not be taken with CBD.

There are many kinds of CBD and drug interactions. However, the two most common types are CBD may interfere with other drugs’ metabolism. Or CBD may alter the activity of some drugs. Of course, in most cases, both things might happen.

But before we move on and discuss more about CBD and drug interactions. It is vital to understand that CBD vape pens are not likely to cause any significant issues- it is not likely to interact with drugs.

This is simply because CBD and drug interaction depend on CBD dosage intake. However, the safest CBD vapes contain very little CBD. This means such interactions are only likely to occur if someone ingests massive dosages of CBD.

CBD and Drug Metabolism

The primary reason why CBD may interact with drugs is that it is metabolized in the liver. It uses pathways of metabolism used by medications. Therefore, taking CBD at high dosages, like CBD-based medications, would interfere with drug metabolism.

The end result of this interference is higher drug concentration. It means that drug concentration increases in blood and may even remain in blood for longer. Of course, in most cases, that may not have much significance. Nevertheless, it is worth knowing.[1]

If you are taking medications like sildenafil (Viagra), anti-histamines/anti-allergy, haloperidol (anti-psychotic, drugs to treat HIV, and statins like atorvastatin, then remember that CBD increases their concentration.[1]

Some drugs are known to stimulate liver enzymes, like phenobarbital, rifampicin, and phenytoin. Thus, using CBD along with these drugs would fasten CBD’s clearance from the body. This isn’t essentially bad for health, but it is something worth knowing.

CBD also increases the concentration of stimulants like caffeine and theophylline, something worth knowing.[2]

Though CBD may interfere with the metabolism of many drugs, especially those metabolized in the liver, these issues occur when using CBD at higher dosages. However, CBD vapes provide very minute amounts of CBD, unlike CBD-based medications that use several hundred milligrams of CBD. Hence, the practical significance of these interactions is unclear.

Nonetheless, one can confidently say that if you do not overdose on CBD vapes, chances are slim that any considerable interactions between CBD and drug metabolism would occur.

CBD and Drug Action

Another way in which CBD may interact with drugs is to potentiate their action. For example, vaping CBD and consuming alcohol may increase relaxation and sedation. Similarly, if you take sedatives, CBD may potentiate their actions.

People should be careful not to overdose on CBD when taking medications that cause sedation or influence mood. Thus, one should be careful using CBD when taking anxiolytic drugs or antidepressants.

Though there is no evidence that CBD causes anything severe, it is better to take precautions. It is worth understanding that medicine has not studied everything. Many things are still not known to science.

The Bottom Line

So, what do we make of all the above information? What drugs should not be taken with CBD?

Well, it would be correct to say that if you vape as recommended, you do not essentially need to adjust the dosage of any drug. This is because these interactions occur when someone takes CBD at very high dosages. CBD medications and vapes differ.

In practice, it is almost not possible to significantly overdose on vaping. Suppose you do not take more than 70-100 mg daily CBD or do not take more than 100-200 puffs of CBD vapes a day; chances are that no relevant CBD-drug interaction would occur.

Of course, if you drink alcohol and vape, you might experience greater sedation. However, there is not much to worry about. Similarly, if you take anxiolytic drugs or antidepressants, CBD vaping may potentiate their action a bit.

Nonetheless, it is vital to understand that some drugs may interact with CBD. If you are taking medications, especially for managing mental health issues, avoiding overdosing on CBD is vital. Sharing this information with your doctor is also a good idea, as sometimes unexpected interactions between various substances may occur. Similarly, it would be better to avoid mixing CBD with medications if living with severe liver disease.