Cannabidiol CBD side effects

Mar 07, 2021

CBD products - made from the cannabis plant called cannabidiol - are very popular right now. They can be purchased online or at retail outlets. While companies make general claims about how CBD works, the truth is that there isn't much definitive scientific evidence yet. Here is the current body of knowledge about the side effects of CBD and its effectiveness in treating chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep issues.

How your body reacts to CBD

First of all, the only Cannabidol product that has been approved by the ANSM is Epidiolex, a seizure medication for children with rare seizure disorders.

epidiolex cbd side effect

For this reason, most of what we know about CBD side effects comes from clinical trials of Epidiolex. In these studies, the most common side effects were drowsiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, increased liver enzymes, rash.

Do not generalize the side effects of cannabidiol

However, "this cannot necessarily be generalized to a larger population," says Dr. Ryan Vandrey, a professor in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

“Children in these studies were typically taking many other medications, so the side effects observed would not necessarily translate to a healthy adult. They also took unusually high doses of Epidiolex, far more than the typical person uses for anxiety or pain.

The CBD you buy aren't the same either, which means side effects can vary, points out Maureen Leehey, MD, director of the Department of Movement Disorders at the University of Colorado School. of Medicine in Denver, CO.

There is the issue of dosage differences. You can take 5, 10 or 20 mg of CBD at a time, while the person taking Epidiolex takes up to 20 mg/day per kilogram of body weight (1360 mg/day for a person weighing 70 Kg). Dr. Leehey says CBD at low doses is very well tolerated with few side effects.

How CBD Interacts With Medication

CBD has the potential to interact with other medications, which can lead to side effects. "We don't fully understand the extent of these interactions at this point," says Vandrey, "but CBD appears to have an effect on the metabolism of several other drug classes."

Studies of Epidiolex have shown significant drug interactions, according to Dr. Leehey. Since CBD is metabolized by the liver, it tends to interfere with the effects of other medications that are also metabolized by the liver, such as certain antidepressants, blood thinners, benzodiazepines, and other seizure medications.

"There are two specific liver enzymes that CBD will work through, so if another drug you're taking also works through those enzymes, that drug may be more or less potent," he explains.

The same goes for how these drugs metabolized by the liver affect CBD - they can make CBD more or less potent.

Both experts agree that it's important to talk to your doctor before using CBD, especially if you're taking other medications, because there's so much potential for drug interactions.

Cannabidiol But does it work?

Much of what we know about CBD's effectiveness in treating chronic pain and helping you sleep is anecdotal, says Vandrey. "Maybe it helps, but we need proof."

And while some studies have shown that CBD can significantly reduce social anxiety, "additionally, we still lack good quality data on how to assess its effects on anxiety," says Vandrey.

Without solid research to back it up, Dr. Leehey doesn't recommend using CBD for anxiety or sleep conditions, and says it's expensive for what you get out of it.

But if you're still curious to try CBD, here's what Dr. Leehey says to look for:

For sleep, try a CBD product of around 10mg. Take it at bedtime for 10 days and see if it helps. Otherwise, stop.

If you want to try CBD for anxiety, consider increasing your dose gradually over the month (one dose takes about 6-8 hours).

Start with 5 mg of oil twice a day for several days, then increase to 10 mg twice a day.

After that, try 10mg three times a day, slowly increasing to a maximum of 25mg three times a day over the course of a month.

Stay on this maximum dose for another month and see if it is beneficial. If this does not solve the problem, reduce the dose in half a week, then reduce it by half for a week, then stop it.

Proceed carefully and gradually

"Anything purchased except this ANSM-approved product carries risk. And quality assurance is questionable for many of these products."

There are studies, including one in which Vandrey participated, that repeatedly show that the dosing accuracy of CBD products is not very good.

These studies have shown that many products also contain contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides. “You have to be a bit concerned about what you're getting from a quality perspective and also from a dosing accuracy perspective,” he says.

Claims for the effectiveness of CBD products

may also be exaggerated at the moment. "I'm not saying they're not safe, I'm not saying they're not effective, but I'm saying whenever you're evaluating safety or effectiveness, it has to be done for a specific product. "says Vandrey" In other words, while Epidiolex has been evaluated for its safety and effectiveness, it does not mean that all CBD products work the same way or even contain the same amount of CBD.

For example, researchers in a study Vandrey participated in purchased 84 CBD products online that allegedly contained the same amount of CBD. They found that 26% of the products contained less CBD than their labels claimed, 43% had more CBD, and only 31% had the amount of CBD stated on the label.

In summary :

If you decide to try CBD products even if you don't have a specific medical condition, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first.

This is especially true if you take other medications, including over-the-counter medications or supplements. Your pharmacist is also a good source of information about potential drug interactions. It is better to be zealous when it comes to your health.