The Possible Side Effects of CBD

The healthcare sector is all about CBD nowadays.  It is used in an extensive range of health products as it is believed to have various medical benefits.

However, some people have reported that CBD can affect your health unfavorably. So, it is recommended to keep its potential side effects in mind before you start consuming CBD. 

Still, more research needs to be done to determine whether CBD has any side effects. 

It is also said that the side effects of CBD may vary from person to person. This means it could be possible that your friend experiences nausea after consuming CBD, but you feel completely fine. Or, in most cases, better than before.

So, what are the possible side effects of CBD? Will you experience it? Are they mild or severe?

In this article, we will answer all your questions regarding the potential side effects of CBD and whether or not you will experience them. 

Common Side Effects of CBD

Despite CBD’s multiple benefits for your health, it also has some side effects. Nevertheless, most of them are mild and may not affect every person using them.  

The most common side effects of CBD include:

Nausea

People who ingest CBD through supplements may suffer from nausea in a few cases. 

However, the intensity may depend on how sensitive you are and the amount of CBD supplements consumed. 

Since CBD is available in several different forms, such as oils, sprays, patches, tinctures, or vapors, it is essential to know what amount should be consumed for each of them. 

Drowsiness

CBD can make you enjoy a good night’s sleep and help you combat insomnia.

However, a common side effect of using CBD includes sedation and drowsiness resulting from excessive CBD doses.

This effect can reduce your alertness, hence making driving difficult for you.

You can avoid this trouble if you manage your schedule and use CBD at night or before bed.

Besides, the effects may not be too strong if you use CBD alone. But they can progress if you consume CBD alongside other sedating medications. 

On the contrary, physicians consider this a benefit since it makes sedation more effective. 

Gastrointestinal Issues

If you have a medical history of GI diseases, CBD may cause diarrhea or other liver problems.

Therefore, careful examination is recommended before you use CBD. 

These issues may vary from person to person, depending on their overall health. 

If you experience loose stools after using CBD products, there is a chance that you are overdosing.

We recommend you consult your doctor first to know the best effective dose for yourself.

Dry Mouth

Also known as ‘cotton mouth,’ CBD can cause your eyes and mouth to feel dry.

Do you often experience a dry mouth after using CBD? If so, then you are not alone.

Although the side effect mainly occurs with THC, CBD can produce similar results.

However, you can take countermeasures to avoid oral dryness, such as:

• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, hydrating liquids, and herbal teas
• Try to increase saliva production by consuming hard candies, lollipops, or toothpaste
• Chew gums
• Eat juicy fruits
• Avoid salty, spicy, or dry food

Interaction With Other Medicines

CBD tends to interact with several medications you might use for other health conditions.

Your body contains Cytochrome (CYP450) enzymes, which break down specific drugs to release their effects.

Unfortunately, CBD tends to interrupt this enzyme’s normal working process. It causes some drugs to produce either more potent or weaker effects than expected.

For example, some medications that may interact with CBD are:

• Medications that can cause drowsiness (antipsychotics, benzodiazepines)
• Antidepressants (such as fluoxetine or Prozac)
• Heart medications (some calcium channel blockers)
• Macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin, clarithromycin)

We recommend you consult your doctor to know your best consumable dose.

You may also discuss your current medications to understand whether CBD will interact with them.

Can You Use CBD During Pregnancy?

You might be guessing why pregnant women are looking to use CBD. 

Despite a few potential side effects, which are manageable and can be countered, CBD has a long list of health benefits.

Being motivated by the number of advantages CBD can provide, pregnant women want to use CBD to relieve nausea, ease discomfort, symptoms of anxiety, sleeplessness, mood swings, and fatigue caused by their ongoing hormonal changes.

However, experts and professionals believe that neuron development in the fetus can be potentially affected if CBD is consumed during pregnancy. 

This is why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends women not consume CBD during their pregnancy or breastfeeding period.

Is it Safe to Use CBD?

CBD is available in the market in multiple forms. From coffee add-ins to CBD-infused bath bombs, you can quickly get your hands on the drug.

However, there are a few safety concerns with CBD-related products. To this date, most CBD products are unregulated, which leads us to question if a product is as effective as it promises.

Nevertheless, a study conducted in 2017 reports that a significant amount of CBD products sold online were labeled correctly.

Still, that doesn’t mean you don’t research on your own. 

Tips to Buy Cannabidiol Safely

There are thousands of CBD products available in the market. But the question is, which ones are safe to use?

Some products claiming CBD as their crucial ingredient may contain more than 0.3% THC.

THC can cause psychedelic effects like making you feel high or causing dependency on the substance.

So, how can you buy CBD safely? Here are some tips for finding CBD oil in the market:

• Buy American CBD oil, as domestically produced oil might be safer
  
  
• Prefer brands certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  
  This way, you can be less likely to get exposed to pesticides or other harmful chemicals.
  
  
• Read every product’s label carefully. You should never trust any product to be natural unless it is verified.
  
  Therefore, try reading the description to look for any added flavorings, preservatives, or thinning agents you may not need or want
  
  
• Avoid vape products with propylene glycol. It is a solvent present in concentrated oils of CBD vapes.
  
  When burned at high temperatures, the solvent increases your risk of asthma. To avoid this, you can consider buying CBD vapes advertised as “solvent-free oils.”

If you can not recognize a specific ingredient listed, ask it professionals or search it online. 

Is it Legal to Consume Cannabidiol? 

CBD is obtainable in most parts of the U.S. without any difficulty or hindrance; however, the legal status of CBD is still unclear to us and remains in flux.

CBD is legalized in all 50 states of the U.S., with laws having varying levels of restrictions. 

For example, the FDA moderated the regulatory requirements in December 2015 to allow researchers to conduct CBD trials. 

In contrast, in 2018, hemp was made legal by the Farm Bill, which resulted in it being virtually impossible to keep CBD illegal.

For instance, you can keep apples legally, but keeping apple juice is illegal.

What Dose of CBD Should You Take?

There is still no prescribed or recommended dose for the consumption of CBD. 

Since effective doses vary among individuals, the suitable amount of CBD may also depend on the purpose of using CBD.

In addition, some factors are also kept in consideration, such as body weight, ability to tolerate CBD, etc.

Further research is required to unfold the exact dose effective for use. For the time being, an average CBD dose of 200 mg is considered safe.

We recommend you not to exceed this amount and take advice from your doctor before using it.

Final Thoughts

Even though CBD has some side effects in certain situations, it still prevails in the market as an effective drug with tremendous health benefits.

Some benefits are awe-inspiring and bring us hope, as CBD can become a significant discovery in the medical world.

The best thing to do is take CBD in calculated and monitored doses. You can start using it slowly and then gradually increase it. Not to forget, you must take CBD to form a trusted source. 

Moreover, before using CBD, consult your doctor if the medications you’re taking can interact with the compound or not. Remember to practice countermeasures to stay on the safe side.

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