CBD has gained a lot of popularity for its health benefits. It has been recommended as a remedy for many health conditions, mostly as a supplement. It is important to understand the effect CBD has when used in combination with other medications. Antibiotics are widely prescribed as medication for several ailments. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the interaction between CBD and antibiotics.
There is a key component of the body system (in the liver) at the center of the synthesis of drugs and toxins. This component is the Cytochrome P-450 enzyme. This enzyme facilitates the metabolic process undergone by toxins in the body (similar to a purification system) with the help of 50 other enzymes. The Cytochrome P-450 system synthesizes the drugs that we ingest. The body is at great risk from the toxic content of drugs in the absence of this system. Antibiotics among other drugs interact with the cytochrome P-450 system to metabolize. The duration of metabolism varies depending on the type of drug. CBD is capable of inhibiting the cytochrome P-450 system, changing the metabolic process of drugs like antibiotics in the system. The Cytochrome P-450 enzyme exhibits a sort of preference for CBD over antibiotics in the process of metabolism, leaving antibiotics laying idly in the body system until CBD metabolizes. This may result in the inefficiency of antibiotics and possibly overdose due to the delay in metabolism.
However, the possibility of CBD hindering antibiotic metabolism is not an exclusive phenomenon. The duo may be consumed and yield beneficial effects, but it may put much pressure on the liver in the long term. The bottom line is to seek medical counsel from a physician before exploring the combination of CBD and antibiotics.