Beta Blockers and CBD Oil Interaction

Written by Jason Brett — Edited by Cathy Rozyczko on September 24, 2021 — Reviewed by Ayesha Rashid, PhD

Alone, CBD oil has been shown to lower blood pressure, help manage anxiety, and control inflammation. It’s therefore no wonder that people with heart conditions are trying to find a way to combine CBD oil with their existing medications like beta blockers.

If you’re interested in experiencing the benefits of this cannabinoid but aren’t sure if CBD oil interacts with beta blockers, here you’ll find an overview of what you need to know.

But before getting started, keep in mind the information on this page is meant to serve as an educational tool and should not be substituted for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor before trying CBD oil.

How Does CBD Oil Interact with Beta Blockers?

Like beta blockers, CBD oil lowers blood pressure and improves health in patients whose heart is under strain due to lifestyle factors, medical complications, or both. CBD oil has also been shown to help reduce anxiety, another condition doctors will often prescribe beta blockers for.  

In fact, many people use CBD oil instead of beta blockers because it produces similar benefits at a lower cost and has relatively few side effects. However, if you are already using beta blockers for conditions like hypertension or anxiety and want to explore adding CBD oil into your routine, it’s important to understand how they interact with each other in your body.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is widely considered to be a safe, well-tolerated compound with very few unintended effects. However, because of its inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system in the liver, it should be used cautiously if you take any medication that acts through this pathway, such as beta blockers.

The cytochrome P-450 enzyme system breaks down toxins, including certain medications, for the body to process. CBD oil, along with other natural compounds like those found in grapefruit, has been shown to slow down the activity of this system.

When the P-450 pathway is occupied with something like CBD, your body could take longer to process specific medications. So, if you’re taking beta blockers and CBD oil, it could result in a higher amount of the active ingredient in beta blockers to remain present and unmetabolized in your body for a longer period of time. This increases the likelihood of experiencing the side effects of the medication.

Because CBD oil can inhibit your body’s ability to break down beta blockers, it’s crucial to speak to your doctor before combining the two.

Side Effects of Combining CBD Oil and Beta Blockers

Beta blockers are designed to reduce heart rate by slowing or preventing the release of the stress hormone adrenaline. When effective, beta blockers lower blood pressure and relieve stress on the heart. CBD oil has also been shown to lower blood pressure and could amplify the effects of beta blockers.

If you take the two together, there’s a chance your blood pressure could drop too much, which may cause you to feel tired, lethargic, dizzy, and weak. In extreme cases, you could risk fainting or even going into shock, which is considered a medical emergency.

With two compounds reducing blood pressure, dosages may need to be adjusted for both the beta blocker and CBD oil to achieve the right balance if you decide to combine the two.

CBD Oil for Common Beta Blocker Side Effects

The most common side effects reported among beta blocker users are nausea and fatigue, and while CBD oil could possibly potentiate these effects, it may also help relieve them.

CBD oil has been shown to reduce the experience of nausea across a range of health conditions, from general motion sickness to chemotherapy-induced nausea. Many people also anecdotally report that feelings of nausea are negated by the effects of CBD oil. Therefore, if you feel nauseous after taking beta blockers, CBD oil may be able to help.

CBD is also being researched for its effect on wakefulness. Several studies have found that CBD taken in smaller doses increases wakefulness and alleviates daytime sleepiness caused by factors such as sleep apnea, substance abuse, or certain medications. If you’re experiencing drowsiness or fatigue as a result of your beta blockers, CBD oil in small doses could help.

How to Safely Use CBD Oil with Beta Blockers

When it comes to safely using CBD oil and beta blockers, slow and steady is the way to go. First and foremost, make sure to consult with your primary physician. You can also speak to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in CBD-based medical treatments.

Once you have the “all clear” from your doctor, start by taking a lower dosage of CBD oil than what is suggested on your product’s information leaflet. This will reduce the risk of experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure. 

If you aren’t seeing the beneficial effects of CBD you were expecting, and still feel your blood pressure is at a healthy level, you can gradually increase your dosage. Again, slow and steady wins the race.

Being mindful of how you feel after taking CBD oil with beta blockers will be crucial to ensuring you’re getting the desired results in the safest way possible. Logging your physical and cognitive energy levels on a scale of 1-10 with descriptions may be helpful after taking CBD oil with your beta blockers. If you start to notice your ratings are dropping, you should either reduce your CBD dosage or stop taking it entirely.

Many people find that as their body begins to build a tolerance to CBD oil, they are in a position to phase out the use of beta blockers. You may be able to accomplish this by carefully lowering your beta blocker dosage as you increase your CBD oil dosage. This should, of course, be done under the supervision and guidance of your doctor.

For more information about CBD oil dosage, check out our dosage guide here.

Best CBD Oils to Use with Beta blockers

All CBD oil products are not created equal, and finding the best CBD oil to use with beta blockers requires doing your due diligence. While this may seem to be an overwhelming prospect, it really isn’t so difficult.

First, decide on the method you’d prefer for taking CBD oil. There are a variety of options including capsules, tinctures, edibles, transdermal patches, and vapes. Most people who are new to CBD oil tend to opt for capsules for the familiarity, convenience, and dose consistency. But keep in mind that this method, along with CBD edibles, releases CBD into the body via the digestive system, with some potency lost in the process. A tincture, meanwhile, comes in dropper form and when applied under the tongue, is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Vapes will provide you the fastest-acting but shortest-lasting effects of CBD and are ideal for on-the-go doses. Transdermal patches will provide you with the longest lasting distribution of CBD; however, because it’s a relatively large dose over a long period of time, you will want to be careful about combining this method with beta blockers.

Once you’ve settled on a method, do your research on the product itself. Choose a product which has been organically-grown and third-party laboratory tested. This ensures that the CBD oil is free from harmful pesticides and that its content has been tested without bias. Read any posted Certificates of Analysis to ensure the listed potency of the product is correct, and so you know exactly what is in the final product. If a brand does not post a Certificate of Analysis for the product you’re interested in, ask to see it. If they do not provide one, you should know to shop elsewhere.

To help start with your search, check out our top-rated CBD oil brands.

 

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