CBD is like a cool new meme format; everywhere you turn, you see it. Famous athletes are praising its effectiveness in helping them deal with pain. Company executives are looking to invest in CBD, and celebrities are talking about it on the red carpet. Scientists are continually researching CBD to discover a new way to use it.
Most proponents of CBD prefer to gloss over the side effects of CBD, but we won’t do that. We are dedicated to providing you with the most accurate and up to date information on CBD, and this includes telling you about any possible side effects. So strap in and prepare for an exciting ride through the dark underbelly of CBD.
Dry Mouth
One of the side effects reported by nearly everyone who uses CBD is a dry mouth. If you’ve ever experienced it, then you know how excruciatingly uncomfortable it feels.
CBD users aren’t the only ones who are affected by dry mouth. Most people who use cannabis products have reported experiencing dry mouth. This made us curious, and we went digging to find out if there’s a scientific explanation for the phenomena.
What’s the science behind this?
We found our answers in a study published in 2006. The study found that the submandibular gland, the gland responsible for producing more than 60% of your saliva, contains cannabinoid receptors. When cannabinoids interact with these cannabinoid receptors, it leads to a reduction in the amount of saliva produced. This is what causes the dryness.
How can you manage it?
The easiest way to manage dry mouth is by drinking lots of water before and after you use CBD. The good thing about this is that there are a lot of benefits to drinking water, so it’s a win-win.
Drowsiness
While most people who use CBD won’t experience drowsiness, a significant number will. This is because the effects of CBD differ from one person to another.
While research is yet to be done on why some people experience drowsiness when using CBD, anecdotal reports show a link between high doses of CBD and drowsiness.
What to do if you experience drowsiness
If using CBD makes you drowsy, the odds are that you are using a higher dosage than your body can handle. You should consider reducing the dosage to see whether the drowsiness wears off. You should also consider changing the type of CBD you use.
You should also avoid operating any heavy machinery when you feel drowsy.
Find out how CBD CAN help by checking out “CBD Oil & Breastfeeding: Here’s What You Should Know” for all you mothers out there.
Gastrointestinal issues
A large number of people who used CBD reported that they experienced digestive problems when they used CBD. These issues include diarrhea, change in appetite, and weight.
This is a common issue, and it was even noted by a group of researchers in a study published in 2017.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers were focused on studying the safety and side effects of CBD oil. The subjects of the study were patients with psychotic disorders and epilepsy. Most of the subjects of the study reported experiencing some gastrointestinal discomfort after using CBD oil. However, the discomfort was less than if they had used conventional medicine.
Fatigue
Fatigue is another common side effect of CBD. CBD users who have experienced fatigue describe it as a feeling of tiredness even if they haven’t done anything.
This is one of the most curious side effects of CBD. We consider it curious because a large number of people use CBD to manage their chronic fatigue, yet fatigue is one of CBD’s side effects.
For now, we’ll chalk it up to the fact that different people will have a different reaction to CBD. However, more research needs to be done to understand this phenomenon.
Be sure to also take a look at “5 Ways CBD Oil Can Benefit Your Sex Life” to improve some home life at your house.
Lower Blood Pressure
One of the biggest questions surrounding CBD is its effect on blood pressure. Some people claimed that it lowered it, while others claimed that it raised it. A group of researchers came together to study the issue, and they published their results in 2017.
The study showed that using CBD could lower a person’s blood pressure. While this is good news for people who suffer from high blood pressure, it’s terrible news for people who suffer from low blood pressure.
It’s terrible for people with low blood pressure because using CBD might make their condition worse. People with low blood pressure often feel lightheaded a few minutes after using CBD. If you feel lightheaded, experts advise that you should drink a cup of coffee.
Another symptom of low blood pressure is fatigue, and this might explain why some people feel fatigued after using CBD.
Can Aggravate Some Conditions
One of the most severe side effects of CBD is that it can aggravate some conditions, particularly movement disorders. This particular side effect was the focus of a study published online in 2009.
During the study, five volunteers with well documented dystonic movement disorders were given a dose of CBD for six weeks. During the 1st week, the volunteers were given 100mg of CBD a day. By the 6th week, the dosage had risen to 600mg a day. Apart from CBD, the patients were also given conventional medication.
After six weeks, the researchers found that in some patients, the movement disorder had improved by 50%. Among other patients, it had grown by only 20%
However, the symptoms of 2 patients who had Parkinson’s disease got worse when the dosage exceeded 300mg a day. Apart from the regular side effects of using CBD, the patients experienced increased resting tremors and hypokinesia. This indicates that using CBD could make the symptoms of Parkinson’s worse.
Interaction with medicines
For most people who use CBD, this is the side effect that they are most afraid of. Although researchers have determined that you can safely use CBD with most drugs, some have an adverse reaction with CBD.
This is problematic because it is challenging to keep track of which drugs interact with CBD and which ones don’t. Because of this, most experts would advise that you do not use CBD alongside any medication. However, you can use them if you are sure that medicine and CBD will not react.
Although CBD has a lot of benefits, at the end of the day, it’s still a compound. This means that it will have some side effects if you introduce it to the body. Before you use CBD, you should determine whether the benefits are worth the side effects. Only you can do this as CBD reacts differently from person to person.
Thank you for reading! Need some tips on seeing how to take your CBD oil? Be sure to check out some of our related pieces like “How to Flavor CBD Oil And Make it Tastier” or “CBD Oil & Tincture: Differences, Uses & More“.
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