Can CBD Oil Be Taken With Cymbalta? Here’s What Happens
Posted by Prescription Hope - See Editorial Guidelines (Last Updated On: Mon Jul 10 2023)
If you’re asking can CBD oil be taken with Cymbalta, then you’re not alone. The use of CBD in oil, and other forms, has become more prevalent in recent years.
So, it’s not surprising that those taking Cymbalta are looking to understand its interactions with CBD products.
In this article, we’ve outlined what each does, how they work, and whether CBD oil can be taken with Cymbalta – and if so, when and how. Here’s a summary to give you a brief overview.
Can CBD oil be taken with Cymbalta? In general, CBD oil should not be taken with Cymbalta as it can intensify side effects in relation to cognitive process and motor skills. In severe cases, this can lead to serotonin syndrome and liver failure. Some see most side effects as moderate, and doctors can prescribe both.
With that brief takeaway to give you a clear overview of the answer, it’s important to help you become familiar with both these medications and their side effects.
Only through this will it be easier to grasp why CBD oil can or cannot be taken with Cymbalta.
Cymbalta, CBD, and their side effects
In the lead-up to a more comprehensive answer, we’re going to recap on the significance of both Cymbalta and CBD and discover the similarities in which each operates and how both affect the body.
Cymbalta
Cymbalta is an SNRI antidepressant. SNRI stands for serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.
What this medication essentially does is block serotonin and norepinephrine from being reabsorbed into your neurons.
Duloxetine is the main active ingredient of Cymbalta.
Cymbalta is used to treat:
- Major depressive disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Pain caused by diabetic neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis pain
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain
The common side effects of Cymbalta include:
- Dry mouth
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Tiredness and drowsiness
- Increased sweating
- Increased blood pressure
Here’s the easiest and best way to get Cymbalta.
CBD
CBD stands for cannabidiol. CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut or hemp seed oil.
While CBD is an essential component of the “marijuana plant,” it is derived from the hemp plant. Both plants belong to the same species, but the hemp plant contains 0.3 percent or less THC. Therefore, CBD does not contain THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
CBD oil is used to treat:
- Anxiety and depression
- Insomnia
- Chronic pain
- Arthritis or joint pain
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Lung conditions
- Sleep disorders
- Nausea
- Cancer
- Allergies or asthma
- Migraine
- Cluster and other headaches
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
Common side effects of CBD oil include:
- Dry mouth
- Diarrhea
- Weak appetite
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Liver inflammation
- Mood changes
- Decrease in alertness.
Can CBD oil be taken with Cymbalta – the general view
As you can see, both CBD oil and Cymbalta are used for treating similar medical conditions, and equally, they exhibit many similar side effects.
So, essentially, if CBD oil is taken with Cymbalta, the side effects of each other could be magnified, resulting in more severe adverse reactions.
In scientific terms, when both these drugs interact, they can cause problems related to cognitive and motor function.
Cognitive problems include confusion, impaired judgment, concentration problems, and difficulty in thinking. Motor function problems include dizziness and impaired coordination.
Special circumstances
Some consider the side effects of taking CBD oil with Cymbalta – and their interactions – to be moderate.
It is also believed that doctors can recommend CBD oil to be taken with Cymbalta under special circumstances.
This is in situations in which your healthcare provider decides the benefits would likely outweigh the risk.
However, if such a combination is provided, your healthcare provider will need to closely monitor your side effects to ensure you are not at risk of severe adverse reactions.
To help you, here are the important questions you need to ask when getting a prescription.
So, from the perspective of absolute safety, CBD oil should not be taken with Cymbalta, as magnified side effects from taking both together can cause other potentially severe issues too, which we’ll cover below…
What happens if you take CBD oil with Cymbalta?
There are three main negative outcomes of taking CBD oil with Cymbalta. Below are those three outcomes in the order of least to most severe.
1. Intensified side effects
As we mentioned earlier, the primary negative result of taking CBD oil with Cymbalta is intensified side effects.
In this scenario, 80% of all pharmaceutical products are broken down in the liver. This action is performed by a group of enzymes called Cytochrome P450 (CYP450).
It’s the liver that breaks down both Cymbalta and the cannabinoids like CBD oil and THC.
This naturally means that when CBD oil is taken with Cymbalta, both of these compounds will compete for the enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP450) in your liver for breaking them down and metabolizing them.
This means that there is a slower rate of metabolizing them. Thus, the effect of each compound is longer and more potent.
The result of this could be exacerbated side effects.
2. Serotonin syndrome
Cymbalta specifically is a serotonin inhibitor that blocks serotonin from being absorbed into your system.
In safe doses, the blockage helps Cymbalta treat the conditions for which it’s been prescribed.
It’s believed that when you add a new drug to your regimen with Cymbalta or when you increase the dose of Cymbalta, it can easily cause “serotonin syndrome.”
Serotonin syndrome is when you have too much serotonin in your system, which could cause a range of side effects.
Some of these side effects include:
- Agitation or restlessness
- Confusion
- Rapid heart rate and high blood pressure
- Dilated pupils
- Loss of muscle coordination or twitching muscles
- Muscle rigidity
- Heavy sweating
- Diarrhea
3. Liver failure
This is the final and the most severe risk of taking CBD oil with Cymbalta. Liver failure results in loss of liver functions.
One main reason for liver failure includes overwhelming your liver function by combining medications or supplements like CBD oil and Cymbalta.
Liver failure occurs when your liver cells are damaged and they can no longer perform due to exhaustion.
Symptoms of liver failure include:
- Nausea
- Malaise (general sense of feeling unwell)
- Sleepiness
- Abdominal swelling
- Jaundice (yellowing of your skin and eyeballs)
- Vomiting
- Disorientation
See also, can CBD oil lower Triglycerides.
Exceptions for taking CBD oil with Cymbalta
Some believe that you can replace Cymbalta with CBD oil – and vice versa.
However, this is not scientifically proven and should only be undertaken through consultation with your healthcare provider.
To mitigate against potential problems, some also opt for methods such as:
- Space out the time between taking CBD oil and Cymbalta (1 – 3 hours generally). This will prevent the drugs from overlapping with the effects of one another.
- Microdose your cannabis therapy treatment. This is to practice taking the minimal amount of a given substance to achieve your desired results.
- Slowly increase your cannabis therapy dosage over time. This is where you take your regular dose of Cymbalta and then slowly increase only the intake of CBD oil until the point you feel it’s tolerable or doesn’t reflect intense side effects.
- Find and consult with a pro-cannabis medical professional. This is the best exception we can recommend. A CBD professional knows exactly how it can work for your body and condition. They may be able to offer dose advice or other strategies to take CBD oil with Cymbalta in such a way as not to intensify the side effects and exacerbate other related problems taking them together.
Again, these are only general guidelines and are NOT meant for official medical advice when taking CBD oil with Cymbalta. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment.
Final thoughts
We hope this has armed you with what you need to know regarding the question can CBD oil be taken with Cymbalta. There are other ways in which Prescription Hope can assist you too…
For more questions regarding your specific condition, always consult your healthcare provider.
If you’re having trouble affording any of the medications you’ve been prescribed, visit our home page to learn more about Prescription Hope’s medication access service, compare the costs of your current prescriptions, and see how we can help obtain your medications at a cheaper price. Fill out an application today and start receiving Brand-Name prescription medications at your doorstep. Call us at 1-877-296-HOPE (4673) to speak to one of our representatives, we’re always happy to see how we can help.
