An overdose of CBD does not occur in practice
To start right off with the reassuring answer: taking (too) much CBD oil basically does no harm. CBD is not toxic, even in high doses. An overdose of CBD has never occurred in practice. We do not recommend it (read on to find out why), but taking large amounts of CBD is not harmful to your health, especially if you are not taking any other medications.
A 2017 study also shows that people can easily tolerate up to 1,500 mg of CBD. By comparison, a standard 10 ml bottle of 5% CBD, contains only 500 mg of CBD. So even if you were to drink three bottles empty in a day, no serious side effects will occur.
Nevertheless, still pay attention to the dosage of your CBD oil
Despite the fact that there is no such thing as an overdose of CBD oil, we certainly do not recommend taking as much CBD as possible. First, this is obviously a waste of money, as very high doses will make little difference anymore. More importantly, there are indeed negative side effects of taking too much CBD oil. Especially if you are on medication, it is important to watch out for this. In particular, watch out for large amounts of full spectrum CBD, as this also contains (a very small amount of) THC. THC is also not toxic in principle, but in large quantities it can cause side effects.
What are the side effects of too much CBD oil?
Are you taking too much CBD than your body can properly tolerate? If so, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Nausea
- Braken
- Less appetite
- Excessive fatigue
- Dry mouth
Pay attention to CBD and medications
In addition to harmless side effects, CBD can also have an effect on the action of medications. This can create very dangerous situations, so be careful with CBD when taking medications and always consult your doctor or pharmacy when in doubt.
A good rule of thumb to adhere to is that if the drug has a warning about grapefruit on it, you better not use the drug in combination with large amounts of CBD either. This is because CBD has a similar effect on the action of these drugs: the furanocoumarins from grapefruit, like CBD, inhibit metabolism. We therefore recommend extra caution when using CBD with the following medications:
- Antihistamine
- Antibiotics
- Cancer drugs
- Blood thinners and blood pressure medications
- Painkillers
- Medications for your prostate
- Antiepileptics
- Corticosteroids
Do you use any of the above types of medications? If so, always consult with your doctor first to see if, and how much CBD is justified in your case.
How much CBD should I take?
The ideal amount of CBD varies from person to person, but in any case, it is smart to start with a low dose. By then increasing it slowly, you can be sure that you will tolerate the CBD well and that you won’t get any serious side effects. Do you still feel uncomfortable after increasing the dose? Then take a little less next time.
Haven’t taken CBD oil before? Then start with about 4 to 6 mg of CBD per intake. For a 5% CBD oil, this would be 2 to 3 drops at a time. Maintain 2 to 3 intake intervals per day to maximize the benefits of CBD. Next, do you notice that your body is responding well to the oil? Then you can slowly increase the dosage each time to about 25 mg of CBD per ingestion, depending also on your symptoms. Most people can tolerate these dosages just fine.
Do you think you have taken too much CBD?
Did you, or someone else, ingest a very large amount of CBD? Keep in mind that CBD is basically non-toxic and in most cases the symptoms will go away by themselves. However, are you on medication or do your symptoms persist for a long time? Contact your doctor to be sure. Do you notice that someone becomes unconscious, has serious breathing problems or other serious complaints? Then call 112. It will not be an overdose of CBD, but a serious health problem.
