With all of the CBD products out there, over the counter CBD dosing and safety can be very confusing. In order to determine what are efficacious dosing regimens, we can look at a current FDA-approved CBD medication, EPIDIOLEX (cannabidiol), and other ongoing clinical trials to guide our decision making for safe usage of CBD.
For most drugs, the more you take the higher the chance of having negative effects. Fortunately, CBD seems to be generally well tolerated. For some people, positive effects may be seen as low as 25 mg/day, while EPIDIOLEX can be given up to 25mg/kg/day for seizures associated with TSC, LGS, and Dravet syndrome. For a 70 kg adult (154 lbs), that is up to 1,750 mg /day. At those doses, most common adverse effects include: elevated liver enzymes, diarrhea, deceased appetite, vomiting, somnolence, and fever.
Biggest precautions to CBD? Hypersensitivity with CBD and patients with liver problems. In patients with severe liver impairment or are taking medications that are also metabolized by the liver, there may be interactions that can affect the medication or CBD or both.
So how much should I take? Clinical double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trials in healthy volunteers suggest that doses as low as 0.5mg/kg (35mg in a 70kg, 154lbs adult) can reduce anxiety when taken orally, and typically up to 600mg/day in most trials. There was evidence that it may improve anxiety and poor sleep with 25-75mg/day for 1-3 months, and reduced psychotic, depressive, and PTSD symptoms.
In comparison, our Sleep Support and all 750mg formulation provides 25mg/day with twice daily dosing, and 1500mg Pure & Potent provides 50mg/day with twice daily dosing.
Like most medicine, the key to get the right dosing is to carefully titrate the dosing until the desired effects are felt. With support from our pharmacist, we are able to assist you with personalized dosing and medication interactions. That way, we can maximize the effects of CBD while minimizing the side effects for you.
Call us at (760) 893-8331 if you have any questions or would like to talk to our Pharmacist for free consultations.
Extra Readings:
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/10/11/1575/htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/