Drug & supplement interaction

Cannabidiol (cbd) + Cetirizine

Cetirizine brand names: Cetirizine, Zyrtec, Quzyttir.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Cannabidiol (cbd) has a moderate interaction with Cetirizine. Theoretically, cannabidiol might have additive effects if used with other CNS depressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cetirizine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Cetirizine

Cetirizine falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Cannabidiol (cbd) interacts with.

Theoretically, cannabidiol might have additive effects if used with other CNS depressants.
Preliminary clinical research, case reports, and animal studies suggest that high dose cannabidiol has sedative and hypnotic effects. Theoretically, concomitant use of cannabidiol with drugs with sedative and anesthetic properties may cause additive therapeutic and adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with Zyrtec (cetirizine) and CBD: both can make you drowsy on their own, so using them together may add up to more sleepiness than you'd expect. Cetirizine is one of the milder antihistamines for sedation, but it still causes tiredness in some people, and high doses of CBD have been shown to have calming, sleep-promoting effects too.

This is a theoretical concern based mostly on how these substances behave, not on strong studies of this exact pair, so I don't want to alarm you. Just be aware you might feel extra groggy, slower to react, or foggy, especially when driving or starting either one. If you notice that, chat with your pharmacist or doctor before making any changes.

References
  1. Carlini EA, Cunha JM. Hypnotic and antiepileptic effects of cannabidiol. J Clin Pharmacol 1981;21(8-9 Suppl):417S-27S. PubMed
  2. Monti JM. Hypnoticlike effects of cannabidiol in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1977;55(3):263-5. PubMed
  3. Pickens JT. Sedative activity of cannabis in relation to its delta'-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol content. Br J Pharmacol 1981;72(4):649-56.
  4. Perez-Vilar S, Karami S, Long K, Leishear K. Cannabidiol exposures in the United States, National Poison Data System, July 2014-June 2021. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2022. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Cannabidiol (cbd) Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cannabidiol (cbd) has 1,050 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cetirizine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cannabidiol (cbd)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Cannabidiol (cbd). Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Cannabidiol (cbd) or Cetirizine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cannabidiol (cbd) or Cetirizine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cetirizine

This page covers Cannabidiol (cbd) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cetirizine page lists 100 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 78 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cetirizine page

“Cetirizine (Zyrtec) treats allergies, but even this newer antihistamine can make some people drowsy, and that weak spot is where most of its 100 documented supplement interactions land. Seventy-eight of the ingredients on this page add their own sedative pull on top of the drug's, and 7 of the 100 rate major, so treat this list with re…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cetirizine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cetirizine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Cannabidiol (cbd)
Top half

#453 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cetirizine
Top 10%

#264 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Cannabidiol (cbd)

What is Cannabidiol (cbd)?

  • Anxiety and stress
  • Sleep problems
  • Chronic pain
  • Certain seizure disorders
  • Inflammation

CBD is a compound from the cannabis (hemp) plant that does not cause a 'high.' It has strong evidence only for certain rare seizure disorders (as a prescription drug), while most other popular uses are still backed by limited or early research. Product quality varies a lot, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicines.

Read the full Cannabidiol (cbd) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cetirizine Injection

What Is Cetirizine Injection Used For?

Brand names: Cetirizine, Zyrtec, Quzyttir

Quzyttir (cetirizine injection) is approved to treat acute urticaria — a sudden outbreak of hives — in adults and in children 6 months of age and older. It is given by intravenous (IV) injection in a medically supervised setting.

Quzyttir is not recommended for children under 6 years of age who have impaired kidney or liver function.

See full Cetirizine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cannabidiol (cbd)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Cannabidiol (cbd) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
1,050Moderate
0Minor
1,779No known interaction
Moderate

1,050 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,050 moderate interactions — see all 1,050 on the Cannabidiol (cbd) page.

No interaction 1,779 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cetirizine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cannabidiol (cbd) with Cetirizine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cetirizine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.