Drug & supplement interaction

Cannabidiol (cbd) + Deferasirox

Deferasirox brand names: Exjade, Jadenu.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Deferasirox falls into 2 drug categories that Cannabidiol (cbd) can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Cannabidiol might increase levels of certain glucuronidated drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cannabidiol (cbd) and Deferasirox

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Cannabidiol (cbd) interacts with whole categories of medication. Deferasirox falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Cannabidiol (cbd) in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Deferasirox

Deferasirox falls under GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS — the group Cannabidiol (cbd) interacts with.

Cannabidiol might increase levels of certain glucuronidated drugs.
In vitro research shows that cannabidiol inhibits uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A9 and UGT2B7, enzymes responsible for glucuronidation. Theoretically, this could decrease the clearance and increase levels of glucuronidated drugs.
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 for Deferasirox (Exjade, Jadenu). Your body partly clears this iron-removing medicine through a process called glucuronidation, using enzymes named UGT1A9 and UGT2B7. In lab (test-tube) studies, CBD appears to slow those same enzymes down. The theory is that if clearance slows, more deferasirox could linger in your system, which might mean stronger effects and a higher chance of side effects like stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, or rising kidney or liver numbers on bloodwork.

I want to be honest though: this is based only on lab research, not real people, so we don't truly know how much it matters day to day. Deferasirox is not a prodrug, so the direction is a possible increase, not a loss of effect. Please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before combining them so they can keep an eye on your labs.

References
  1. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information. Greenwich Biosciences, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 2019. Available at: https://www.epidiolex.com/sites/default/files/EPIDIOLEX_Full_Prescribing_Information.pdf (accessed 5/9/2019)
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS

2 of 2

Deferasirox also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS.

Theoretically, CYP3A4 inducers might decrease cannabidiol levels.
Cannabidiol is a substrate of CYP3A4 enzymes. Theoretically, drugs that induce CYP3A4 enzymes might reduce the levels and effects of cannabidiol.
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 key thing to know: in this pairing, it's the CBD that may take the hit, not your deferasirox. Deferasirox can act as a mild CYP3A4 inducer, meaning it can nudge that liver enzyme to work a little faster. Since CBD is broken down by CYP3A4, speeding up that enzyme could lower your CBD levels and leave it working less well than you'd expect.

Importantly, this is a theoretical concern based on how the drugs behave on paper, not from strong patient studies, so the real-world impact may be small. Your deferasirox should keep doing its job of pulling excess iron out of your body just fine. Still, if you're using CBD for a specific reason, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can help you watch whether it's actually helping.

References
  1. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information. Greenwich Biosciences, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 2019. Available at: https://www.epidiolex.com/sites/default/files/EPIDIOLEX_Full_Prescribing_Information.pdf (accessed 5/9/2019)

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 Deferasirox one above is among 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Deferasirox

This page covers Cannabidiol (cbd) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Deferasirox page lists 90 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Alkanna (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 73 moderate · 13 minor.

Open the Deferasirox interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Cannabidiol (cbd) and Deferasirox 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Deferasirox
Steady interest

#1,901 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 Deferasirox

What Is Deferasirox Used For?

Brand names: Exjade, Jadenu

Deferasirox — available as tablets (including Exjade and Jadenu) and oral powder granules (including Jadenu) — is used to treat chronic iron overload in patients 2 years and older whose bodies have accumulated too much iron from repeated blood transfusions.

It is also used to treat chronic iron overload in patients 10 years and older who have non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) syndromes — a group of inherited blood disorders — when liver iron levels and blood ferritin levels meet specific thresholds. The safety and effectiveness of deferasirox when combined with other iron-chelation therapies have not been established.

See full Deferasirox 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 Deferasirox Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cannabidiol (cbd) with Deferasirox?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Cannabidiol (cbd) and Deferasirox?
Deferasirox belongs to more than one drug category, and Cannabidiol (cbd) interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Cannabidiol (cbd) and Deferasirox 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.