Can cannabis help treat inflammatory bowel disease (ibd)

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Can Cannabis Help Treat Inflammatory Bowel
Disease (IBD)?
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How many times have you had a pain in your
abdomen before you move on to take a dump?
If the pain is too frequent and associated with
other symptoms like abdominal cramps, fatigue,
appetite loss, etc, then you may have
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).Fortunately, you
have nature's herb- Cannabis, at your service!
IBD can really impact one's quality of life,
ability to eat, work, sleep, socialize, exercise,
and even travel. Cannabis has gained its
attention as an alternative treatment for many
gastrointestinal disorders.
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Let's learn more about IBD and Cannabis.
What is IBD?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an umbrella term
used to describe the disorders characterized by
chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. It
is associated with symptoms like abdominal
cramps, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, and
diarrhea.Two most common diseases under IBD are
ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The
symptoms of such diseases are disruptive,
painful, and even life-threatening. Individuals
with IBD are more likely to develop autoimmune
diseases than without the disease.
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Cannabis has been a solution to numerous
health-related problems. Probably, it is
effective in treating IBD too. The herb is
associated with reducing IBD complexities among
sufferers. A 2019 study analyzed the
complications of Crohn's diseases among subjects
who used medical marijuana and who did not. The
patients who ingested cannabis were less likely
to develop abdominal abscesses, fistulas, require
blood transfusions, or colectomies or need
parenteral nutrition.
Using Cannabis to manage IBD
Using Cannabis to manage IBD
Using Cannabis to manage IBD
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Forms of Cannabis
Cannabis is available in several forms- Oils,
Tinctures, Nasal Sprays, Soft Gels or Capsules,
Topical creams, lotions, salves, transdermal
patches, edibles, suppositories, vaping oils.
Each form of cannabis has its own effect on the
consumer.To be precise, CBD, a cannabinoid in
cannabis is more effective against the painful
symptoms. CBD, in the form of pills, ingested in
a scheduled manner, helps in keeping IBD symptoms
at bay. Vaping CBD manages the sudden IBD
flare-ups because the effect is quicker. Edibles
are the best option for skeptical cannabis
smokers. Tinctures help in relieving IBD troubles
as it is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.
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Dosage of Cannabis
CBD is a modernized treatment, embraced by most
of the healthcare providers. Hence, we are still
in the learning phase concerning how much CBD is
appropriate for a specific treatment.In a study,
participants with ulcerative colitis were
provided with 50mg CBD Oil twice a day, to begin
with. Gradually, the dosage was increased up to
250mg if the patient was able to tolerate it.
Those who took CBD reported positive experiences
in the improvement of their quality of life
compared to those who took a placebo.As for
advice- start with a low dosage that is still
effective- just like any other medication.
Slowly, you may increase to a stronger dose if
necessary. Lower doses will have lower risks (if
any) compared to the higher doses.
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If you know that you have IBD, you should be
under a doctor's care already. Take your cannabis
dosage only after consulting it with your doc.
Prefer to also visit a medical marijuana doctor
to avoid any complications with other
medications! Do not take this lightly. As
mentioned earlier, IBD can be life-threatening
too! Hence, a diagnosed person should take up all
precautions necessary. Moreover, surgery might be
needed if your digestive tract got damaged
severely!If you are in Chino Hills, Medical
Marijuana can be a solution to your problem. Try
it only after having a word with your doctor
about its usage and associated effects.To be
clear, CBD is not regulated by the FDA. Nor are
there any clinical trials to support its use.
However, several anecdotal pieces of evidence
have made CBD be a complementary treatment for
dealing with IBD. Also, it is worth consulting
your doctor before you leap into the world of
cannabis. Be a good candidate to try CBD for a
relief!