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What Does CBD Do to You
It’s also important to remember that since CBD is sold as a dietary supplement and not a medicine, the FDA does not regulate its safety or purity, nor are there specific recommendations as to dosages. Moreover, not all supplements mention the complete list of ingredients on their labels.
Health Benefits of CBD
CBD is an abbreviation for cannibidiol. Cannibidiol is a natural substance found in cannabis, also known as marijuana, and also in hemp plants. Today, you can find CBD oil in capsules, oil bases for vaporizers, tinctures, food items, and beauty products such as bath bombs or lotions.
Unlike its cousin THC, CBD is not intoxicating or psychoactive. Proponents of CBD oil and other CBD products claim that it can be used to treat conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, migraines, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, depression, and anxiety.
Research into some of these claims is ongoing, and there is still a lot about CBD that we don’t know but researchers are trying to find out.
Health Benefits
Researchers are looking for answers when it comes to the full potential of CBD. What have they discovered in the meantime? So far, we know that CBD is a proven treatment when it comes to certain types of epilepsy, and early research is showing promise in regards to various anxiety disorders.
Approved to Treat Epilepsy
In 2018, the first FDA-approved drug, cannabidiol (Epidiolex), containing CBD was released on the market to treat two different kinds of epilepsy — Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
The FDA approved the treatment for patients as young as two years old. Studies showed it was effective in comparison to a placebo in reducing the frequency of seizures.
Anxiety
Though we need more research, a 2015 medical journal review article looked at CBD and its effect on multiple anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, seasonal affective disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The results showed that there was “strong preclinical evidence” to support the treatment of anxiety disorders with CBD, though more research is needed on long-term dosing.
Health Risks
Research surrounding CBD is ongoing, and there are many questions that researchers do not have the answers to yet, such as whether or not the means of taking CBD impacts the risks or efficacy. Some common means of taking CBD include inhaling through a vaporizer, ingesting through food, or taking orally as a pill.
Here is a list of a few potential risks and side effects that come with CBD. Some of these risks are controllable if taking CBD under the guidance of your doctor.
Liver Injury
During drug trials for Epidiolex, the FDA determined liver injury to be a side effect of CBD. Signs of liver injury showed up on blood work used to detect early problems with the liver. You can manage this risk by only taking CBD under the supervision of your doctor.
Interaction with Other Medications
If you are taking other medications, CBD can impact their efficacy, and the dose you are taking may need to be re-evaluated by your doctor. CBD can potentially interact with other medications to cause side effects.
Because there is limited research on how CBD interacts with prescription drugs and with standard over-the-counter supplements, it is best to talk to your doctor before taking CBD if you are taking other medications.
Fertility Damage
Though not much research has looked specifically at CBD, it seems that there is a negative relationship between cannabis use and sperm count, as well as other measures of male fertility, including sperm viability and motility.
Most of these studies have focused on animal participants, and further research is needed. Experts recommend awareness around these potential side effects when prescribing cannabis to patients who are of reproductive age.
Amounts and Dosage
Because the FDA currently does not regulate CBD, there are no specific recommended doses. Doses in most clinical trials have ranged from 100 to 800 milligrams a day.
Before using any CBD product, you should speak to your doctor to come up with a safe dosage plan that works for you. This plan should also take into account your symptoms and any other medications or supplements that you may be taking.
What Does CBD Do to You?
Cannabidiol (CBD) acts on the brain’s serotonin receptors and releases feel-good chemicals, helping elevate mood. However, research is underway to investigate how CBD does this, as the exact mechanism of action is not conclusive.
Because of its serotonin-boosting effect, CBD may be able to help people with psychological issues, including:
- Chronic anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Panic disorder
- Depression
- Insomnia
What is CBD?
CBD comes from the marijuana or cannabis plant and is the only ingredient that is used for medical purposes. Unlike marijuana, CBD alone does not give you a high. It does not have the potential to cause addiction or substance abuse.
Despite the many claims regarding the health benefits of CBD oil, not every claim has sufficient evidence to back it up. Moreover, although you can get CBD in most states, its legality is still somewhat in a grey area.
What are the potential uses of CBD oil?
Chronic pain
Animal studies have found CBD to be effective in treating chronic pain caused by arthritis and nerve damage (neuropathy). However, studies conducted on humans are needed to make them available for use in humans.
Childhood epilepsy syndrome
Some childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), fail to respond to the typical medications prescribed for epilepsy. Many studies have shown that CBD has the potential to reduce the frequency of seizures and even stop them altogether. The FDA has approved a CBD-containing medicine, Epidiolex, to treat children affected with these conditions.
Insomnia
According to some studies, CBD may help people suffering from insomnia by helping them fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer (7-9 hours straight).
Heart health
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that CBD oil intake was linked to lowered blood pressure and improved cardiac efficiency in healthy adults who were exposed to stressors.
What are the potential risks of CBD?
While CBD has potential health benefits, it can also cause side effects such as nausea, fatigue, and irritability. And if you are taking other medications, CBD may interact negatively with them. For example, CBD can interact with blood-thinning medications such as warfarin and increase the risk of bleeding.
It’s also important to remember that since CBD is sold as a dietary supplement and not a medicine, the FDA does not regulate its safety or purity, nor are there specific recommendations as to dosages. Moreover, not all supplements mention the complete list of ingredients on their labels.
Because there is no guarantee that CBD products are safe or effective, it’s best consult your doctor before you take anything that contains CBD.
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Harvard Health Publishing. Cannabidiol (CBD)-What We Know and What We Don’t. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
Jadoon KA, Tan GD, O’Sullivan SE. A Single Dose of Cannabidiol Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Volunteers in a Randomized Crossover Study. JCI Insight. 2017;2(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28614793/
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Common Medical Abbreviations and Terms
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the “vital signs.”
Epidiolex (cannabidiol)
Epidiolex is a prescription medicine that is used to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex in people 1 year of age and older. It is not known if Epidiolex is safe and effective in children under 1 year of age.
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