Can Cannabis Help Crohn’s Disease and/or Colitis?
Crohn’s is a disease that creates inflammation of the small and large intestines. Symptoms include: persistent diarrhea, internal bleeding from intestinal ulcers, rectal bleeding, excruciating pain and abdominal cramping, frequent bowel movements, loss of appetite, sore eyes, fatigue and swollen joints. Studies involving groups of patients with severe Crohn’s symptoms show that 50% of the patients went into complete remission and 95% of the patients in the study showed significant improvement. The results showed a decrease in abdominal pain, nausea, cramping, sleep and appetite.
How Does Cannabis Help Crohn’s or Colitis?
There are obvious effects of cannabis managing pain and discomfort, the question is how and why does cannabis have such a positive effect in those suffering from Crohn’s or Colitis? The answer is in the cannabinoids that are found in marijuana. Both CBD and THC play their part in helping relieve a patient’s symptoms.
THC assists in symptoms such as nausea, appetite (the munchies), pain and can give the patient a feeling of relaxation and euphoria.
CBD acts as anti inflammatory, convulsions and assists as a natural sedative.
What is the Endocannaboid System?
The Endocannaboid System (ECS) helps our bodies regulate pain, mood, appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) motility, memory, emotions, stress response, immune function, and more. The ECS is a complex combination of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids that our bodies naturally produce) that stimulate the body’s cannabinoid receptors, which are located in many areas of the body, such as the brain, muscles and the gastrointestinal tract. When someone consumes cannabis, the similar molecular shape of the cannabinoids latch onto the ECS and help with neurotransmitter functions, creating relief.
Adverse Side Effects: Traditional Medication vs Cannabis
Traditional Medication
The adverse side effects of traditional medications for Crohn’s disease and Colitis are extensive. Liver damage, dizziness, bruising and stiffness are common side effects of a medication for Crohn’s and Colitis called Ciprofloxacin. The more aggressive and most popular medication for Crohn’s and Colitis is the anti-inflammatory medication called Prednisone. The side effects of Prednisone are extensive and awful: swollen face (moon face), aggression and mood irregularity, unwanted bodily hair growth, degradation of the hip joints, irregular heartbeat and vision problems. Other medications are immunosuppressants that can make you prone to infections and sickness.
Cannabis
Conversely, the adverse side effects of cannabis have no permanency like traditional pharmaceutical medications do. Saying that, cannabis strains that are very high in THC can produce feelings of paranoia, anxiety and dizziness. Another worry with cannabis to help treat Crohn’s or Colitis is that the medication can make the patient believe that they’re in remission when the cannabis can just be masking their symptoms.
You can Also Read Cannabis Related Article here Topical Cannabis Uses
