CBD comes in many forms, from oils and tinctures to capsules, gummies, vapes and vaping devices. CBD can help alleviate muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis while improving sleep and decreasing anxiety levels.
Do not forget to inform your doctor if you take anticonvulsants such as Dilantin (phenobarbital), Lamictal (lamotrigine) or Tegretol (carbamazepine). CBD could reduce their effectiveness.
Anxiety
CBD can provide a natural way of managing anxiety. CBD interacts with GABA neurotransmitter, which relaxes brain activity. Additionally, serotonin levels increase, providing you with a boost to help boost mood.
Many people find that CBD helps them sleep better. It may relax you and ease PTSD-related nightmares; additionally, it may speed up the time until bedtime.
When selecting a CBD product, it’s crucial that it has been laboratory-tested. This ensures it contains the amount stated on its label as well as being free from contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, sulfates and phthalates – which a reputable company should make available on their website – which could cause unwanted side effects.
Depression
Depression can manifest itself through low moods, feelings of worthlessness, altered sleep patterns (including insomnia ), appetite changes (some individuals become very thin while others gain weight) and suicidal thoughts. CBD can help with these symptoms by helping to regulate serotonin levels, boost your mood and enhance sleep.
CBD works directly on the brain’s chemical receptors that contribute to depression and anxiety. While CBD may increase serotonin levels, it also interacts with other receptors which may influence your mood.
Recent research indicated that CBD had a positive impact on pain, anxiety and depression symptoms as well as wellbeing when prescribed with CBD-rich cannabis products for moderate to severe symptoms; however, real world data must always be considered when making decisions based on it.
Seizures
Seizures are sudden changes in electrical activity of the brain that can result in loss of consciousness and involuntary jerking of body parts. Seizures may also have other symptoms like tingling and dizziness. If you think you might be having seizures, it is essential that you see a doctor immediately – they’ll perform various tests to rule out other potential diagnoses like migraine, narcolepsy or brain tumors as possible causes.
CBD has proven its effectiveness in treating seizures. CBD works by binding to transient potential vanilloid receptor type 1 (TRPV1) cation channels which allow calcium ions to enter neurons. CBD binding to these channels results in desensitization and inflammation reduction as well as inhibiting astrocyte activation.
Pain
CBD has proven an invaluable tool in alleviating pain for many. It works in several ways to alleviate it, including inhibiting inflammation and modulating specific receptors’ activities.
A 2022 study on people living with rheumatoid arthritis who were given CBD-rich products discovered it significantly decreased both movement and rest-associated pain while improving symptom scores on ESAS-r scale.
Studies on humans indicate that CBD could also assist in breaking addictions to substances like cigarettes and heroin, according to some research conducted. While CBD doesn’t seem to cause serious side effects, be sure to speak to your physician prior to trying this compound so they can advise you as to how much to take and whether any interactions arise between medications you’re already taking and CBD use.
Addictions
CBD for health can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression without the side effects associated with other medications, but it is wise to consult your physician first when starting new regimens. CBD may interact with certain blood thinners (clopidogrel) and antiepileptic agents like valproate and carbamazepine; additionally it reduces effectiveness of benzodiazepine sedatives like Klonopin and Ativan while simultaneously increasing levels of some immune suppressants like cyclosporine.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) may have limitations in terms of design and population sample size, making generalizing results and assessing long-term safety difficult. Real world data (RWD) observations provide invaluable insights and supplementary information when assessing medical cannabis treatments (Chesney et al 2020). RWD gives insight into patient retention rates as well as product modifications that could influence treatment outcomes.
