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MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND CANNABIS: CAN WE ELIMINATE THEM COMPLETELY NATURALLY?

Menstrual cramps and cannabis – Cannabis is an important medicinal plant for women use, and it’s definitely not a new concept. Even since CBD (cannabidiol), the most important cannabis compound, was only isolated from the plant in the 1940s. for centuries before that, women have been using cannabis to relieve their female issues associated with the menstrual cycle. It has also been used for millennia as an aphrodisiac and a plant that improves mood and well-being.

In ancient Chinese medicine, cannabis has been used for millennia in Jin deficiency. Jin is the earthly energy that supplies energy to the body from the earth. Jin is a female principle of energy and represents a more passive and deeply rooted connection to the ground, bones and female lower body. Regardless of whether the concept is consistent with today’s beliefs of some people, there are many reasons why cannabis can be particularly attractive for exploring its effects on a woman and her sexuality.

It is fascinating that cannabis produces compounds – phytocannabinoids whose activity is not in competition with estrogens (estradiol, estrone and estriol), but in synergy. Estrogens are the most important female sex hormones that stimulate female sexual desire, bone density and fertility. In women, they regulate the growth, development and function of the uterine mucosa, the proliferation of the mucosa of the endometrium, the development and maintenance of secondary sexual signs, and the growth of the uterus during pregnancy. It turns out that high levels of estrogen in the body increase our body sensitivity to cannabinoids from cannabis and their clinical effect. 

CBD AND FEMALE SEXUAL HEALTH

In the world of science, women’s sexual health is often given less time than to other problems. Unfortunately, gender bias is also present here. The interest in cannabis and its effects on sexual health has grown considerably over the past decade. However, how phytocannabinoids affect a woman’s body and sexuality is still insufficiently researched. For example, many articles devoted to women’s problems and cannabis focus on breast cancer and pregnancy. While these two themes are noteworthy in all respects, little research has examined the impact of cannabinoids on female sexuality and overall sexual health and satisfaction of women.

CURRENT RESEARCHES

Currently, research focuses more on male sexual problems.
Numerous studies have been conducted with cannabis and testosterone, erectile dysfunction, male sexual health, general penile function and even anxiety about not getting an erection. Apart from the 2018 survey regarding cases of spontaneous orgasm in women caused by cannabis, there has been virtually no research on how cannabis affects the clitoris or other female genital organs and the sexual health of women.

For the time being, research focuses mainly on the impact of cannabis on ‘reproductive functions’. However, to sexual health and satisfaction, sexual desires and the like, serious research will still have to be done. Despite the fact that nothing has been researched, many women regularly use CBD lubricants for painless sexual intercourse, to increase sexual desire and also to prolong orgasm.

Just because there is no official research, it does not mean that these products do not actually work. After all, cannabis has been used by women for centuries to help improve sexual health. Marijuana has long been known to be an aphrodisiac, used for relaxation throughout history, and has been used in tantric ceremonies in India for more than 2,800 years. Perhaps women who are now again resorting to cannabis products, consciously or unconsciously, are renewing some of these ancient wisdoms. This transposes ancient knowledge of the wealth that nature offers us into modern life.

REGARDING MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS

Of course, CBD is also extremely suitable for menstrual problems. It can also alleviate many of the problems associated with PMS (premenstrual syndrome). There’s a lot of historical data that women helped each other during cannabis menstruation thousands of years ago.

In Old Mesopotamia, 2000 BC, women relieved nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and helped themselves by reducing menopausal symptoms. In Egypt and Israel, there are written records of cannabis preparations used to relieve pain and promote contraction of the uterus. In Hindu Ayurvedic tradition and in Chinese medicine, the herb was sometimes used as an aphrodisiac to treat impotence and increase libido and to relieve menstrual pain.

CBD is an SOS for the endocannabinoid system that restores the body’s endocannabinoid balance. That is why CBD is so widely used and so different from other substances. As research shows, CBD helps both in pain, cramps, and nausea during menstruation. The beneficial effect regarding vomiting has been demonstrated in studies with people who have received chemotherapy and whose nausea and vomiting has been reduced by cannabis.

In the experience, CBD can be involved in alleviating the whole aspect of menstrual problems that arise. Of course, this takes time to correct the level of cannabinoids in the body, so we cannot start taking it acutely, like aspirin or other painkillers, but we must take CBD drops a few days earlier. 

PAIN AND MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

Inflammation, pressure, discomfort and sudden changes in hormone levels trigger a contraction of muscle tissue in the uterus.

Menstrual cramps are caused by this contraction and further increase already present pain and inflammation.

Although no concrete studies have been done with CBD regarding vaginal pain, there is evidence that phytocannabinoids may be the most effective natural aid in relieving pain associated with inflammation during menstruation.

MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND CBD DOSAGE

The dosage is not different from curing other conditions, it depends mainly on body weight.

The most optimal option is to start taking CBD drops one week before the planned menstrual period, so that the CBD level can rise before the problems even begin. We recommend to enjoy the product UniCanna – CBD Spray, namely one to two sprays in the morning and one to two sprays in the evening, It is recommended applying until the day when our menstrual cramps end. If you use another product (drops or resin), adjust the doses of CBD content in the product and your body weight.
1 spray 5% UniCanna contains at least 2 mg of CBD.

WHAT ABOUT CBD AND PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)?

Every woman knows what PMS is, and every man is afraid of it. Why? Problems affect our daily lives more and more without realizing it. It happens every month, and various studies support different theories, but 75% of women experience it (in mild or medium strenuous form) and of course, their partners, sometimes children, suffer from it. But the joke’s off. The fact is that 5% of women in their most productive life span suffer from very severe symptoms of PMS, which is not something to disregard.

It is a set of unpleasant symptoms that some women express before each period. Menstrual cramps are associated with hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle.

PMS disorders are observed predominantly 7 to 10 days before menstruation and disappear on the first or second day of menstruation. The symptoms of PMS are not equally replicated every month. Often one or a couple of the problems listed below will show up, but fortunately not all at once.

Little is known about the causes, but they are clearly related to the fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle. PMS can also be caused or reinforced by certain external factors, such as erroneous diet, environmental toxins and too much stress.

PMS is felt both physically and psychologically. Further listed symptoms are usually shown:

  • breast tenderness or tension
  • abdominal distension
  • cramps
  • fatigue
  • insomnia or excessive sleep
  • headache
  • weight gain
  • joint or muscle pain
  • oily skin, acne
  • changes in appetite or food craving
  • back pain
  • menstrual cramps

HOW CAN HEMP EXACTLY HELP? WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR?

With CBD, a lot of people are helping themselves towards a better mood. In fact, a large number of experimental and non-clinical studies have shown that phytocannabinoids increase the level of serotonin, thus achieving an antidepressant response faster than some of the most commonly prescribed medicine. Experience in practice precedes clinical studies.

Unfortunately, most studies on the anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects of CBD have been conducted on rodents. Therefore, additional clinical studies are required. The first cannabis trials were applied on very sick people and showed that CBD treatment successfully alleviates the symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with schizophrenia, which is otherwise resistant and difficult to manage.

There is a clear link between cannabis compounds and mental health, but the exact way this is done is not yet fully illuminated by the relevant ongoing research.

WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND?

The most optimal option is to consume CBD drops. We recommend UniCanna – CBD spray, namely one to two sprays in the morning and one to two spray in the evening. Insist for at least a few months worth of application. If you use any other cannabis product (drops or resin), adjust the doses of CBD content in the product and your body weight.

Also ensure a healthy diet and sufficient intake of especially lower minerals and vitamin B6 with food or dietary supplements.

What are the other important minerals and vitamins that are recommended to correct PMS problems:

  • Ensure sufficient intake of magnesium (300 mg per day for women), Due to the consumption of processed food we consume we recommend magnesium as a dietary supplement magnesium citrate . To optimize your dose, take it in the evening.
    • calcium (800 mg per day some people recommend up to 1000 mg per day). The most important sources of calcium are milk and dairy products;
    • Consumption of vitamin B6 (1.4 mg daily) reduces water retention and increases blood circulation through female organs. Good sources of vitamins are poultry meat and pork, fish, certain types of vegetables with high starch content, tubers, potatoes, banana dairy products and other fruits (excluding citrus fruits);
    • Vitamin E (12 mg daily), which helps with sensitive breasts. A sufficient amount of vitamin E is introduced into the body if you consume half a cup of diced almonds (23 g) and a tablespoon of rapeseed oil (14 g) during the day. 

CBD AND INCREASE IN FERTILITY

There is a lot of online data on how CBD increases fertility, but there remains a strong likelihood that studies may not confirm this and will refute current beliefs. 

Successful conception requires a delicate balance of hormones. Although conception may seem to be very easy, this is not the case, as conception only occurs if the appropriate conditions are met.

A woman is most fertile when sex hormones such as estrogen and luteinizing stimulating hormone (LTH) create the ideal conditions for implanting a fertilized egg.

ENDOCANNABINOID INCREASE DURING OVULATION

Sex hormones like estrogen are not the only chemical compounds that affect female fertility. Recently, pre-clinical and experimental studies have shown that fluctuations in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) also affect fertility. In fact, some studies have shown that anandamide, a natural version of THC in the body, increases during ovulation.

Compound levels continue to decrease in subsequent stages of the cycle and reach the lowest point before menstruation.

However, an increase in endocannabinoids during ovulation does not mean that cannabis successfully improves fertility. In fact, early data suggest that compounds such as CBD can actually affect pregnancy and early pregnancy after ovulation. In this case, if you are trying to get pregnant, taking CBD may not make it easier to get into pregnancy. Considering that there is insufficient data, cannabis use during pregnancy and conception is not advised. Cannabis is probably not the best choice in such cases.

SOURCES:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-018-1143-4http://ir.gwpharm.com/press-releaseswww.researchgate.net/publication/277529485_Low_fatty_acid_amide_hydrolase_and_high_anandamide_levels_are_associated_with_failure_to_achieve_an_ongoing_pregnancy_after_IVF_and_embryo_transfer