CBD in Crohn's disease has apparently turned out to be an excellent option for its respective treatment, however, we have controversies in the studies carried out and in the opinions of minds that refuse to give a positive meaning to cannabis compounds, in that CBD continues to be just another drug, this has been discussed over the years, and the fight to demonstrate that cannabidiol, although it does not work for everyone, does work very well for some diseases, it is a treatment with interesting results. .
CBD is like any other natural medicine, an option for the cure of various diseases, which in this case is venturing into the future of possible cures or treatments for serious diseases, such as Crohn's disease.
In this article we will discuss how CBD acts on this disease, its benefits, the scientific support of this interaction and other data that will serve to draw our own conclusions.
Crohn's disease
It is commonly recognized as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, this is because its pathophysiology consists of inflammation of the digestive tract caused by an unknown agent, that is, the cause of this disease is not yet known, however, it is associated with the weakness of the immune system and the factor hereditary; What is clear are the risk factors that can lead to the development of Crohn's disease, such as age, ethnic origin, family history, smoking and medications such as NSAIDs.
This disease is a serious intestinal condition that causes severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding in the stool, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramps, mouth sores, pain or drainage near or around the anus due to a fistula, loss of weight, among others, and that if not treated in time could even cause colon cancer.
These symptoms may present progressively or without prior warning, and the patient may also present stages or moments of remission. This pathology has no cure, however, it has a list of both pharmaceutical and dietary treatments to control it.
Studies based on the effectiveness of CBD on Crohn's disease
In 2012, a study was carried out on 13 patients with Crohn's disease, to whom inhaled cannabis was administered for 3 months, obtaining very favorable results, causing weight gain and an improvement in body mass index. which counteracts some of the serious symptoms of the disease such as weight loss.
Another study carried out on 50 patients with Crohn's disease proposed comparing cannabis oil with placebo oil, taking into account that CBD oil contained 15% cannabidiol and 4% THC. In obtaining results, positive differences were seen in the improvement of quality of life of patients who consumed cannabis oil, as well as an improvement in the disease activity index.
A study that was carried out at Meir Medical Center consisted of administering inhaled cannabis to patients with Crohn's disease, who had not reacted to conventional therapies, the cannabis had a content of 15% CBD and 4% THC, this concluded that patients who had consumed natural cannabis had a notable improvement in symptoms, in addition to a restoration of appetite and sleep no significant side effects, and therefore a complete remission of the disease, unlike the other groups which had only one 50% decrease in symptoms; all of this occurred after 8 weeks with daily treatment.
This showed that cannabis can produce a clinical remission of up to 65% after 8 weeks of treatment, but that this did not appear to be due to an improvement in the underlying inflammation. According to researcher Timna Naftali, a specialist in gastroenterology at the Meir hospital in Israel, she tells us:
“We have previously shown that cannabis can produce measurable improvements in Crohn's disease symptoms but, to our surprise, we did not see statistically significant improvements in endoscopic scores or inflammatory markers that we measured in the cannabis oil group compared with the placebo group” “We know that cannabinoids can have profound anti-inflammatory effects, but this study indicates that symptom improvement may not be associated with these anti-inflammatory properties.”
CBD and Crohn's disease, is there a positive interaction?
When considering the idea that CBD is a cannabis compound that is currently being characterized by maintaining an adequate treatment in some diseases and that we also know that the use of this cannabinoid in Crohn's disease has already been proposed, the first question that arises en Is there really a positive interaction of cannabidiol on Crohn's Disease? Let's see what science says.
Science has worked to demonstrate the role of cannabidiol in Crohn's disease, reaching somewhat favorable results, such as some studies that show that CBD causes a considerable reduction in inflammation in the body, therefore, in the digestive system, this is thanks to its mediation with the endocannabinoid system.
However, there is another study, which is reflected previously in the article, which raises the suspicion that this anti-inflammatory process is not caused by cannabinoids; there is still a lack of research that accurately reaches a final point in this theory.
On the other hand, there are studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of cannabidiol When faced with the difficult-to-tolerate condition of abdominal pain, CBD, through the endocannabinoid system, works as an analgesic, sending signals to the brain where it interferes with some receptors that can suppress the sensation of pain, as well as cause movement to stop. abrupt muscular movements of the intestinal tract, which produces less inflammation, a feeling of fullness and of course eradication of pain.
The researchers have carried out their studies with low CBD concentrations and slightly high THC concentrations, in reference to their normal recommended level of consumption in the cannabidiol oil and in other diseases.
So we could say that CBD apparently does work or if it helps treat Crohn's disease or at least reduce important symptoms and in some cases to completely redeem the disease, but this cannabidiol compound apparently does not act alone, since in the majority of research both CBD and THC have been used to achieve relevant results.
Advantages of cannabis use in Crohn's disease.
In this space we will talk a little about what causes cannabis consumption, taking into account that both CBD and THC participate here in the treatment of Crohn's disease, and based on the studies carried out we will not individualize CBD, since It has become clear that there must be a noticeable concentration of THC for it to have its effect.
- It helps to reduce severe abdominal pain, produced by the disease.
- They successfully reduce inflammation, which in turn prevents another series of consequences.
- CBD, thanks to its characteristic as a regulator of sleep disorders, allows the patient to repair a good sleep rhythm, making this rest their respective hours and can help their recovery.
- Anorexia or weight loss, characteristic of severe symptoms of Crohn's disease, is also regulated and completely eradicated in the patient, allowing for a strong person with the necessary fat content to combat this disease.
- Also, according to researchers, it is believed that CBD specifically can help the microbial flora of the intestinal lining, specifically its correct functionality. This is important as it is believed that a poorly functioning microbiome may be the cause of inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. More research is needed to corroborate this belief.
- Reduces Crohn's Disease Activity Index or CDAI.
A dosage of CBD has been stipulated for the treatment of Crohn's disease.
Before mentioning what the dose is, the correct thing would be to provide the information on how that decision was reached and for that we must know the history of Vital, a patient with Crohn's disease.
It all begins when Harm Hids, researcher, lecturer and also Vital's father, joins with the University of Groningen located in Holland and the leading Colombian company in the sector, Medcolcanna, to investigate and obtain the exact formula for the correct treatment of the disease, performing the test on Harm's son.
Harm decided to agree to this research when the strong symptoms his son presented motivated him, as he felt that his son's life was in danger. “At that moment we were desperate and open to any available alternative. “Cannabis was just one of them,” says Harm.
Harm's idea arose thanks to his internet search where he came across a variety of cases in which patients with Crohn's disease were treated with cannabis and saw optimal results, as well as Naftali's research, in which he had achieved improve the lives of patients who at that moment would have a worse prognosis than that of Harm's son, that is when he considers the treatment option and moves forward with the aim of achieving a life expectancy for his son.
Thanks to a foundation in the area, Harm managed to obtain About our CBD oil and THC with which the treatment would begin, oblivious to a correct dosage, Vital's father understood the seller's recommendations, who told him that with one drop 4 times a day he could start until he achieved the appropriate dose.
Harm was worried that his son was drugged every day since that was the result described in Naftali's research, however, this oil was 7% which was equivalent to 3.5 mg per drop, and since, normally Many people did not get high by consuming this amount sublingually, Harm calmly proceeded to administer the oil.
As if by magic and in a matter of a few months Vital began to improve his lifestyle very noticeably. Vital went from 10 – 15 urgent evacuations a day to 2 – 4 a day with more peace of mind, already at the end of that year. Harm's son was in a remission of the disease, completely eliminated conventional treatment and Currently he is a proactive person, he regained his weight gain, he signed up for high performance sports like Sky and he studies full time.
But it was not easy, since it was a long process of 4 months that took him to get a correct formula, protocol and medication to combat the serious symptoms of the disease. They tried different methods such as capsules, drops, patches, gels and even suppositories. .
Harm explains to us “The study that was carried out with the UMCG is fundamental and well designed. We began to analyze each of the 12 conditions that we were investigating, collecting data from all the studies that have already been carried out; most patients who have been treated with sublingual oils, inhaled products or gels. Adding everything up, in conclusion, it can be stated that 20 mg of CBD taken sublingually It is effective to treat the condition.”
This formula has already been tested with 250 patients who have the disease, obtaining that a 40% of them obtained the same positive results by Vital.
Recommendations and final opinion
Once we have observed all the content that was provided on whether or not CBD acts positively as a treatment for Crohn's disease, we can conclude that CBD still needs a lot more research that would allow a specific end point for its use in In the treatment of this disease, however, there are many cases in which the use of cannabis has resulted positively.
It seems that the use of CBD for the treatment of this disease has to occur in conjunction with a dose of THC that is somewhat higher than the recommended value for other ailments. However, we recommend that you stay up to date on the latest developments in these compounds in the world of health and thus have more specific information about this interaction.
It is advisable to go to the doctor to discuss this possibility of treatment, a health professional is the best option to experiment with your condition, in addition, he will have the necessary information to instruct you much better about this use, advising you on its use according to your body and level of condition, as well as regulation of the appropriate dosage, prevention of side effects or care thereof, and ways to use it for optimal results.
Research is currently underway, so it is a matter of time before CBD oil is considered the treatment for many serious diseases where conventional treatment is not giving the expected results, or even as a complement to said conventional treatments.