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08-01-2018, 09:39 PM | #1 | ||
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I haven't posted much of anything on here for a long time. But I’ve been wanting to write this very long post about cannabidiol or CBD for a while but I’ve held off for two reasons. One is a simply that I’ve just been very busy with work and getting things done that I haven’t been able to get to for months, and sometimes for years. This is actually because of what CBD has done for me. The second reason is that I wanted to have enough time and data before I wrote anything.
First some background/context. I have full body idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, but that’s just a formal diagnosis. In addition to this, with all the sensory and autonomic issues, I clearly also have large fiber involvement, since I have tremors or shaking and muscle weakness. Multiple attempts to pick up on the large fiber involvement has failed, but all of them were about 3-4 years ago, and my neuropathy has definitely progressed since then. My disease has progressed overall but at a moderate pace. To give you some idea about what life is like for me on a day to day basis, I’ll list some things. Sometimes I drop things, sometimes I feel some burning, sometimes I have heart palpitations and difficulty catching my breath, and then there is the skin damage, muscle weakness, tingling, numbness, and much more. The worst symptom to me is my constant tremors or shaking or vibration, however you want to phrase it. It happens throughout my whole body and it gets worse when my body is stressed, so when I’m tired, angry, hungry, and so on. There are other symptoms, but I don’t want to go on and on. In addition to the nerve related issues, I have been depressed and anxious for years, even before my diagnoses, but likely concurrent with when the disease started without me knowing it had started. My life has gone nowhere for years even though I’m in my 30s and in the prime of my life. I have felt no desire or motivation for anything, but instead I’ve been living day by day. This is partly because I have no energy, but also because I was severely depressed. As many of you know, this is a common symptom of chronic conditions, especially ones that are left undiagnosed and degenerative. I write all this by way of background/context, so that it becomes clear what CBD has done for me. Over the years I’ve taken every supplement under the sun. Now let me get to the point. About 3 months ago, I began taking CBD derived from hemp. I had smoked marijuana for years, but only recreationally and sometimes as a sedative for sleep. But as my anxiety and depression worsened with my disease, THC caused me more problems than it did good. I also knew my fair share about CBD and other cannabinoids. But I had never thought to take CBD in its pure form or that it was available in this form, and shamefully I didn’t know that many (though by no means all) of the medicinal benefits of cannabis were from CBD and crucially and embarrassingly that it was not psychotropic, that it didn’t get you high but quite the opposite. The impact on my health was immediate. The depression and anxiety lifted, my energy and motivation noticeably increased, and I felt positive about life for the first time in years. My pain significantly reduced, there were no blood pressure issues or heart palpitations, and a number of my other symptoms disappeared entirely. This includes my worst symptom, the shaking/tremors, which shouldn’t be surprising given how effectively CBD works for epileptics. My sleep, focus and memory all dramatically improved. The stiffness and horrible aching pain in my joints and the numbness in my feet and hands lessened, which is likely partly because CBD is a vasodilator. Actually, when I’m on it, my joint pain disappears entirely. I had read about all these things, having read all the animal and human studies I could find, which are thin to be sure given the idiotic, politically driven and unscientific prohibition of Cannabis throughout the world but especially in the states, where so much of the research funding originates. But I didn’t believe it could be such a panacea! Who could? But it turned out it’s all true. A few months in and it’s clear that CBD is a game changer for me. Sometimes I notice how effective it is when I’m not on it, when I miss a dose because I’m out or can’t get to it. I start shaking, my temperature starts changing, my hands and feet hurt and feel stiff and numb. The tingling and sharp needle like pain returns. I start to shake and to feel joint pain again. I could go on and on. I’ve since also met about a dozen neuropathy sufferers in person and online who have seen similar results, some even better than mine. Two people have seen an almost complete reversal of their neuropathy over 2-3 years of daily use. Others have at least seen their symptoms lessen and their quality of life improve. It’s too early to tell for me, but at this early stage I’m at least in the latter camp. I wish I had started earlier, I wish I had known about CBD in this pure form before. But I’m grateful I am using it now. I’m thinking long term, since nothing changes overnight. The best results I’ve seen are from people who have used it for many months and years and who have been patient. One person I spoke to felt nothing for an entire 2 months until she started to feel the benefits. Most people feel it immediately once they have figured out the right dose for them. You can get hemp derived CBD in many countries in the world, certainly in the states, Canada, and most European countries. The legality of it is unclear in many places, but it’s sold and shipped to every corner of the USA, Canada, and again most of Europe. In some of these places it’s also entirely legal. It’s not like marijuana in that hemp has a legal amount of THC so to speak. That is, what qualifies as hemp are cannabis plants that have less than .3% THC, and often less than .2 or even .1 percent THC. Some of the best companies for quality CBD are in the states, so Americans have it good. Canada, where I am, is more complicated, and I’ve had to work hard to find a quality affordable product that is effective. I don’t know Europe as well, but I’m happy to help with suggestions where I think I can help. Any Canadians out there who need help, should send me a message. Things are more complicated in Canada but we have a few options including legal ones. Here are a few important facts for those considering CBD: 1. There are two main kinds of CBD, full spectrum and isolate. Full spectrum is about 90 or so percent CBD and 10 percent or so other phytochemicals, so other cannabinoids and terpenes, including trace amounts of THC (not nearly enough to have any psychotropic effect even if you consume massive amounts). A few preliminary studies seem to show that full spectrum is more effective in various ways, because of the so called entourage effect arising from the other phytochemicals. For example, CBN, CBC, CBG and even THC have all been shown in preliminary research to have immense medicinal benefits of their own, not to mention some of the terpenes and their medicinal properties. However, I’m one of the few who tolerates CBD isolate much better. In fact, for whatever reason, two thirds of the neuropathy sufferers I’ve spoken to have all had the same experience and so use isolate. My suggestion would be to try both. Also, it’s important to know that every full spectrum product from a specific plant/farm is like a unique strain or combination of phytochemicals, so if you can’t tolerate one full spectrum oil, it doesn’t mean you can’t tolerate them all. I’ve actually found one full spectrum product that I like at times. But I still use isolate 90% of the time. 2. Dosing is complicated and specific to each person. CBD can have a biphasic effect. Low doses work as stimulants and high doses can lead to drowsiness and a good night’s sleep. I take lower doses in the morning and afternoon when I need to be energized and focused on my work, and higher doses in the evening when I need to relax and wind down for bedtime. What constitutes a low dose and what a high dose will be specific to each person. There are a number of factors, such as weight and what you’re treating. This is very important. Depending on your condition, you may require higher doses, so pain requires higher doses, whereas relief from anxiety requires much lower. These general principles are for the most part true across the board, but you will still have to experiment and figure out your own high and low doses on your own. 3. CBD is unregulated in most places including in Canada and the states. I can recommend CBD companies (all online) that are excellent, and there are a number of them, so feel free to ask me. But as a general rule, what you want and what makes the companies I use good, is transparency. You want third-party testing for as many markers are possible. Testing for potency, residual solvents and heavy metals are ideal. Some places have these and also testing for pesticides and microbes. This is rare because it’s expensive to do. But at a minimum you want testing for potency (and for residual solvents for CBD isolate at least). There are lots of places selling dangerous and often synthetic things so be careful. You don’t want to be consuming chemicals and you don’t have to if you attend to what matters and make sure the company is properly vetted. There are also lots of places that have terrible markups. CBD is not that expensive, so you don’t need to pay high prices for a quality product. There is so much more to say, so below are some articles you can read. These are the ones that make the rounds on CBD forums, and they will have links to a few studies. One of them is a survey of side effects. So I also include something on the side effects, which are minimal. Even at very high doses CBD is very well tolerated by humans and animals. The few side effects are almost always reported at very high doses, often thousands of mg per day, and in a small minority. What Are The Medical Benefits of CBD? - Leaf Science Why Doesn't CBD Do Anything For Me? | POPSUGAR Fitness Does CBD Make You Sleepy or More Alert? - Leaf Science An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies What Are The Side Effects of CBD? - Leaf Science I don’t want to give anyone false hope. Lord knows I experienced my fair share of false hope over the last few years. I had given up and had zero expectation when I tried CBD. And so the story goes. I very much hope that CBD can help some of you out there as it has helped me so much. Just know that you have to give it a real chance and experiment with different forms, brands and doses. I use a tincture and a topical (for neuropathic itch and muscle/joint pain), but you can also vape or ingest it. You have options. The tincture works the best for most, because it’s safe and gets into your blood stream immediately. In the end, all you need is time and patience to experiment and see what works for you. The first product or two (or even three) may not be effective for you, but then you may find one that changes everything. I had to try a few before I found what worked for me. Good luck! Last edited by DavidHC; 08-01-2018 at 10:49 PM. Reason: Typos |
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