CBD and Ulcerative Colitis – What Is Ulcerative Colitis?

To put it simply, ulcerative colitis is a type of IBD or inflammatory bowel disease. Generally, it causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum.

There are 5 different types of ulcerative colitis, including ulcerative proctitis, proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis, pancolitis, and acute severe ulcerative colitis. These forms differ in their exact symptoms and severity. For instance, ulcerative proctitis is considered rather mild and may only present as rectal bleeding. On the other hand, acute severe ulcerative colitis is considered, as the name suggests, rather severe with drastic symptoms.

If you have ulcerative colitis, you might experience the following symptoms;

• Abdominal pain
• Severe diarrhea
• Seemingly unexplained fever
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Urgency and/or inability to defecate
• Rectal pain and bleeding

No matter which form of ulcerative colitis you have, you probably want to find something that will make your life more comfortable. Here, we are going to take a look at how CBD might be able to help handle some of these symptoms.

CBD and Inflammation

As stated, a large part of ulcerative colitis is inflammation. CBD shows promise in helping with this as it can be used to reduce inflammation.

One study even looked at the use of CBD to reduce intestinal inflammation specifically. The study used biopsied materials from humans and rats. The human counterpart used intestinal biopsies from patients with ulcerative colitis. When introduced to CBD, the inflammation of the intestinal tissue lessened.

Case in point, one company called FSD Pharma Inc. is currently working to come up with a “Steady Stomach” product. This product would use CBD alongside other synergistic factors. This combination would be used to enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD.

According to FSD Pharma Inc., these synergistic factors are an important part of their patent-pending formula. By their measurements, CBD alone gave a 27% improvement in symptoms but a 79% when used in tandem with other ingredients they use.

This shows two important things. For one, CBD has a lot of potential in helping deal with the inflammatory cause of many symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Secondly, it shows that the medicinal use of CBD is growing and, thusly, more effective CBD products for conditions such as ulcerative colitis are becoming available.

CBD and Ulcerative Colitis – Pain Management

Another aspect of CBD that can be helpful in treating ulcerative colitis is that it can help you handle pain.

The way that CBD helps pain depends on its interaction with the endocannabinoid system. This system is far-reaching in the body and even affects the nervous system and the immune system. Needless to say, this is a powerful system.

One of the many things the endocannabinoid system is believed to control is how we feel pain.

The endocannabinoid system moves messages from the brain toward the body in the form of proteins and enzymes. These work by moving these components from one nerve to another and one receptor to another.

With a name like the endocannabinoid system, it’s no surprise that cannabis compounds such as CBD can affect it. After all, the cannabis plant is the reason the system was discovered.

When CBD reaches endocannabinoid system receptors, it can alter the way that the body feels pain. Specifically, it lessens it. These effects are even achievable if you are dealing with chronic pain or pain caused by a disease.

CBD and Appetite Stimulation

When you aren’t feeling well and your ulcerative colitis is acting up, eating might be the last thing on your mind. But, eating is necessary for the body to function properly.

Instead of suffering and forcing yourself to eat, it can be beneficial to use a CBD product. If you don’t think you can eat an edible CBD product at the moment, don’t worry. CBD oil and tinctures can be placed under the tongue and swallowed. As it takes effect, the CBD should stimulate your appetite.

That isn’t the only benefit that CBD has in this area of concern. Some studies have shown that CBD products can even help reduce some symptoms of ulcerative colitis such as nausea and vomiting.

How Much CBD Should You Take?

When trying to find a dose that works for you with CBD, it’s best to start small. Use a low dose for a while and see if you have any improvement in your symptoms. If not, increase it incrementally until you find the dose that works for you.

A good way to get started is to look at the dose the CBD product you are buying recommends. Remember, different CBD products take different amounts of time to take effect.

For instance, if you take an oil or tincture, the CBD will take into effect – about 20 minutes. On the other hand, edible CBD products such as gummies can take up to an hour to take effect.

It’s important to take into consideration the time it takes for your CBD to take effect. It’s a common mistake to not wait long enough before taking more CBD – especially when CBD is taken in the form of an edible.