Women over 50, who are dealing with menopausal issues and other signs of aging, are a growing segment of CBD users and there are good reasons why. Unsurprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of research on CBD’s effects on women, much less menopausal women. However, we can take the information we have now and apply it to the symptoms women in menopause often face.
Some Common Menopause Symptoms
Menopause affects every woman differently, but there are some symptoms that are extremely common. Women going through the change often experience:
- mood swings
- Depression
- Irritability
- Insomnia or wakefulness
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Fatigue
- Body aches and pains
- Brain fog
This is by no means an exhaustive list of symptoms, but a few that almost every woman can expect to experience. If we look at symptoms that CBD is known to handle very well, we see plenty of crossovers between menopause, chronic inflammation, and stress.
CBD, Chronic Inflammation, and Stress
CBD provides effective relief for a growing number of conditions, but for our purposes, we’re going to focus on how CBD helps chronic inflammation and stress as well as symptoms of menopause.
In chronic inflammation, we may experience fatigue, body aches and pain, depression and anxiety, gastrointestinal issues, congestion, frequent infections, and dry eyes. Now let’s look at symptoms of chronic stress: inability to concentrate, moodiness, poor judgment, irritability, overwhelm, muscle tension or pain, fatigue, upset stomach, and sleep problems.
All three of these conditions share many of the same symptoms. Think about what life would be like if even half of them went away. What could you do if they were all better to at least some degree?
How CBD May Help
CBD acts on the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS runs through our entire body with receptors almost everywhere. The ECS exists to receive cannabinoids our body makes and can interact with the phytocannabinoids in CBD. The ECS regulates many biological processes like feeding, sleeping, some inflammatory reactions, and even cognitive function – all to help the body maintain homeostasis.
One of the endocannabinoids that our body makes is called anandamide, which is also known as the “bliss molecule”. Anandamide belongs to a class of lipids known as fatty acid amides (FAAs) that can dock to CB1 and CB2 receptors. Levels of this endocannabinoid go down during menopause and CBD can play a role in bringing anandamide levels back up. What does it all mean? It means bliss can be restored.
Will CBD Work for You?
You may be wondering if CBD will work for you and your situation. Like other supplements and natural remedies, the only way to know is to try it. All natural healing works in this way. You start at the lowest dose to see how your body reacts. It’s helpful to keep a journal for this experiment so you can note down how much you took and what the effects were. If you don’t see enough difference or the results went away after a day or two, try the next higher strength at the lowest dose and start again. It’s a process, but your comfort is worth the investment of time and money.
CBD is so mild that even children and pets can take it, so you are safe in your experimenting. The results are not jarring and they don’t crash into you. You will likely notice a pervasive calm within about 15 minutes of taking your dose. You won’t be high. You’ll just feel peaceful and good, like everything is going to work out. You will not be impaired in any way.
As the hours pass, you may notice other effects, like maybe you are ready to drift toward bed or your knees don’t hurt anymore. Greater effects like pain relief may take a few days or a week, maybe longer, to manifest. You may notice you are not taking any pain relievers. The effects of CBD are cumulative, which means they will increase over time if you keep taking it.
CBD Supplements Can Be a Valuable Part of a Healthy Regimen
It’s a good idea to try your initial experiments with CBD by themselves so you can see if it works on your symptoms. When you are feeling better, you may be very motivated to make other healthy changes in your life.
As with any supplement, you can get the most out of CBD by incorporating it into a regimen of other healthy changes. Menopause sufferers can benefit greatly from exercise, a healthy diet, and meditation. CBD may help you feel well enough to tackle these and other quality of life improvements.
Resources:
https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/aging-1/age-health-news-7/aging-and-stress-645997.html
https://www.kalapa-clinic.com/en/what-is-anandamide/
https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-inflammation#effects-on-the-body
https://www.yournewlifeplan.com/menopause-hormones-and-inflammation
https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/pain
Article by Cindi Clinton
Cindi Clinton is a health and wellness writer for hire, specializing in articles and blog posts that help the public understand CBD and CBD products. Formerly a newspaper columnist for a small newspaper, Cindi has won Golden Quill awards for her submissions. She has self-published four digital books. She lives in a semi-ghost town on a plateau in northern Oregon. Find her at www.cindi.works or email hireme@cindi.works
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