CBD For Nausea – Can It Help With Suffering
Have you been suffering from nausea? If so, you’re not alone.
The stats are staggering: nausea affects up to 80% of pregnant women, people suffering from all sorts of diseases, and countless others — especially in the morning.
Thankfully, CBD may be able to help. Maybe what’s most impressive about this help is that it’s nearly unconditional. That means a cancer patient with nausea may find just as much relief as someone nauseous for no apparent reason!
How the compound does this is interesting. As always, CBD works through activating and strengthening the endocannabinoid system…but it gets even better than that. Let’s take a closer look!
CBD: Relieving nausea from the inside out
CBD definitely may with nausea. Interestingly enough, many of the terpenes present in full spectrum CBD oil do, too.
How? By activating the brain’s serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. There are 14 types of serotonin receptors in the human body, and CBD may help modulate many of them!
That’s right: CBD may help relieve nausea for some of the very same reasons that it makes users feel happier and more hopeful. CBDa, the “raw” form of CBD present in some CBD oils, may also have this helpful effect.
Does CBD really get rid of nausea?
Both research and anecdotal reports say yes! According to Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, CBD and the hemp plant it’s derived from have a very long track record in this area:
“…several centuries for a number of therapeutic applications (Mechoulam, 2005), including the attenuation of nausea and vomiting.”
CBD appears to reduce nausea quickly, depending on the delivery method used. Those who need fast relief should use a CBD vaporizer or even a smokable product. Thankfully, high-quality CBD pre-rolls are more available than ever before!
CBD and your stomach
CBD may be good for stomach health, too. In fact, the compound’s impact on gut health can be thought of as a preventative measure against future nausea or appetite problems.
How does CBD help with gut health? It seems to seal up the gut lining so that pathogens can’t escape into the bloodstream.
CBD may also reduce chronic inflammation in the stomach, which would aid digestion and autoimmunity.
Recent studies have shown cannabinoids within the gut to be adaptable: their locations and concentrations actually vary depending on the areas of need.
CBD, mood, and motion sickness
CBD may help with the mental component of motion sickness, too.
A 2013 study done in the UK concluded that “CBDA shows promise as a treatment for nausea and vomiting, including anticipatory nausea for which no specific therapy is currently available…”
So, if anticipating any specific scenario makes you nauseous — be it taking a flight, riding that rollercoaster, or even having a tough conversation — CBD may help!
CBD may also relieve the anxiety and social stress present in this type of situation. How? Once again, through regulating serotonin receptors and otherwise-imbalanced serotonin: dopamine ratios!
Does CBD help with nausea from chemo?
The science says yes.
CBD may also help address the cause for chemo: cancer.
After all, it’s been shown to increase fat burning (while cancers prefer sugar-burning) and increase oxidation within cancerous cells. More research is definitely needed in this area, but it’s a possibility.
If nothing else, CBD may broaden the therapeutic range of other cancer treatments, including chemo and opioids. Overall the effect is so strong that many experts now advocate for an integrated cannabis + chemo treatment protocol.
MCT oil: pros and con’s
MCT oil, short for medium-chain-triglyceride oil, is an unusual type of fat. Within the body, it’s actually metabolized more like a carbohydrate would be — its MCT content goes straight to the liver.
MCT oil has other benefits, too. It may boost one’s metabolic rate and even helps the body produce brain fuel like ketones.
Yet MCT can sometimes be too much for the new user’s metabolism. It may cause nausea or digestive issues. If your CBD oil contains MCT oil as its carrier, don’t worry — just be advised that you should ease into dosing slowly!
CBD and Zoloft: nature’s wisdom vs. power
Many people who suffer from nausea are prescribed Zoloft. That’s because the drug is also useful for those with everything from OCD to anxiety to PTSD.
CBD and Zoloft do have one thing in common: they both stabilize serotonin levels.
Yet Zoloft impacts serotonin reuptake pretty harshly, meaning it comes with all sorts of side effects and potential drug-drug interactions.
CBD and Zoloft don’t directly interact with each other, but it’s important to know that indirect interactions may occur. CBD actually affects the liver enzyme of many pharmaceuticals via its inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes.
In some cases that’s a good thing; CBD actually makes many drugs work better. With Zoloft, however, CBD may also amplify side effects.
The best solution, in this case, is moderation. CBD and Zoloft can be taken together, but typically dosing of one or both substances will need to be reduced.
With many CBD users reporting replacing their pharmaceuticals with CBD, we think we know which choice is optimal!
CBD and immunotherapy: a delicate combination
CBD may also indirectly hinder immunotherapy.
That isn’t actually surprising when one considers that CBD’s a potent immunomodulator. In a sense, CBD is so powerful that it doesn’t let other substances really stimulate the immune system.
In the long run, CBD’s immunosuppressive qualities are definitely a good thing. But short term, for cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy, they may not be. More research is needed to know for sure, which even this study‘s authors concluded.
CBD for you…and your pet’s health
CBD may also relieve the anxiety and nausea of your furry friends! They have an endocannabinoid system just like we do, after all.
And, thanks to the popularity of CBD-infused dog treats, it’s easier than ever to deliver CBD’s goodness.
Best CBD Brands For Nausea
Though CBD really is effective against nausea, not all CBD is created equal. Consider a premium full-spectrum product like those made by Joy Organics or Green Flower Botanicals!
Such products will ensure that your body gets every bit of the entourage effect — and responds accordingly.
If other anti-nausea options are failing you, don’t worry. CBD may help when nothing else has. MD. Stacey Kerr relates how a colleague reported amazing relief from the versatile plant compound:
“It worked faster, better, and more completely than any of the prescriptions my oncologist gave me.”
Karen Asprey is a CBD writer and enthusiast who has made it her one woman mission to break down the taboo of cannabis, and make it more accessible to those who can benefit from it.