Can cannabis help with menstrual cramps and other period symptoms?
Cannabis is a plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries and has been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation, which can help alleviate pain and discomfort during menstruation. It can also help with anxiety and depression, which are common issues that women face during their menstrual cycle. It can help give you a better nights rest, manage PMDD, PMS, and hormone imbalances. This is done through how you consume (quality and quantity) and also how you track how it affects you. It takes a little trial and error and starting slow and introducing maybe CBD first then adding in THC products, through a tincture or pill.
Cannabis can be a supplement, augment, and support to achieve a holistic approach to living your best life during your cycle. Using plant-based cannabinoids, including cannabis, can be effective if natural hormone level recovery is slow.
Dr. Leslie Apgar, OBGYN of 17 years now cannabis dispensary owner, emphasizes that a woman's body needs time to heal after childbirth, and using plant-based cannabinoids, including cannabis, can be effective if natural hormone level recovery is slow.
After giving birth it takes time for your body to get balance in hormones back. So it can take a while to begin to feel like you again, your brain doesn't work, and your vagina does not work yet. This can effect so many facets of our cycles, libido and sex, and quality of life. For me personally, it took almost two years before the intrusive thoughts and anxiety were almost gone, it was brutal.
This balance can start to initiate after breastfeeding. Your body's just not right until you're done breastfeeding. Your hormone levels will naturally start to recover. When your hormones are not recovering naturally, that's when plant based cannabinoids or cannabis is going to be much more effective because you can use higher doses.
Which method is best?
Dr. Apgar recommends using an orally prepared option, such as a tincture or a pill.
The female reproductive tract is full of cannabinoid receptors, which makes it a perfect target for delivering medication directly to the uterus. In fact, the uterus has more cannabinoid receptors than anywhere else in the body except for the brain. This makes it an ideal place to target medication for menstrual cramps and other menstrual symptoms.
One way to deliver cannabis to the uterus is by creating suppositories. Suppositories can be made from cannabis oil and can be inserted into the vagina.
You can literally drop CBD drops onto your tampon or pad for super fast relief.
Why? This method allows the medication to be absorbed directly by the uterus, providing fast and effective relief. The unique delivery system offered by the vagina. Placing medication directly in the vagina bypasses the liver, allowing the medication to enter the bloodstream more quickly. This can be particularly helpful for postpartum women who are experiencing vaginal dryness and discomfort.
How? We have this endocannabinoid system in our bodies that work well with something called cannabinods that our bodies produce AND we can find outside of our bodies in cannabis. Because due to outside stressors like pollution, Cannabis job as it relates to our cycle, is to promote homeostasis or balance. So if a hormone is too high, it's going to help level it out, make it more normal so that your feelings are normal and your symptoms are more tolerable and more normal.
Dr. Apgar also advises pregnant and breastfeeding women to use very low doses of cannabis and to tread lightly as there is still a lot that researchers do not know about its effects on developing brains. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to use very low doses of cannabis and to tread lightly as you learn how your body responds to doses.
Cannabis can be a natural alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals.
Which can come with a host of side effects. If you are interested in using cannabis to alleviate your menstrual cramps or other period-related symptoms, it is important to consult with a qualified healthcare provider who is knowledgeable about the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. They can help you determine the best dosage and method of consumption to suit your individual needs. But it is possible!
You can even reach out to Dr. Apgar herself!
Cannabis can help with anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep.
Dr. Apgarl in Episode 002 of the Mama Chill Club Podcast shares a story of a patient who suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and was on antidepressants, which made her feel dead inside. With the help of cannabis, the patient was able to wean herself off of antidepressants and regain her normal levels of functioning.
really high thc isn’t always the right course of action
One thing to be cognizant of is that the cannabis industry offers products with high levels of THC, which can be harmful, instead of providing low doses that can be beneficial. There is a time and place to get super high, I love those nights when the kids are asleep and I’m ready to destress the day, but when you are treating your body with cannabis as a medicine, the benefits are in the CBD and starting low with TCH levels.
The quality and availability of cannabis products can vary from state to state. Some states have experienced a decline in the quality of cannabis products after legalization, leading to a shortage of CBD and super high TCH percentages.
Education, knowledge, and research can help prevent this from happening and can help equip you in what to look for and how to introduce cannabis into your regimen.
Journaling was my go to when I first started. I tracked everything, from moods, to cramp severity, quality of sleep, how I felt in workouts, if I got the munchies, everything! It helped me understand what worked not only in that moment but into the next day and how recovered I felt from that night of sleep.
SEX
Cannabis can also help with libido and sexual satisfaction. Women may not always feel the same level of libido as they did when they were younger. Cannabis has been found to increase libido and make sexual encounters more satisfying. It can also help women get out of their heads and focus on their bodies, which can enhance the experience.
Cannabis can help you understand your body during your cycle.
Firstly, learning your bodies tolerance is so important here. That’s where I cannot emphasize enough about journaling. You can download apps, create a spreadsheet in Google Docs, or take a pen to paper. Learning how your body reacts to different amounts of CBD or TCH and taking a layer deeper with terpenes (more components to the plant, read more here about terpenes) is where the healing really begins. And it will help you notice during your cycle things you may not have thought to notice - mentally, physically, emotionally.
It also gives the person power back in the “I ate an edible once and will never do it again.” I HATE hearing this because my follow up to that is:
- How many mg of TCH were in that edible?
- How long before you felt effects?
- Did you take some, not feel it, then take some more? (THE MOST common course of action I hear)
- What was the ratio of CBD to THC?
I could go on…. if you can’t answer those, how do you know yourself and what your body is affected by?
Journaling can help you make informed decisions about your body and healing. Can you be honest with yourself about how much you know about your body? How it responds to different foods, amount of water you drink, quality of sleep, what habits fueled the best workouts that you felt unstoppable, what the sauna does for your skin, cold showers for your back pain, etc etc.
cannabis as medicine - let’s eliminate the stigma
If you take anything away from this article besides the fact that cannabis can help make your period more tolerable, is that cannabis CAN be treated and used like medicine. Whether you use cannabis for medical or recreational, cannabis users are not so different. Recreational users may not realize it, but they often use cannabis for medical reasons, such as to alleviate stress, anxiety, or pain. I hope that I can change perspective and stigma on cannabis.
And takeaway that cannabis CAN help you understand your body to not only be more optimal, as played out a word as that is, but how it can function better and know how to overcome discomforts you have.
Life, especially for a mom putting everyone around us first, is meant to be enjoyed and when we can make our days better on our overall well being mentally and physically, we can do our mama role even better.
Those interested in learning more can talk to their local dispensary or reach out to a cannabis specialist. With the unique delivery system offered by the vagina, cannabis can provide fast and effective relief for menstrual cramps, dryness, and other symptoms.
