Periods & Cannabis
I recently quit hormonal birth control at the age of 29. I've been on birth control since I was 18 and only was off it for approximately 11 months when I was pregnant.
I truly forgot how draining, gruelling, and excessive periods are.
The two weeks leading up to your cycle are those blissful weeks. I felt AWESOME. No cramps, weird hot flashes, or anything out of the ordinary. My skin has been clear, I've had no bloat.
That all changed drastically as my period approached.
PMS hit me like a ton of bricks. My mood fluctuates, I'm excessively tired, nauseous , and lacking motivation to complete basic tasks.
As many as three in four women suffer from PMS.
Why Cannabis?
How can cannabis help alleviate and relieve some or all of your PMS and menstrual symptoms?
Many women are realizing the benefits of cannabis and CBD products and are ditching the NSAIDs and tylenol. Cannabis isn't a new phenomenon though, Many women used cannabis throughout the years and now we are coming back full-circle to plant-based medicine.
Let me give you a brief history lesson.
Dating all the way back to the 9th century, Persian texts site that cannabis was used to calm uterine pains. A Chinese text from 1596 also recommends cannabis to help aid menstrual disorders.
The most infamous story in history though is that of Queen Victoria had monthly doses of “Cannabis Indica” to help aid in her menstrual pain.
Her personal doctor who followed her 30-year experiment with cannabis was convinced of the plants' power to help.
Sir J Russell Reynolds said;
“ Cannabis is one of the most valuable medicines we possess”.
This was published in 1890 in the Lancet Journal, One of the oldest and most respected medical journals.
How can cannabis help?
Reduced Mood-Swings!
As we know, cannabis is a natural happiness inducer. Instead of crying over The NoteBook for the hundredth time, roll yourself a joint of a nice strain and pop yourself in a bath.
The combination of the heat and THC will help alleviate any bad vibes and cramps you may have.
Cramp Reducer.
Instead of reaching for the tylenol on NSAIDs, You should consider reaching for the CBD rich products instead. CBD is a known anti-inflammatory. What’s great about CBD also is that it works without the risk of damaging your liver, heart, or cause gastrointestinal issues like NSAIDS can do. CBD is non-intoxicating so it can be used during the day to ease your pain.
Why do I feel like I'm consuming extra cannabis during my period?
This being said, Estrogen can have an affect on how the THC works for you during your monthly course. The more estrogen you have, the better high you'll feel as the THC molecules bind to the THC receptors.
When you're on your period, your estrogen levels are at their lowest levels. You may notice you have to consume more cannabis during this time period in order to achieve the effects you're looking for.
What about topicals? How do those work?
Topicals are amazing.
How incredible is it that you can put a cream on you and it helps pain? Or you can bathe in a bath soak or with an infused bath bomb.
As we know, we all have an endocannabinoid system. Our skin is our largest organ and has tons of cannabinoid receptors. With topicals, the THC doesn’t penetrate the bloodstream and offers a localized pain relief instead. When the topical is applied to your sore areas, the cannabinoids bind to your receptors and can offer relief within a few minutes of application.
I use topicals almost daily. I have creams for pain that I use on my knee or my lower back pain. They do help ease the pain but they are not a cure-all . Infused bath products are amazing, hot baths are typically soothing but when you add in a infused bath bomb and soak for 30 minutes or more, your body absorbs the THC:CBD and relaxes those sore aching body parts of yours. This is awesome for lulling yourself to sleep after a particularly difficult period day.