Combating Menstrual Pain with Cannabis

By Heather DeRose

Many women are plagued with menstrual pain each month. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, dysmenorrhea is the most commonly reported menstrual disorder. The pain can vary from throbbing cramps to cramping pain in the lower abdomen. Other symptoms can include lower back pain, nausea, diarrhea and headaches. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) symptoms usually begin 1 to 2 weeks prior to your period and can include weight gain, bloating, irritability, and fatigue.

FOR SOME WOMEN, MENSTRUAL PAIN CAN BE DEBILITATING.

Women who experience pain for several days a month have options to endure the pain or medicate to alleviate symptoms.

Many women turn to over-thecounter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs) such as Ibuprofen for pain relief. At prescription doses, these drugs can provide relief with inflammation. However, these drugs are synthetic, and the human body does not have a regulatory system to process them. This leads to side effects. In addition, these treatments usually do not provide adequate symptom relief for patients. NSAIDs raise the risk of having a heart attack or stroke and can cause stomach bleeding and death.

Prostaglandins are inflammatory chemicals that peak during menstruation. NSAIDs work by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for producing prostaglandins (COX-2). This means that NSAIDs could potentially decrease all the symptoms aggravated by prostaglandins, including inflammation, contractions, and pain. However, NSAIDs can also have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects, because they inhibit another enzyme (COX-1). For this reason, NSAIDs should be used with moderation, and people with certain digestive issues might want to avoid them entirely.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT, SIMILAR TO NSAIDS, CBD ALSO INHIBITS THE PROSTAGLANDIN PRODUCING ENZYME.

Unlike NSAIDs, CBD preferentially inhibits COX-2 over COX-1. In simpler terms, this means its anti-inflammatory benefits come without the gastrointestinal side effects. Not only does CBD inhibit the COX-2 enzyme, but both CBD and THC physically stop your DNA from producing as much of the enzyme overall. Many healthcare professionals suggest patients start taking painkillers an hour or more before symptoms start – whether they are NSAIDs or cannabis treatment. Not starting treatment until pain symptoms start makes it more difficult to regulate pain, because the prostaglandins are already causing inflammation. Having a natural option that provides tremendous symptom relief is why women are turning to cannabis products.

Cannabis has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years and with the expanding growth of knowledge and availability, it is quickly becoming a household treatment product. Cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant are credited with aiding a variety of conditions including anxiety, inflammation, nausea, pain and others. Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the entire body, including the uterus. The receptors within the body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS) work with the cannabinoids found in cannabis to help naturally regulate the body’s response to pain and inflammation. Cannabis is also known for its muscle relaxing and vaso relaxing benefits, which can aid in menstrual symptom relief.

Incorporating cannabis foods can also help manage menstrual symptoms, because they contain gamma linolenic acid which helps maintain hormone balances. Cannabis foods contain high levels of magnesium, which can reduce pain and inflammatory prostaglandin levels as well. Other natural treatment options, such as heat application, exercise, vitamins, healthy lifestyle, and stress reduction may decrease discomfort for women. Patients may seek additional options if they don’t find relief with NSAIDs or cannabinoid therapy which could include a prescription for non-hormonal drug treatments, the contraceptive pill, stronger pain relievers, and the intrauterine system (IUS). All come with lengthy side effect lists. Healthcare professionals are learning more about the benefits of cannabis and are educating and prescribing cannabis to their patients.

Dr. Melanie Bone is a board-certified gynecologist and a medical cannabis practitioner. Her mission is to, “be an educator and to provide the guidance and support so very necessary to give to patients, especially those who have no experience with cannabis.” Dr. Bone specializes in “the intersection of women’s health and cannabiniods.” She is working in the industry educate others about, “cannabiniods for women’s wellness from menarche through menopause.”

With doctors like Dr. Bone prescribing cannabis for overall health and menstrual pain management, cannabis has become the natural go-to for maintaining a woman’s ability to function and manage pain, as well as overall health and wellness benefits.

Dispensaries carry products that specialize in treating menstrual pain, such as vaginal suppositories. Patients can get cannabinoids directly to the area that needs it, with little or no psychoactive effects. Other cannabis products can aid in providing symptom relief like topicals, edibles, smokables, sublinguals, patches, and more. Modern women are beginning to take advantage of the cannabis plant as a tool for menstrual pain and as a health product for themselves and their families, as it was used thousands of years ago. With knowledge and availability growing, cannabis is spreading its power to provide health benefits and improve the quality of lives for millions around the world.