Skip to content

IBD and Cannabinoid Medicine

February 12, 2020 / Arfinn Med MD /

IBD and Cannabinoid Medicine

With an estimated 3.1 million adults diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) in the United States, it’s natural that many people are asking about the possible benefits of cannabis for the symptoms associated with IBD. In fact, the University of Michigan Health Department received so many questions regarding this issue, that they released a Q&A with one of their gastroenterologists on the subject. 

People suffering from IBD often have symptoms that can easily interfere with life’s daily activities.  Those symptoms include:

  • Abdominal cramps and pain
  • Diarrhea that may be bloody
  • Severe urgency to have a bowel movement
  • Fever
  • Weight loss
  • Loss of appetite
  • Iron deficiency anemia due to blood loss

With many states that allow medical marijuana including IBD in their ‘qualifying conditions’ list, patients have been able to use cannabinoid medicine in conjunction with their traditional treatment to find symptom relief.  Our data at Arfinn Med indicates that patients adding cannabinoid treatment to their regiment have seen an improvement in their symptoms, indicating a 3.9 out of 5.0 on our symptom relief scale.

A screenshot of a cell phone Description automatically generated

If you are suffering from IBD and are interested in learning more about cannabinoid medicine, please reach out to your physician to discuss ways of incorporating it into your existing treatment. If your physician would like more information, please refer them to Arfinn Med and its EMR and data portal focusing on complimentary and alternative medicines (CAM).

Resources:

https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/digestive-health/cannabis-for-treating-ibd-hope-or-hype

https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/inflammatory-bowel-syndrome#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/crohns-disease/facts-statistics-infographic#1

Stories you may be interested in

States with medical marijuana laws saw 20 percent drop in some opioid prescriptions

States with active medical marijuana laws saw certain opioid prescription rates drop nearly 20 percent compared to states without medical marijuana programs, according to a first-of-its-kind study out of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center. Authors said the findings underscore the importance of providing patients with pain management alternatives, such as cannabis, in efforts to reduce…
Read More →

Medical marijuana: Florida House seeks to intervene in ‘monumental’ case

TALLAHASSEE — Florida House leaders should be able to participate in a lawsuit that could revolutionize the state’s medical marijuana market, a lawyer for the Republican-led chamber told a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal Tuesday. But Tampa-based Florigrown argued that legislators instead should concentrate on fixing the law, aimed at carrying…
Read More →

After marijuana edibles helped dying Holocaust survivor battle Alzheimer’s, his family’s foundation pushes for more research

A Massachusetts family’s experience giving marijuana edibles to their dying patriarch is set to kick off a desperately needed investigation into how cannabis might treat some of the more troubling symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects 5.7 million Americans. Read the full story here.
Read More →

Customize Your Patient Notes with Arfinn Med

Joining the text messaging update, the Arfinn Med portal now presents the ability to create note taking templates. This innovative addition will allow physicians to streamline the data and information that they are collecting from patients, resulting in their cases staying aligned and concise. Additionally, through this function, physicians will be able to pick and…
Read More →

Medical marijuana helped elderly with chronic pain and reduced their use of opioids, study found

Your grandparents’ chronic aches and pains might best be eased with a little weed, a new study suggests. Not only did folks over 75 who took medical marijuana report less pain, their use of pot-based capsules, tinctures and e-cigarettes allowed a third of these patients to reduce their use of opioid painkillers, researchers found. “Medical marijuana, in…
Read More →

Insomnia: A Silent Epidemic

The struggle to get a good night’s sleep is something many adults can relate to, but what if there was a natural alternative to keep those sheep jumping all night long? CBD, also known as cannabidiol, has been gaining popularity among patients to help treat pain, anxiety and so much more. Additionally, conditions such as…
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.