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

An Alternative Treatment for Parkinson’s Patients

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and an opportune time to highlight the disease and how medical marijuana may be a beneficial treatment option for those living with the condition. Many Parkinson’s patients find themselves desperate for alternative treatment options that provide sufficient relief of their symptoms and help avoid or postpone the need for surgery…
Read More →

Medical Marijuana a Hit With Seniors

In a new survey, those who turned to it for treating chronic pain reported it reduced pain and decreased the need for opioid painkillers. Nine out of 10 liked it so much they said they’d recommend medical pot to others. “I was on Percocet and replaced it with medical marijuana. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said one senior. Another patient put…
Read More →

Assessing Health-Related Outcomes of Medical Cannabis Use among Older Persons: Findings from Colorado and Illinois

ABSTRACT Objectives To assess health-related outcomes associated with medical cannabis use among older patients in Colorado and Illinois enrolled in their home state’s medical cannabis program. Methods Cross-sectional data from anonymous surveys were collected from 139 persons over the age of 60 using medical cannabis in the past year. We used structural equation modeling (SEM)…
Read More →

More baby boomers use medical marijuana, but they want their doctors to get wise to the risks and benefits

Baby boomers’ marijuana use has edged upward in the past decade, but recent research suggests some still have a hard time getting a hold of the drug. Older adults want more education, more research and greater openness with their health-care providers about using medical marijuana, according to a qualitative study of older cannabis users and non-users in…
Read More →

Data Migration During EMR Changes

One of the most challenging aspects when deciding to switch to a new EMR system is how to get existing data from the old system to the new system safely, securely and accurately.  Many times, the scope of this task is enough to force providers to remain with a subpar vendor even though there are…
Read More →

Cannabis for Treating IBD: Hope or Hype?

Nausea, abdominal pain and changes in appetite. These are all things that can significantly impact one’s wellbeing if left untreated, yet they have all shown marked improvements when associated with cannabis. Yet, less is known about the effects of cannabis on inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, a chronic inflammatory condition that impacts the gastrointestinal tract…
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.