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

New Feature: Text Message Treatment Updates

New to the Arfinn Med portal comes the ability to receive real time updates from patients via text messaging. This new addition will allow physicians to stay up to date on current patient efficacies as well as streamline the data collection process. Through the new text messaging function, physicians are able to send patients automated…
Read More →

Medical Cannabis and Breast Cancer

October is breast cancer awareness month and we at Arfinn Med would like to reiterate the importance of early screening and regular tests.  According to the American Cancer Society: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast…
Read More →

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 →

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 →

World Cancer Day – Shine a Light on the World

In 2018, it was estimated that 1,735,350 new cancer cases would be diagnosed in the United States and 609,640 individuals would pass from the disease [Cancer.gov]. We cannot sit by and ignore this life altering disease, which is why World Cancer Day, recognized on Feb. 4, is such an important awareness campaign to the Arfinn…
Read More →

Aching for a Better Alternative?

To close out Arthritis Awareness Month, we’re highlighting how medical marijuana may be a beneficial alternative treatment for this painful and debilitating disease. With over 31 million Americans suffering from various types of arthritis, the condition stands as the leading disability throughout the U.S. As many may know, arthritis is most common among the middle-aged…
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.