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

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 →

Study on cannabis chemical as a treatment for pancreatic cancer may have ‘major impact,’ Harvard researcher says

Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of all cancers in America. But with a one-year survival rate of just 20 percent (and five-year survival rate of less than 8), it’s predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2020. Headlines about the illness, as a result, tend to be discouraging. But this month scientists from Harvard University’s Dana-Farber…
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 →

Former Detroit Lions players announce partnership with Harvard to study marijuana

Former Detroit Lions football players Calvin Johnson and Robert Sims are expanding their emerging cannabis enterprise into the field of medicine. The pair announced an agreement Thursday with the International Phytomedicines and Medical Cannabis Institute at Harvard University, which is researching the benefits of medical marijuana and looking at the best ways to deliver cannabis-based…
Read More →

Systematic review: Efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in selected neurologic disorders

Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology:   We performed a systematic review of medical marijuana (1948–November 2013) to address treatment of symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and movement disorders. We graded the studies according to the American Academy of Neurology classification scheme for therapeutic articles. Read the full…
Read More →

Medical Marijuana and Cancer

September is dedicated to recognizing numerous cancers that many around the world suffer from, including prostate, thyroid, ovarian and blood cancers. These cancers and many others can produce life-debilitating symptoms and conditions that are difficult to treat with traditional medications. Although there might not be one ‘perfect fix’ when it comes to curing cancer, medical…
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.