Menopause is no fun. As a woman’s body goes through significant changes, those changes can be extremely uncomfortable. Everything from mood swings to night sweats and pain can make life miserable for perimenopausal women. Apparently, some are turning to Medical Cannabis for menopause.
A recent online survey from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) suggests that a significant number of women are using Medical Cannabis as “an adjunct treatment for menopause-related symptoms.” The small-scale study involved some 250 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women recruited through targeted advertising.
The nonclinical nature of the study is an inherent weakness, as is the relatively small sample size. Nonetheless, some 86% of the survey respondents reported using Medical Cannabis to treat menopause symptoms. That is a truly remarkable number that cannot be ignored. Though scientists would consider the survey results anecdotal evidence, such evidence still carries weight in the discussion of cannabis efficacy.
We already know that Medical Cannabis helps to alleviate chronic pain. We see it all the time with patients that have been living with chronic pain for years only to find no relief with more traditional treatments. If it can relieve chronic pain, cancer pain, etc., there is no reason to disbelieve women who report that it helps relieve pain associated with menopause.
Furthermore, if pain relief is reported by perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, there is also reason to believe their reports of Medical Cannabis relieving other menopause symptoms. In short, while this recently published study is by no means conclusive, its results do weigh heavily in favor of Medical Cannabis as a valid menopause treatment.
The Cannigma recently published an article discussing the NAMS study. We like their take on it: “As with most things in the cannabis realm, this sort of thing can be pretty individual…”
We couldn’t agree more. It doesn’t matter whether someone uses Medical Cannabis to alleviate menopause symptoms or take the edge off chronic pain. Different people see different results. Why? Because there are so many factors in play.
When you are medicating with Medical Cannabis, there are many different products you can try. You have plenty of choices in terms of:
What is really important for most patients is finding the right cannabinoid and terpene profile. And for some, there are multiple profiles that offer relief in different ways. As far as delivery method and dosage are concerned, these are not always static.
It is no surprise that the NAMS study showed that the two most popular delivery methods among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were smoking and edible ingestion. In addition, the two most commonly reported symptoms being treated were sleep disturbances and anxiety/mood issues.
No doubt other delivery methods were used. Likewise, other symptoms were successfully treated. The point is that each of the women choosing to respond to the survey represents an individual who has a unique Medical Cannabis experience.
You are an individual as well. Your Medical Cannabis journey is unique to your condition, your experience, and how your body responds to the medication. What works for you is best for you. Always keep that in the forefront of your mind.
A fair number of women are apparently turning to Medical Cannabis to treat the symptoms of menopause. If you are new to the whole Medical Cannabis thing in Utah, we encourage you to do some research. If you qualify, it might be the alternative medication you have been looking for.
