Cannabis May Offer Relief From Menopause Symptoms: What to Know Healthline | |
go to original August 11, 2022 |
How Cannabis Helps to Balance and Relieve Menopause Symptom (WayofLeaf)
More women are turning to medical cannabis to seek relief from menopause and perimenopause symptoms, research suggests.
For instance, a 2020 study shows that about 1 in 4 female veterans use cannabis to treat menopause symptoms.
And now, new research, recently published in the journal Menopause, suggests that the number of both menopausal and perimenopausal women using medical cannabis for symptom relief could be much higher.
“This study suggests that medical cannabis use may be common in midlife women experiencing menopause-related symptoms,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society, in a press release.
Still, experts caution that the effects of cannabis on menopause symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep, and pain have not yet been fully established.
“Healthcare professionals should query their patients about the use of medical cannabis for menopause symptoms and provide evidence-based recommendations for symptom management,” Faubion added.
More Women Using Cannabis for Menopause Relief
The new study involved more than 250 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who were recruited through targeted ads about women’s health and cannabis use.
Over 83% of study participants said they regularly used cannabis to treat menopause-related symptoms, which was defined by researchers as at least once per month.
The study shows that cannabis was most commonly used to ameliorate sleep and mood or anxiety issues. The majority of participants (84%) said they smoked cannabis for symptom relief, with 78% of participants reporting the use of edibles.
Despite the seemingly positive findings, the study has a built-in bias since participants were recruited because of their interest in cannabis.
“There’s no value in terms of its numbers or validity,” Dr. Felice Gersh, an OB-GYN and founder of the Integrative Medical Group in Irvine, California, told Healthline.
“But it does bring up the important subject about the suffering that women go through in menopause with no assistance from the medical establishment.”
Read the rest at Healthline
Related: The Best CBD Products for Menopause Symptoms (Healthline)
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