Menopause can feel like your life has turned upside down. Read on to discover how CBD may help you regain control and relieve some of your menopause symptoms.
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Any woman experiencing menopause understands how isolating the experience can be. This is due, in part, to the outdated stigma associated with aging. Because of that, women tend to downplay or completely ignore their symptoms. For some women, the hot flashes or sleep problems are mild. However, for others, a wide range of symptoms can be debilitating and interfere with their daily lives.
Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life, and, as such, there’s no reason why you should suffer. That’s why it’s often necessary to find lifestyle adjustments or supplements to help manage your symptoms.
One such supplement is CBD Oil. Like we said earlier, menopause is completely natural. That’s why many women rely on CBD and its ability to boost the natural balancing powers of your Endocannabinoid System. Keep reading to find out how CBD may help you regain control and relieve some of your menopause symptoms.
Disclaimer: We want to take a moment and remind everyone that while CBD is considered a safe and mild supplement, you should always talk with your doctor before adding CBD into your regimen. While side-effects are rare and usually mild, it’s better to err on the side of caution. This goes double for anyone taking any prescriptions, as CBD can interact with some medications.
What is Menopause and Why AREN’T We Talking About It?
In the later portion of a woman’s life (anywhere from age 40 to 60), her ovaries will slowly stop producing estrogen and progesterone. At first, periods may become irregular in what’s known as perimenopause. Once menstruation has ceased entirely for 12 months, this is known as menopause. Age isn’t the only thing that can cause menopause, however. If you’ve undergone a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy, you might experience menopause.
Because each woman is different, experiences can vary wildly. During perimenopause, some women experience heavier periods more often. For others, they have lighter periods that skip a month (or several) before returning. Then, once your ovaries officially stop producing eggs, menopause can be a wild ride of symptoms. Here are just a few:
- Hot flashes
- Weight gain/slow metabolism
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Vaginal Dryness
- Night sweats
- Mood swings/Depression
- Joint aches and pains
Maybe it doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, however, it’s a totally normal part of a woman’s life. But if that’s the case, why does menopause seem to be this giant mystery?
If you hadn’t noticed, our society is a bit youth-obsessed. It’s all about looking and feeling younger. That means anything related to aging is considered taboo and, consequently, hidden. This creates an incredibly toxic environment for aging women to navigate as they experience and try to manage menopause symptoms.
According to the AARP Menopause Survey, 42 percent of the more than 400 women who participated said they’d never talked to their doctor about their menopause symptoms. What’s even more shocking is that 84 percent of those same 400+ women indicated that symptoms got in the way of their daily lives. Twelve percent even said those symptoms were debilitating.
Luckily, the taboo surrounding menopause is slowly lifting thanks to more women coming forward with their stories. Whether it’s social media, podcasts, or even films and television, talking about this part of a woman’s life is how we de-stigmatize it. That’s kind of what we’re doing today! Plus, the more we talk about menopause, the easier it is for women to find relief for their symptoms.
CBD May Relieve These Menopause Symptoms
Some of the lifestyle changes that may relieve symptoms include developing better sleep habits, eating more foods with phytoestrogens, and even just good old exercise. If these kinds of simple changes don’t give you the relief you need, however, you should consider supplementing with CBD Oil.
Women have used CBD to help relieve hormonal acne, some symptoms of PMS and PCOS, and now more and more women are using CBD to relieve menopause symptoms as well. Genneve, an online clinic offering resources for women going through menopause, even believes that CBD could be an invaluable tool to help women.
Your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is your natural regulatory system that helps balance things like your sleep/wake cycle, stress responses, your immune system, and more. It uses its own endocannabinoids, but because Cannabidiol (CBD) is so similar to those, CBD essentially gives your ECS more tools to complete its many tasks.
The well-known anti-inflammatory powers of CBD are actually from its ability to balance your immune system’s inflammatory response. That means CBD may help relieve those extra aches and pains you’ve started to notice since menopause set in!
CBD can do a lot more than that though…
CBD May Help With Mood Swings, Anxiety, and Depression
Undergoing a big life transition is pretty stressful all on its own, but the added hormone changes can often cause mood swings, anxiety, and even depression. Plus, if you were already dealing with any of these issues before, menopause may make them more difficult to manage.
Luckily, CBD is an anxiolytic. A 2019 study even found that, among their sample population, 78 percent experienced less anxiety and 66 percent noticed fewer signs of depression. This is due, in part, to the GABA boosting powers of the ECS. That, plus the way CBD may improve other areas of your life, is enough to put anyone in a better mood.
CBD May Reduce Sleep Disturbances Caused by Menopause
Hot flashes and chills can often make it difficult for women to fall asleep or stay asleep. But hormonal fluctuations can also impact your natural sleep/wake cycle. Even without all the other symptoms, lack of quality sleep can lead to fatigue, grogginess, mood swings, and irritability.
Luckily, CBD may help re-balance your sleep cycle and make it easier to fall asleep. First, by taking CBD 20 to 30 minutes before bed, you can develop a new sleep ritual that will help you develop better sleep habits. On top of that, though, CBD will help relax your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep.
If your sleep disturbances are severe enough to be classified as insomnia, make sure you’re using Full-Spectrum CBD and not Broad-Spectrum or Isolates. While the amount of THC in full-spectrum products is negligible, it makes a big difference when it comes to sleeping. Read more about why full-spectrum CBD helps relieve insomnia here.
CBD May Positively Influence Hormone Balance
While CBD will not “cure” menopause, it may help bring a bit of balance to fluctuating hormone levels. Research has confirmed a link between the Endocannabinoid System and the Endocrine System (the system in charge of your hormones), which is what enables CBD to influence your hormones.
There was even a Polish university study that confirmed how pivotal the ECS is in keeping our hormones balanced. It’s important to note, however, that there aren’t enough human studies to definitively say whether or not CBD can increase estrogen or progesterone levels. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that women may find relief from the many symptoms caused by hormonal fluctuations.
Two such symptoms are vaginal dryness and a low sex drive. A lack of estrogen can cause poor circulation around the vagina and a thinning of the vaginal tissue. Oftentimes, this makes it harder to produce cervical mucus. When this happens, many women experience vaginal dryness that can lead to discomfort and painful intercourse. This can make it much harder to get “in the mood.”
While there’s not a ton of information in regards to CBD as an aphrodisiac, it’s anti-inflammatory powers may help reduce pain in irritated vaginal tissue and any hormone-boosting properties might help boost the production of cervical mucus.
Menopause is a Rite of Passage
One of the most important things to remember is that these symptoms don’t last forever. Once the hormonal fluctuations have leveled out, symptoms should subside after a few years. To help you in the interim, however, find relief by talking with other women who are going through menopause, adopt healthy lifestyle changes, and consider supplementing with CBD.
If you notice that your symptoms are still hard to manage, it may be time to talk to your doctor about treatment options. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t have to hide what you’re going through, and you deserve to find relief.
As always, remember to consult with your doctor before starting any new supplements, especially if you’re on any medications. Menopause can be disorienting, but you’re not alone! Contact us today with questions and regain control of your life.