CBD Oil For Edema

Can CBD Oil Help With Edema?

Fluid retention can appear from injury or inflammation. CBD has been known for its great anti-inflammation properties. But can CBD oil actually help to treat edema? Read on and find out.

Table of Contents

01. What Is CBD Oil? | 02. CBD Oil For Edema | 03. Best CBD Oils | 04. Comments

What is CBD? 

CBD (or cannabidiol) is a non psychoactive compound from cannabis plant. It will not give you the well-known euphoric effect that THC has. CBD is famous for its health benefits. The list of CBD’s benefits and what CBD is proven to help with is quite long: CBD relieves pain and inflammation; reduces anxiety and depression; reduces acne; reduces oxidative stress; calms epilepsy. Furthermore, I found several articles stating that CBD might help with some condition by reducing psychotic symptoms, prevent diabetes, benefit heart health and alleviate cancer-related symptoms. However, the research on this topic is quite limited, so these benefits are not scientifically proven, but there are many testimonies online from people that say that CBD has definitely helped them.

What are the main causes of edema?

Fluid retention, or edema, is caused by many things including 6 major factors. Not drinking enough water to flush out your system can cause retention – if you do not drink water, your body will then hold on to it (or retain it) to survive and keep organs functioning. Deficiencies of magnesium also cause water retention. Magnesium is a very important nutrient in our body and we need to intake at least 200 milligrams daily. Not doing so may lead to swelling. Not getting enough potassium may cause our organs to not function correctly and cause our bodies to hold on to water, since those very organs are what keep our water storage functioning. While vitamin B6 may also cause water retention, reasoning as to why was not supplied in the article. Regardless, this can be avoided by eating certain foods rich in B6 vitamins. Consuming too much salt also causes edema. If you eat too much without drinking water to flush it out of your system, you may hold on to that water weight.

With that said, processed foods are often flavoured with excessive salt and sugars, which our bodies aren’t meant to process. By consuming these things, your body is again getting too much of what it doesn’t need and in turn will retain water. Finally, drinking water, or not enough, will also impact your body! The more water you drink, the less your body will hold on to. Drinking water flushes out your system and helps your body not retain, so everything runs smoother and theoretically functions correctly. If retaining water, movement or exercise helps let go of those fluids. Also, elevating legs, eating more naturally occurring foods like fruits and vegetables, not wearing constricting clothes and avoiding hot showers all help in ridding ourselves of edema. 

CBD oil and fluid retention: What’s going on?

CBD oil has shown to be a good pain reliever and to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. However, there is limited research available on this topic, so it is really hard to tell if CBD actually helps with fluid retention. Preliminary research suggests that CBD may reduce food intake and boost metabolism, which could promote weight loss, but it is still not clear if it works from fluid retention. And is CBD a diuretic? The research states: “The present studies demonstrate that doses of CB agonists that produce these effects also reliably increase diuresis. Diuretic effects of several CB agonists were measured in female rats over 2 hours immediately after drug injection, and results were compared with hypothermic effects.” So from that we may assume that there are some effects that may potentially be helpful. But this research was held on rats, so it is not proved that the same effect will be for people.

Does CBD help treat edema?

Edema, which is also known as fluid retention, is the buildup of fluid in the body’s tissue. Most commonly, it affects legs or arms. Symptoms of edema can include skin which feels tight, the area may feel heavy, and affected joints may be hard to move. Other symptoms depend on the underlying cause of the appearance of edema. CBD is known to decrease the inflammation in the body. Edema is a good example of inflammation and based on many testimonies from people that used CBD in their treatment, I can tell that CBD can actually be helpful in dealing with edema. However, it should not be treated as the only medication from edema.

Can CBD oil cause water retention?

CBD has a physical effect on the body and brain. After you consume this cannabinoid, it binds with the ECS receptors of the endocannabinoid system, interacting with the central and peripheral nervous system, without creating any psychoactive effects. Scientists have concluded that CBD oil is safe for human consumption and it comes with only a few minor side effects. While cannabinoids affect everyone a bit differently, it looks like the majority of CBD users can consume CBD oil without any adverse reactions. While doing my research, I couldn’t find any specific information about CBD causing water retention in the human body. So from what I’ve found, CBD oil is safe and may cause only minor side effects, which do not include water retention.

The best CBD oils for edema

CBD side effects

CBD has some minor side effects. But in general, CBD is considered to be safe and not harmful for the human body. Moreover, it is almost impossible to get overdosed by CBD, especially if the CBD is pure. So these side effects include: tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, irritability, changes in appetite, weight gain or loss, fatigue. Moreover, CBD can also interact with some medications, so before you start using CBD oil, you should definitely consult with your doctor about this decision and just to be completely sure that CBD will not make your condition worse. This will help you to avoid potentially harmful interactions.

One study has shown that CBD-rich cannabis extract has a potential to cause liver toxicity. However, this research was performed on mice, so it doesn’t fully prove the statement above. Generally, CBD is considered to be safe and not harmful for health, but, please, keep in mind that different people can react differently to it. I would highly recommend discussing your usage of CBD with your doctor, which will help to avoid any harmful side effects. Also, CBD can cause some insignificant side effects, such as dry mouth (or cottonmouth) . It is likely due to cannabinoids altering receptors in the lower jaw that triggers secretion of saliva. Mostly it causes mild discomfort, which is easily taken away by drinking a glass of water right after taking CBD oil. It is good to know that CBD oil tends to give you a feeling of tiredness, but it might something you are going for. 

What drugs should not be taken with CBD?

You have to avoid CBD if your medications have a grapefruit warning on the label.

This warning indicates that people taking the medication should avoid consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Initial studies show that CBD can definitely mess with medication levels in your system, even if you’re taking your prescribed dosage. But more research is needed to determine the severity of CBD interactions across different medications and to develop recommendations for taking them along with CBD. So the first thing you should do is consult with your doctor in order to avoid any interactions.

CBD oil for edema: final verdict

In my opinion. CBD oils will be a great addition to your daily routine and diet and to your common medication, rather than the only treatment for edema. You should definitely take other medicine in order to get rid of edema and not just rely on CBD oil. Mild edema can go on its own, but if its more severe form, the it may be treated with drugs that expel excess fluid in the form of urine (diuretics). Your doctor may prescribe you medication and determine whether these types of medication will be good for you. That’s why it is very recommended to talk to your doctor before starting taking CBD in order to avoid any unwanted result or interaction between CBD and other prescribed medication.

Now it’s your turn

If you have any interesting experience with CBD, especially in treatment of Edema, please feel free to share your stories and thoughts in the comment section. Your thoughts will be highly appreciated! We want to make educational information about CBD more accessible and people’s testimonies and experiences play a huge role in contribution to this information. Also, if you have any questions about CBD and edema, please write them in comments, so we can help you out and clear things up for you! When you are looking for proper medication recommendations or any reviews, you definitely check the comment section. People are sharing their thoughts, observations, experience and it is amazing to have a good platform for creating a forum for people, who are looking for any advice. So, please, feel free to share your story or ask any questions. That will be much appreciated!