What You Need To Know About CBD And Gout

Gout is a common form of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in joints. As we know CBD can help with inflammation, as it has the needed properties to reduce it. But can CBD help you when you are struggling with gout? Here is what you need to know.

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol, or as known CBD oil is derived from the marijuana plant, Cannabis. It has shown to have many therapeutic benefits and can be used to ease the symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, epilepsy, and cancer. CBD is not psychoactive, as other well-known compound THC, so you will not get ‘high’.

What is gout?

Gout is a complex arthritis caused by a built up of uric acid in the joints. The excess uric acid in the system forms needle like crystals that build up in the joint causing sudden onset of intense pain and swelling. With early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes, gout is one of the most controllable forms of arthritis. Symptoms often develop without warning (often at night) and cause such intense pain that even the slightest pressure can not be tolerated. Gout can develop in any joint in your body, but most generally begins in the large joint of the big toe. Other commonly affected joints are: wrists & fingers, ankles, knees, & elbows. Older men are more likely to suffer from gout than younger men and women. Here are the symptoms of gout: sudden onset of extreme inflammation usually lasting 12 hours or more; swollen area is usually extremely tender/warm to the touch; lingering pain and inflammation; even when the most intense pain and swelling begin to subside, the sufferer will often continue to experience discomfort and swelling for several days to weeks. Many times subsequent attacks can be more violent and last longer. The affected joint is many times visibly larger, bright red, and warm to the touch. Movement in the joints is extremely painful due to the needle like crystals irritating the nerves. As Gout progresses, many people are not able to move these joints like they used to do before.

These are the following factors that can make higher chances to develop the gout: high urate levels; however, not everyone who has high levels develops gout; a family history of gout/ genetics; age; bad habits: drinking alcohol; excessive eating of foods that are rich in purines (usually from animal sources), a substance that breaks down into urate; drinking a lot of beverages that have high-fructose corn syrup; overweight/obesity; high blood pressure (hypertension), and chronic kidney disease. Moreover, some medications can also cause gout.

Does CBD oil help with gout?

CBD is a very powerful anti-inflammatory compound that can help you not only fight the symptoms of gout, but can also work to prevent gout in the first place. CBD works with your body’s endocannabinoid system to enhance some functions in your body. It mostly works to relieve pain by reducing inflammation and reducing the pain signals. CBD is a powerful antioxidant that works to fight free radicals. It reduces stress and anxiety which can amplify existing pain.

When it comes to any disease that has a violent inflammatory onset, it is always recommended using an oral as well as a topical CBD. Oral preparations are getting absorbed quickly and distributed into your blood, whereas topical applications go directly to the affected cells in the area of flare up. That’s why when you have gout, you can try using CBD in order to reduce the inflammation. You can take CBD, however the research on CBD’s benefits is quite limited and there is no straight evidence that it works for treating gout.

Research around CBD and gout

I have found three very good pieces of research around this topic. First is a study published in the European Journal of Pain in 2015 . This study examined the effects of transdermal CBD in a rat arthritis. The results showed that CBD has a long-lasting therapeutic effect and the use of topical CBD has a great potential to be an effective treatment of arthritic symptomatology, however this research was performed on animals, so it is hard to tell if the result will be the same with people.

The second is a literature review published in 2018 in Current Opinion in Pharmacology that summarizes how cannabinoids have the potential to treat the pain that can be associated with arthritis that causes degeneration of cartilage and bones. In the report it was noted the fact that the body’s endocannabinoid system has an important role in joint-related pain. This could pertain to gout patients who may experience high levels of pain in their joints.

And the third one is another 2018 study that was published in the Journal of Headache And Pain , which reported positive findings from a cohort of medical cannabis patients. Researchers found that cannabis varieties high in the terpenes of caryophyllene and myrcene (the most prevalent chemovars on the market at the time of the study) were most successful in treating headaches, migraines, and other pain disorders, including arthritis.

Such researches and studies could be really great news of hope for arthritis patients who are being treated specifically to relieve pain related to gout. These are also prove that CBD has beneficial effects , however it is still a little bit hard to tell if it is effective.

How to take CBD oil for gout

Many people report only some relief of their gout pain with painkillers. In addition, these drugs have several side effects, such as increasing the risk of gastric ulcers or perforation in the gut. For these reasons, people are turning to CBD oil for gout pain, for its cannabinoids content—which has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving abilities.

The most common triggers of gout are: consuming large amounts of foods high in purines such as red meat, turkey, etc; drinking alcohol; joint damage from injury or surgery; chemotherapy; diuretic medications such as for edema , high blood pressure, and heart failure; fasting/crash diets which cause dehydration; drinking excessive amount of alcoholic beverages and sweet sodas per day. Another trigger is genetics that plays a key role in developing gout, but unbalanced diet is often the reason why gout flare ups.

How to figure out CBD dosage

The amount of CBD you should take depends on a range of factors, including: body weight; the condition you’re treating; individual body chemistry; concentration of CBD in each pill, capsule, drop, or gummy, etc. In other words, there are a lot of variables that go into deciding how much CBD to take. Before trying CBD, be sure to talk to your doctor about an appropriate dosage and any potential risks. If your doctor tells you how much to use, stick to their recommendation. This is especially important if you’re taking a prescription medication that contains CBD, such as Epidiolex, a form of seizure medication. If your doctor doesn’t provide a recommendation, it’s best to start with a smaller dosage and gradually increase it. This could mean starting with 20mg to40 mg a day. After a week, increase this amount by 5mg. Continue this until you feel that it’s effectively treating your symptoms.

CBD oil for gout: final verdict

If you suffer from gout and are considering trying CBD oil for gout pain relief, it is recommended that you always speak with your doctor first. You should definitely discuss starting taking CBD with your doctor, so you make sure it will not influence your current treatment and health condition. Moreover, it should be noted that CBD oil will not prevent gout flare-ups from occurring if it is used on its own. This is because gout is due to an excessive build-up of uric acid in the blood, which is then converted into painful urate crystals. CBD has shown to be very helpful for some people to deal with pain and inflammation, as we see from the testimonies of different people online. If you feel like you can try CBD and it will not hurt your medications and you’ve discussed it with your doctor, then definitely go for it!

Now it’s your turn

If you have any relevant experience or thoughts on this topic, please free to share them in the comments! Your feedback will be very appreciated and welcomed! We want to create a great platform for thoughts and exchange of experience, where people can get educated on topics related to CBD. We believe, it will help them to form their own opinions on CBD and helps them to make their decisions if they want to try CBD or products, which contain CBD. So please share what you think in the comments!