Medicinal cannabis is a powerful and effective treatment for many autoimmune diseases. It can help patients with lupus by lowering inflammation and pain, which are common symptoms of the disease.
Marijuana can reduce inflammation by lowering the body’s inflammation-promoting protein interleukin-2 and raising its anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-10. This is especially useful for autoimmune disorders like lupus that are characterized by inflammation, which can be extremely painful and damaging.
Cannabinoids
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to produce autoantibodies (proteins that attack healthy cells). It can affect any part of the body, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells and brain. In some cases, it can cause inflammation and damage to other organs, which can result in pain and swelling.
It can also damage the lungs and heart, making it difficult for people with lupus to breathe and talk normally. The risk of death due to complications with the kidneys and heart is high.
Fortunately, a team of doctors, a customized treatment plan and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the symptoms of lupus. Prescription medications can relieve some symptoms, such as pain, inflammation and tiredness. Drugs can also help control rashes, mouth ulcers and blood clotting.
The body has an endocannabinoid system, which includes endogenous cannabinoids like anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). They’re produced by the body to regulate several functions, including pain, mood, memory, immunity, sleep and responses to stress.
They’re triggered by cannabinoid receptors that are located on the surface of cells throughout the body. There are two main categories of cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2.
In addition, the ECS is regulated by other cannabinoid receptors that are sensitive to heat (TRPV receptors). These types of receptors have been shown to reduce pain, improve appetite, increase energy metabolism, regulate cardiovascular function and reduce nausea.
These mechanisms are what make cannabinoids so useful for medical and recreational purposes. They also allow scientists to study the impact of cannabinoids on a wide variety of health conditions.
Activating the CB2 receptors can also help decrease inflammation. This happens when cannabinoids bind to the CB2 receptors on immune cells, especially white blood cells (B-cells and T-cells). When the CB2 receptor is activated on these cells, they don’t go into the blood to cause inflammation, which may be important in treating diseases such as lupus.
However, the full potential of cannabinoids to treat autoimmune diseases like lupus is not yet known. Research will be needed to understand their effects and how they interact with the ECS.
THC
Whether you smoke or eat marijuana, THC is an active ingredient that can have many benefits for your health. It can ease pain, increase sleep and suppress anxiety. It can also decrease the number of immune cells that are attacking your body’s tissues, which is a good thing for people with lupus.
The two main cannabinoids that make up cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Both can be helpful for calming your mood and relieving pain.
THC works by attaching to endocannabinoid receptors in your brain, where it can affect feelings of happiness and calmness. It can also stimulate your appetite and relieve nausea and vomiting.
However, it can cause side effects such as impaired motor skills and a relapse of schizophrenic symptoms, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It can also make you feel drowsy and unable to concentrate.
You can use cannabis to ease your lupus symptoms without getting high, as long as you follow a few important tips. First, you should choose a strain with low THC levels. You can find these at any dispensary, but it’s best to get the product from a reputable source.
Another tip is to choose a strain that will help reduce inflammation in your body. This will reduce the number of immune cells that attack your skin, joints and other tissues.
While research on a relationship between lupus and marijuana is still underway, there is some promising data out there. Studies have shown that cannabis can lower the level of certain proteins that are related to inflammation.
In addition, it can also raise the levels of other anti-inflammatory proteins. This is a promising finding for people with lupus and other autoimmune disorders.
It can even help slow the progression of the disease and stop it from becoming more serious. These benefits are why some people with lupus are choosing to smoke or ingest marijuana.
It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about any complementary health approaches you may be trying. They can advise you on the right treatment and provide support in making the decision to include cannabis in your lupus management plan.
CBD
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation in many different parts of the body, including the joints, kidneys, brain, blood cells, lungs and heart. The symptoms of lupus are painful and can make it hard to live a normal life.
Traditionally, treatment for lupus consists of a team of doctors and a customized plan to alleviate the symptoms. Prescription medications are also available, but some have side effects that can be severe and even life-threatening.
But research is showing that cannabis may be able to help people with lupus manage their symptoms. It can work by reducing the activity of the immune system and calming the abnormal immune response that characterizes lupus.
It can also reduce the inflammation of certain types of arthritis. One study showed that a synthetic cannabinoid, JBT-101 (lenabasum), could reduce pain and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
CBD products are available in a range of forms, including oils (separated from THC), capsules, and edibles like gummies. Some are taken orally, while others can be smoked or vaped.
The dose of a CBD product should be determined by the doctor. They usually recommend starting at a low dosage and gradually increasing the amount as needed. This is especially true if you have other health conditions, since cannabis can interact with certain drugs that affect the liver.
Other potential risks of CBD include nausea, fatigue and irritability. It can also increase the level of blood thinning and other medicines in your blood by competing for the liver enzymes that break these down.
Because of this, it is important to let your doctor know if you are taking high amounts of CBD. They can also do a test to see if it is affecting your liver.
There is some evidence that CBD may lower your risk of strokes. It is believed that the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD may protect against blood clots, which can lead to a stroke.
However, there are no clinical trials to prove this. It’s still too early to say for sure, and more research is needed.
Side Effects
While the potential of cannabis as a treatment for lupus is still relatively limited, many patients with this disease have reported significant improvements in their symptoms. People who have lupus often suffer from chronic pain and inflammation, and both of these are often treatable with medical marijuana.
However, before you consider using cannabis to relieve your lupus symptoms, it’s important to know the possible side effects. These can range from minor to serious, and they should be treated with caution.
One major side effect of long-term cannabis use is a decrease in brain function, including memory and concentration skills. This can be permanent. A 2014 study of 158 cannabis users found that they had significantly lower IQs and memory scores than non-users.
This may be a result of long-term exposure to THC, which can lead to changes in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that stores memories and information. The size of the hippocampus is reduced in cannabis users over time, and this can have a negative impact on their ability to learn.
Another side effect of long-term cannabis use is an increase in anxiety and depression. This is particularly common in lupus patients, and it can be difficult to manage without the help of other drugs or therapies.
Finally, long-term cannabis use has also been linked to a decreased immune system, which is often problematic in autoimmune disorders such as lupus. Researchers found that cannabis smokers had fewer natural killer cells and lymphocytes, which enhance immunity, and more interleukin-10, a protein that suppresses immune systems.
Fortunately, there are now prescription-strength CBD products that are available to help alleviate some of the side effects associated with THC. This can include anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The two cannabinoids in the marijuana plant, THC and CBD, bind to receptors on the endocannabinoid system, which is the body’s network of chemicals that control many functions, including mood and pain. The THC molecule attaches to the CB1 receptor and produces the psychoactive effects of euphoria and intoxication.
On the other hand, CBD binds to the CB2 receptor and does not produce the psychoactive effects of THC. This can help to minimize some of the undesirable effects associated with THC, such as a decreased appetite and anxiety.
