CBD For ME And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
25 February 2021ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is still a poorly understood condition. ME often goes hand in hand with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Diagnosing ME and CFS is a difficult affair, and some medical experts remain skeptical about its existence. Still, in the US alone, about one million people are thought to suffer from this condition; on a global scale, figures rise to seventeen million patients. Symptoms include chronic fatigue or constant tiredness, joint aches, trouble concentrating, muscle aches, and mental exhaustion. These can make it very difficult to make it through the day. Work or study may become impossible. Lack of empathy and understanding often make matters worse. Worst of all, there is still no cure for ME and CFS. Fortunately, supplements such as based on hemp plants offer new possibilities. Perhaps CBD Oil can provide some perspective for treating the symptoms of ME and chronic fatigue.
The Symptoms Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
ME is a condition that leaves you feeling weak and miserable; a state known as malaise in medical terms. Disruptive as that may be, the outside world often fails to notice what’s going on. People suffering from ME feel exhausted every day, in addition to symptoms like sore muscles, inflammation, and headaches. These are debilitating factors that can severely limit one’s ability to function. ME patients often face a lack of understanding, because people (including doctors) fail to take their symptoms seriously. Nonetheless, ME has been officially acknowledged by the World Health Organization since 1969.
Although symptoms of ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome tend to overlap, ME usually causes more symptoms than CFS by itself would. Well-known ME symptoms include:
- Prolonged physical and mental fatigue;
- Loss of strength;
- Excessive time needed to recover after exertion;
- Muscle aches;
- Inability to concentrate;
- Cardiac arrhythmia;
- Inflammation;
- Sleep disorders;
- Dizziness;
- Sore throat, stomach aches, headaches;
- Mental confusion
In addition to chronic fatigue, ME comorbidity often includes fibromyalgia and gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ME affects children as well as adults.
Treatment For ME And Chronic Fatigue Disorder
Unfortunately, ME is still largely uncharted territory for medical science. Apart from a lack of agreement among scientists about its causes, no single standard treatment has been established so far. Suspected causes of ME include viral infections similar to influenza, Pfeiffer’s Disease, or surgery complications. As the name myalgic encephalomyelitis suggests, the disease itself appears to be caused by infections of the brain and spinal cord. Since no cure or treatment for ME has yet been found, symptom treatment is currently the only option.
Treating symptoms can alleviate the burden of ME and CFS, but results vary greatly. Examples of such treatment options include cognitive behavioural therapy or graded exercise therapy.
Can CBD Help Treat ME Symptoms?
Today’s lack of research into the effect of CBD on ME is hardly surprising; if only because CBD is relatively new and because so little is known about the disease itself. Still, research data on CBD’s influence on ME symptoms is available. Such studies show that CBD is a promising treatment candidate. Cannabidiol can help tackle sleeplessness and muscle aches, for instance, as well as exhaustion. Other ME symptoms, such as inflammation, pain, and slow recovery after exertion can all be relieved by the effects of CBD on our endocannabinoid system (ECS).
CBD (cannabidiol) is a substance derived from hemp plants. In the human body, the ECS serves as a regulatory system. Its purpose is to maintain homeostasis (the overall balance of the body). Despite the efforts of our ECS, our body can become unbalanced. The ECS responds to cannabinoids produced inside our own body; the endocannabinoids. CBD, even though it is produced by plants, is also capable of influencing the ECS. We call such plant-based cannabinoids phytocannabinoids. CBD is so similar to our own body’s cannabinoids that it can adjust our metabolism across a wide variety of the systems governing the body. This huge diversity is precisely what makes CBD such a promising candidate for diffuse conditions like ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
The Effect Of CBD On ME And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Examples of CBD’s regulatory tasks include stress management, rhythms of sleep and wakefulness, emotional responses, pain impulses, and memory. That explains why CBD can influence ME symptoms by working with the endocannabinoids system. One example is the sleeping problems experienced by many ME patients. Research has demonstrated that CBD produces soothing and relaxing effects, increasing your chances of falling asleep more easily, and sleeping for longer continuous periods.
Furthermore, CBD can have analgesic effects. These can relieve headaches, sore throats, muscle aches or painful joints. One important consequence of ME (and of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, migraine, and fibromyalgia) is increased irritability of the nervous system. CBD can affect nerve impulse guidance, which could help limit such irritability.
On top of this, CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. One potential cause of ME and chronic fatigue is inflammation of the brain and spinal tissue. That opens up possibilities for symptom relief using this natural cannabinoid.
CBD Supplements For Any Taste And (Life) Style
Summing up, CBD appears to be a promising candidate for treating many symptoms associated with ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Its lack of side-effects and the natural way in which CBD works with your own body make CBD supplements worth considering for ME and CFS. SupMedi has CDB supplements to suit any taste and (life)style. Try our CBD Oil as well as our easy to use CBD Tablets with added vitamin C, or our tasty CBD Gummies.
