Yo, listen up! Ain’t nothin’ new when it comes to that green, but a fresh study just dropped, and it’s got some real tea for the ladies out there dealin’ with endometriosis. Turns out, a lotta women who puff that magic herb found it to be the best way to handle them crazy painful symptoms that come with endo. For real, they say it’s the “most effective self-management strategy” to ease that pain!
The study, which got published this month in the journal Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, checked out survey responses from 912 ladies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Of those ladies, 114 of ’em—about 17%—admitted they been hittin’ the herb to manage their endo. And let’s be real, endometriosis ain’t no joke; it’s a chronic inflammatory condition that messes with the uterus and can bring all kinds of pain.
Now, peep this: Endometriosis messes with anywhere between 2% to 20% of women who can have babies. Folks in the study said it took ’em around nine years to even get a diagnosis. Crazy, right?
But check it, most of the women who were tokin’ up reported feelin’ way better. Yeah, some did say they felt more tired after smokin’, but most side effects were low-key chill. They found that a whopping 91% of them got better sleep, 90% said menstrual pain dropped, and 80% felt relief from other aches and pains. That’s what I call a win!
Even more impressive, around 90% of the gals said they could cut back on their regular pain meds thanks to Mary Jane. The report’s sayin’ that cannabis did more than just help with the pain—it helped them manage other symptoms too.
“Cannabis use resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms, goin’ beyond just pain management,” the authors said. They also said that issues like tiredness were pretty rare. But keep in mind, they need to do more studies to find the best ways to use cannabis, how much to use, and what side effects might come up.
So, it looks like there’s mad interest in finding better ways to handle endo, and cannabis could be a big part of that. And get this: the ladies who were puffin’ also had tried a bunch of different pain meds before, but they felt those just weren’t cuttin’ it for ’em.
Some of the ladies said that feelin’ tired from cannabis actually made them sleep better at night. Others felt that tiredness was a major bummer, which made it hard to vibe during the day. So, it really depends on the person, ya feel me?
This study was put together by a research squad from the Department of Gynecology at the Endometriosis Research Center in Berlin, Germany. But it’s wild to think that at the time they did this research, using cannabis was still illegal in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They mentioned that doctors rarely prescribed it because the rules were so strict.
Still, they pointed out that the meds that were available often didn’t help much and had some wack side effects. Past research was kinda weak, suggesting cannabis might not be all that effective. But surveys from places like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US showed that self-management strategies were super common, and cannabis was high on that list.
The authors were on a mission to figure out how common cannabis use was among endo patients in German-speaking countries, and they found that it was way more prevalent than expected.
However, they said they need to keep researching to really understand how cannabis can help with endometriosis. They wanna make sure they’re givin’ the right info to patients and doctors. They also noted that the psychological effects of cannabis can be a mixed bag. Some ladies felt less anxious and better overall, while others felt their anxiety got worse.
But it’s not just about the medical aspect; there’s a bunch of other issues too, like how hard it is to get cannabis, how well-informed the docs are, and whether or not insurance will cover it.
There’s also concern about how people might look at you if you’re using cannabis, especially in work or personal settings. They pointed out that some folks might worry about driving under the influence or getting dependent on it.
But yo, the fact that cannabis could help with endometriosis is a big deal. Other studies support this too, like one from Australia that found a similar trend among endo patients. And in Canada, where cannabis became legal in 2018, over half the patients with endo were using it!
It’s known that cannabinoids can help with endometriosis, but more research is needed to really nail down dosages and what forms work best. They gotta look out for side effects too, especially since most women dealing with endo are young and might wanna have kids one day.
In conclusion, cannabis might just be the key to helpin’ women manage their endometriosis like a boss. The more we know, the better we can help those who need it. Mary Jane, you the real MVP!