Does CBD Treat Kidney Stones? Myth or Reality?
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Kidney stones can affect men and women of any age. It occurs due to the formation of large particles in the organ, which can consist of sand, salt, and calcium deposits. Ignoring this problem may lead to infections of the urinary system, chronic inflammation, kidney disease, amongst others. In this article, we’ll look at all aspects of the disease and find out if CBD can actually help treat kidney stones.
What are kidney stones?
The main causes of the disease are considered to be violations of the water-salt balance and the biochemical composition of the blood. Moreover, some kidney stones can exist in the body for a long time without enlarging or being noticed, while others can grow and reach more than 3 inches in diameter in just a few months. This can cause serious complications. There are several types of stones found in the kidneys, and they are named based on what they are made of. Let’s take a look at the most common ones:
- Oxalate stones. They consist of calcium oxalic acid salts. They have a dense structure, black-gray color, and a prickly uneven surface.
- Cystine stones. The composition contains sulfur compounds of the amino acid cystine. These stones have smooth surfaces, rounded shapes and yellowish-white colors.
- Phosphate stones. Concrements, consisting of calcium salts of phosphoric acid. They are soft, crumbly, with a smooth or slightly rough surface.
- Uric acid stones. Presented by crystals of uric acid salts. Their structure is dense, the color is from light yellow to red, the surface is smooth or small-dotted.
The following signs report the presence of kidney stones:
- Urinary hesitancy
- Nausea or vomiting
- Cloudy or bloody urine
- Pain that can be intense
- Increased temperature and blood pressure
How are kidney stones usually treated?
The classic treatment of nephrolithiasis in all cases is aimed at removing kidney stones, eliminating active infection or infection risk, and preventing re-formation. With small kidney stones (up to 3 mm), the treatment is often supportive until the stones pass. A diet may be prescribed and it is recommended to drink plenty of water. Additionally, a urologist can recommend using some drugs that help relax the urologic structures. Specialists may resort to a surgical procedure when relapses occur, and there is no other way out, especially if the disease is complicated.
To treat nephrolithiasis, you can contact a nephrologist or urologist. We don’t recommend waiting for the situation to worsen, and if you think you have an acute kidney stone, it is recommended that you visit an emergency room to initiate treatment. If you have advanced disease, the best option would be to visit a specialist.
CBD as treatment of kidney stones
At the moment, there are no reliable studies on the benefits of CBD in the treatment of kidney stones. However, other studies support the overall benefits of CBD. For example, this research details the benefits of CBD in the fight against pain. Since kidney stones are quite painful and unpleasant, an organic and safe CBD oil or tincture would be a great adjunctive pain supplement.
But why exactly can CBD relieve pain? What makes it so special? Well, due to its composition, cannabidiol can lower pain thresholds and delay the release of anti-inflammatory molecules. CBD can reduce inflammation by decreasing the immune system’s production of cytokines and inhibiting some of the receptors responsible for pain perception.
Some people also assume that marijuana is a diuretic that can help with some kidney diseases. However, the diuretic effects of cannabinoids are not proven. This study from 2021 found that marijuana doesn’t contain diuretic properties.
Therefore, CBD oil should only be used to relieve the symptoms that occur with kidney stones. CBD has analgesic, antispasmodic, and muscle-relaxing properties. Moreover, CBD oil can suppress side effects such as headache and nausea, which often occur with kidney stones. Thus, when using CBD, patients may feel improved when they are struggling with the disease.
Does CBD cause kidney stones?
There are some assumptions on the Internet that cannabis may cause damage to the kidneys that will lead to further diseases. But no reliable studies support such statements. On the contrary, some researchers state the opposite. For example, Dr. Murray Mittleman, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University’s School of Public Health says:
“Our research provides some reassuring evidence suggesting that there is no detrimental effect of infrequent, relatively light use of marijuana on kidney function among healthy adults under age 60,”
Ways of using medical weed
There are a lot of ways to use medical marijuana. You can choose from such options as CBD oils, tinctures, creams, sprays, balms, edible CBD products, and smokable weed. All of them have their pros and cons but deserve your attention. Also, we would like to remind you to choose the product carefully — try reading customer reviews and trusted sites’ articles before purchasing.
Does smoking weed affect kidneys?
As we already said, there are not enough studies to comment with certainty about weed’s effects on kidneys. That’s why we do not recommend excessive weed smoking if you have such health issues. Yes, there are theories that cannabis has therapeutic potential for symptom management in the setting of kidney stones, but until there is high quality evidence you should carefully approach ingesting cannabis for this purpose.
Does CBD oil help with kidney stones?
CBD oil is an amazing medicinal substance extracted from hemp crops that has no psychoactive effects and has many beneficial properties. CBD oil has shown good analgesic effects and has tremendous potential for treating anxiety disorders, as highlighted in a 2015 report published in the scientific journal, Neurotherapeutics.
But does CBD oil help with kidney stones after all? The short answer — no one knows yet. There are not enough studies.At the same time, we know with some confidence that CBD oil can help you with pain relief as well as mitigating inflammation. As you may know, a person can experience severe pain when a kidney stone is making its way out of the body. CBD oil can cope — it is a super tool for pain relief.
How to use CBD oil?
CBD oil is most commonly ingested. Since it is a relatively new supplement, the exact dosage has not been precisely established. Although more thorough studies are needed, there is no such thing as an “overdose of CBD”. So it appears to be safe to intake even large doses.
But if you’re a beginner, you might find 12 mg of CBD a day, which is a good starting dose to help you get used to the product. You can increase this dosage slowly until you find the best amount that fits you perfectly. As with most herbal supplements, a small dose 3-4 times a day is usually more therapeutic than a single large dose.
While CBD oil itself is very safe, it can interact with medications. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about side effects on kidneys or are unsure about using hemp oil.
Get a consultation from Dr. Weedy
If you want to receive professional help and recommendations, then you can leave a request and contact the specialists at Dr. Weedy. We’ll help you decide on a good CBD product for your needs, and we can also provide a medical marijuana recommendation letter that will allow you to buy medical cannabis in the state you live in.
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Thanks for your work! Doctors suggest that I may have kidney stones, the results of the examination will come very soon and I am very worried about whether CBD treats kidney stones or it is not true. Would love to hear from people who have gone through this