Colon Diverticulitis and Cannabis: How It Works

Colon Diverticulitis and Cannabis: How It Works

colon diverticulitis and cannabis

Sometimes people suffer from constant stomach discomforts that make it hard to deal with. Often, they don´t even know what the cause is. One such condition that they could be suffering from, is Colon Diverticulitis. It happens sometimes that pouches form on the inside of the intestines. These pouches are known as diverticula. When they get inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis. Most of the time the pouches are not harmful and can be found all over the intestines. When you have them, they are called diverticulosis. Often people do not even know they have them, but when it becomes severe, it can turn into an infection or even burst.

How do you know you have diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is a painful condition and often requires lifestyle changes. Sometimes conventional treatments don´t work, and surgery is necessary. Seeing that this surgery is in the digestive tract, it becomes a real challenge as this type of surgery is not an easy task. All sorts of problems are at risks like infections and successful reconnection of the delicate tissue in the digestive tract. That is why it is important to be aware of the symptoms of diverticulitis. When you have diverticula, the symptoms might be:

Cramps on the left side of the body. The cramping disappears after bowel movement or passing of gas
Clear red blood in excrement

When it turns into diverticulitis, the symptoms might include an acute form of pain that becomes chronic. Inflammation and infection become severe and over time can turn into obstruction of the bowel. This leads to constipation, bloating, diarrhea, stomachache, and nausea. The causes of diverticulitis are mostly related to being overweight, not exercising enough, smoking, eating fatty foods, lack of fiber in the diet, and taking certain kinds of drugs like opioids and steroids.

Where Cannabis Comes into Play

As with many disorders, doctors do not know the cause of diverticulitis and diverticulosis. Many factors are at play, but some think it to be related to our genes. Apart from the symptoms named above, a suppressed immune system can also be a factor. Interestingly enough, about 40% of people between the age of 30 to 40 have diverticulosis. 80% or more of people 80 and older also suffer from diverticulosis. 20% of all these people might finally have diverticulitis and end up in the hospital.

Conventional Methods have Limited Results

Uncomplicated diverticulitis is easier to treat and can often be helped with antibiotics and pain relievers. A liquid diet is also recommended, and solid food gets gradually reintroduced the moment the condition improves. It has a 70% success rate. Complicated diverticulitis leads to surgery in most of the cases. People with immune system issues are prone to surgery. Surgery, as mentioned above, is quite complicated and recovering is hard.

Cannabis can be very effective to treat diverticulitis symptoms

The endocannabinoid system works like a symphony orchestra where the gut, brain, and immune system respond to various biochemical interactions. The gastrointestinal tract covers about 80 % of the immune system. There are numerous cannabinoid receptors in the GI tract, and this indicates that the endocannabinoid system interacts frequently with the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the main functions are:

Stomach acid regulation

Ability to move food in the system

Pain control

Detecting inflammation

Feeling full

And perceiving the organs called a visceral sensation

Both the CB1 and CB2 receptors are present in our gut. When the gut is healthy, the CB2 receptors are not that present. But as the gut grows sicker, the CB2 receptors increase significantly. This is a very good indicator that cannabis will be a great treatment solution.

How does Cannabis Help?

People suffering from diverticulitis often suffer from chronic pain. They also suffer from nausea and vomiting. All of these conditions are treatable with cannabis. Being excellent in reducing pain, cannabis is a very good replacement for harmful opioids. CBD also has anti-inflammatory properties that are excellent for inflammation in diverticulitis. Medical marijuana also has a component called ß-caryophyllene that is very good for tissue inflammation, a definite benefit for diverticulitis sufferers.

While both THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory responses, they also release pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is a primary factor in inflammation reduction. Apart from helping with pain reduction and inflammation, cannabis also contributes to better sleeping at night. It helps to bring an appetite back to normal and fight the urge to vomit all the time.

Is it Possible to Cure Diverticulitis with Cannabis?

Many people with Gastrointestinal problems use cannabis for various reasons. Diverticulitis will also find cannabis to be beneficiary. If cannabis is used in the early part of being diagnosed with diverticulitis, it surely could prevent it to run into surgery. Cannabis has a safety profile that makes it an effective treatment. Even if it is just to prevent surgery, it already has succeeded.