CBD For Nausea and Other Remedies
CBD and nausea: effective treatment tool or community hype? Is CBD an effective way to control nausea? Or would you be better suited with one of the other remedies for nausea you can find at your local drug store? What does the research have to say?
In this article, we do a deep dive into all things CBD and nausea. From existing research to different ailments and the most effective CBD products, we’ll give you everything you need to know to fight that upset stomach and get back on your feet!
What the Research Says About CBD For Nausea
While many users swear by it, in-depth clinical testing on CBD oil for nausea is sparse.
Promising Treatments, Unclear Cause
Clinical research has clearly demonstrated a link between cannabis/cannabinoid-based therapies and nausea relief. This is true for both general nausea and vomiting and for nausea associated with several specific ailments.
But is CBD the main cause of this nausea relief? Unclear, and several researchers have expressed their doubts. Instead, many cannabis researchers suggest that THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid that causes a “weed high”, may be the primary anti-nausea cannabinoid.
CBD Remedies for Nausea
So: is CBD oil for nausea effective, or should you look for other remedies?
Even though the research is sparse, many users report great success with CBD for nausea. Given the available research, however, you’ll likely have a better experience with full spectrum CBD, which contains trace amounts of THC and many other cannabis compounds.
But you may have luck even with broad spectrum CBD or other THC-free CBD products! It’s all a matter of where your nausea is coming from. Let’s take a look.
What’s Causing Your Nausea?
If you’re considering CBD for nausea, it’s important to identify the underlying cause of your nausea symptoms. Depending on where your symptoms come from, different remedies (or types of CBD products) may be better suited to control nausea.
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues facing Americans, with over 18% of US adults exhibiting anxiety symptoms. For some, anxiety can have a powerful effect on the GI system and can even cause intense nausea.
Luckily, CBD for nausea resulting from anxiety is likely to be effective. In fact, CBD’s anti-anxiety effects are one of its most researched and well-understood effects! For more on how CBD helps reduce anxiety, see our guide to CBD and mental health.
Flu or Viral Infections
The flu can knock you on your butt, and flu-related nausea is one of the worst common symptoms.
While CBD will not cure the flu, it can likely help you with some of the underlying symptoms, including your flu-related nausea! For more on how CBD can help, check out our article on CBD and the flu!
Prescription Medications
Many medications can lead to nausea, whether they’re prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Whether by interacting with the gastrointestinal tract, mucosal irritation, or any number of other causes, one thing’s for sure: sometimes nausea can feel even more debilitating than the ailment the med is treating!
Because medications can cause nausea from so many different biological mechanisms, it’s difficult to say whether CBD for nausea will help. Only first-hand experience can say for sure, and even if a CBD product helps with one med, it may not help with another.
Important Note: CBD is known to interfere with a number of common medications. Always talk to your doctor about CBD for nausea if you’re on any prescription meds. Some of the most common meds with which CBD may interfere are:
- Cholesterol medications, including atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin
- Blood pressure medications, including felodipine, nifedipine, nimodipine, and nisoldipine
- Heart arrhythmia medications, including amiodarone
- Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, including buspirone and sertraline
- Medicines for use following organ transplants, including cyclosporine and tacrolimus
- Allergy medications, including fexofenadine
- Erectile dysfunction medications, including sildenafil
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments — and powerful nausea is one of chemotherapy’s most common side-effects. While medical marijuana is a popular option for treating chemo-related nausea, what about CBD oil?
While most research shows that THC is the primary anti-nausea cannabinoid, human studies have found that CBD + THC may be more effective than THC alone. As such, full spectrum CBD may be a more effective anti-nausea tool than THC-free CBD, but your mileage may vary.
Important Note: It’s vitally important to ensure that CBD or other supplementary treatment options will not interfere with your chemo treatment. Always talk to your doctor about CBD use before using CBD for nausea resulting from chemotherapy.
Motion Sickness
Aside from the other causes listed above, motion sickness may be the most common nausea-inducer. Whether on planes, trains, or automobiles, that old familiar queasiness can have you feeling green as soon as things start twisting, turning, or rocking!
Unfortunately, little to no research is currently available on CBD for nausea resulting from motion sickness.
However, a growing number of users claim that their jet setting (or seafaring or car-riding) adventures have been dramatically improved by CBD as an anti-nausea treatment! As usual, only first-hand experience can determine whether CBD is right for you.
Which CBD Products are Best to Control Nausea?
Whenever it comes to CBD, finding the right product for your needs can make all the difference in the world. That’s all the more true when using CBD for nausea.
Here are some tips for finding the most effective, fastest-acting CBD product to fight your bubbling, upset stomach and calm that urge to vomit!
Choose the Right CBD Extract
When it comes to CBD for nausea, not all CBD extracts are created equal.
As discussed above, many cannabis and cannabinoid researchers believe that THC, CBD’s psychoactive cousin, is the real heavy-hitter when it comes to fighting nausea.
If you’re looking for hemp-based remedies for nausea, don’t skimp on the THC! Full spectrum CBD products are likely going to be the most effective for your needs because they contain trace amounts of THC.
Full spectrum CBD may sound somewhat intimidating, especially for users looking to treat nausea and get back to their daily routines. After all, the last thing you want is to replace the urge to vomit with a debilitating THC weed high!
But worry not! Full spectrum CBD products won’t get you high, as they contain only the smallest trace amounts of THC.
However, even in such small amounts, the THC and other cannabinoids found in full spectrum extracts can dramatically affect CBD’s therapeutic potential and bring out its very best! It’s known as the entourage effect, and many users swear by it as the only way to bring out CBD’s full potential.
Choose the Right Type of Product
Once you’ve chosen the right extract type, the next most important factor is the type of CBD product that best fits your lifestyle and needs!
All our CBD products have their uses, but certain types stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to CBD and nausea. Here are our top recommendations.
CBD Oils and Tinctures
CBD oils and tinctures are the most popular CBD products around, and for good reasons. They’re fast-acting, effective, and easy to measure out a precise dose.
That’s because CBD oils have a higher bioavailability than most other types of CBD products. That means that the body will absorb them more quickly and efficiently, you’ll feel your dose kick in faster, and you’ll get more CBD bang for your buck!
These factors are essential for any use of CBD, but when you’re fighting the urge to vomit? Well, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your treatment gets to work quickly!
CBD Vaporizers
Speaking of going to work quick: nothing on the market works faster than a CBD vaporizer. When you need relief, and you need it now, accept no substitutes: CBD vapes can have you feeling that sweet CBD relief within seconds.
That’s because CBD vapes go straight to the lungs, where they are very rapidly and efficiently absorbed. In fact, CBD vapes have a higher bioavailability than even CBD oils and tinctures! Because nausea can be so crippling and can come on so unexpectedly, this fast-acting property makes CBD vapes a real contender for most users.
The downside? There are two: shorter duration and social stigma.
For the same reason that they go to work so quickly, CBD vapes also tend to have a shorter duration than other product types. You’ll likely have to re-up your CBD dosage with a few extra puffs from time to time, unlike with a CBD oil that may last for hours.
Additionally, you simply can’t vape in all the same places you could take CBD oil. Of course, you can always step outside to take a few discreet puffs as necessary, but that may not always fit your schedule.
But despite these downsides, CBD vapes remain a truly top-tier contender when it comes to CBD for nausea!
