Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium), is found in places outside of the uterus, throughout the body. In New Zealand, it is estimated to affect 120,000+ girls, women & those assigned female at birth.
I am one of those women, and since being diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis I have really struggled to manage my symptoms.
I have experimented with many, many medications – hormonal & pain relief – over the past 10 years and all came with a long list of side effects, both mental and physical, meaning I had to sacrifice my health even further.
I found one of my biggest struggles with endometriosis was keeping my inflammation under control. Despite diet and lifestyle changes, inflammation wreaked havoc on my body in so many ways and I was completely exhausted from it. My inflammatory levels in my blood were consistently high so I was put on long term anti-inflammatories, however these were causing gastrointestinal side effects so I was lost as to what else I could do.
It wasn’t until I became so ill that I was also diagnosed of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E) & Fibromyalgia, that I decided as a last-ditch-attempt to look into CBD oil.
I was hesitant, as I’d see lots of chatter in Facebook groups about CBD oil ‘barely touching the sides’ or ‘doing less than Panadol’ for kiwi’s with conditions like mine. Little did I know, if I just gave it time, it was about to be life changing.
I met with a doctor from CannaPlus+ & went over my symptoms in order to find the right product for me, along with a suitable dosage. The process was great – I felt heard, respected, cared for and most importantly believed – something that can be hard to come by in the chronic illness world!
I came away with a Full Spectrum CBD oil – containing CBD, CBDA, and a very minimal amount of THC – with a plan to trial a daily dose, for a duration of 3 months.
As expected, at first, I felt nothing. Albeit – no side effects either! But I remained patient and tried to trust the process, recording my symptoms as I went through the weeks. I’m so glad I did, as by the beginning of the 6th week I was already seeing drastic changes & by the end of the 3 months, I was enjoying these results:
- My blood CRP/inflammation level dropped by 9 points!
- My endo pain (uterus, ovary, bowel & bladder pain) had reduced by 60-70%
- Heavy pain relief use was reduced from 4-7 times a week to ZERO
- Hormonal migraine frequency was reduced from once a week to less than once a month.
- My use of triptan migraine medications was reduced from once a week to less than once a month
- I tracked my sleep with my Fitbit & it increased from 3-4 hours broken sleep to a solid 7 hours on average
- My joint, hip & back pain reduced by approx. 80%.
- Nausea & dizziness reduced by approx. 90%.
- Anxiety & heart palpitations reduced by approx. 70%.
Seeing these changes, not just physically but at a blood level too, shocked me, as I had not changed a single other thing in my routine – just added the oil!
I started to realise that perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions I had about CBD oil for pain relief is that it was a one-dose quick fix. As cannabis flower can work in this way, I feel many people may go into oil use expecting instant relief or change. I’ve now seen that CBD oil is more of a daily medication, a preventative. Similar to the way antidepressants or vitamins build up over time in the body – it takes time to see the magic!
I’m so thankful to now have CBD oil in my chronic illness tool-kit and I’m really excited to see what the future holds for medicinal use of these awesome products. These products need more attention! I truly believe that with consistency, they can have a huge impact on overall inflammation in the body due to conditions like mine, and I can’t wait for more people to experience this kind of relief.
Written by Hannah Baldock
