CBD for Gout: A Review of the Evidence
Gout is a painful condition that can permanently damage your joints. Based on what we already know about this cannabinoid, it’s natural to wonder if CBD might help with gout, and there’s plenty of evidence to examine on the subject. In this guide, find out what causes gout and decide for yourself whether CBD is a viable treatment for this condition.
What is gout?
Gout is an inflammatory condition that causes your joints to swell and become painful. A type of arthritis, gout is most common in men. In the vast majority of cases, gout begins in the joint at the base of your big toe, but it can also originate in other toe or even finger joints.
The first noticeable symptoms of gout may include pain or stiffness in the affected joint. As this condition progresses, it causes the affected joint to swell to multiple times its usual size, and gout can spread from one joint to another.
How do you treat gout?
Your diet might be contributing to your gout symptoms, so eating the right foods or exercising regularly may make gout go away. More commonly, however, drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or the gout-specific drug colchicine are prescribed. Corticosteroids may also be prescribed to treat gout.
What causes gout?
The risk factors for gout are still debated, but the pathophysiology of gout, or the process by which this condition happens in the body, is well understood. Gout begins with a buildup of uric acid (monosodium urate) crystals in the affected joint. These crystals then cause an inflammatory reaction in the joint, leading to pain and swelling.
When you have high concentrations of uric acid in your blood, this substance builds up in your joints. Uric acid is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of purines, which are found in many foods and drinks. When you’re healthy, your kidneys eliminate excess uric acid, but diabetes, excess weight, and alcohol abuse can diminish your body’s ability to excrete this substace.
Having too much uric acid in your blood is called hyperuricemia, and this condition can lead to a variety of diseases in addition to gout. If you believe that you have hyperuricemia, seek prompt medical assistance to determine the root cause of your issue.
Do people use CBD for gout?
In recent years, people have started trying CBD for gout instead of conventional solutions. Even mainstream medical doctors have begun evangelizing the benefits of CBD for gout and other arthritic conditions, so using CBD for gout will most likely become more popular over time. This non-intoxicating cannabinoid is remarkably devoid of side effects, so you have very little to lose by trying CBD if you have gout.
Does CBD work for gout?
So far, no studies have been conducted to determine the benefits of CBD for gout specifically. A wide range of studies have been conducted, however, to determine the effects of CBD on arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, so we aren’t completely in the dark regarding the potential benefits of CBD for gout.
Let’s start with the basics. Some people believe CBD may be useful for inflammatory conditions because this cannabinoid shows remarkable affinity for your nervous system’s TRP receptors, which modulate bodily inflammation and the sensation of inflammatory pain. Instead of targeting your CB1 and CB2 receptors like THC, CBD primarily interacts with your TRP and 5-HT receptors, which also explains this cannabinoid’s lack of psychoactive effects.
Research has also been conducted to determine the benefits of CBD for arthritis specifically. One particular 2016 pre-clinical study is cited extensively due to its conclusions that CBD should be investigated exhaustively for its potential arthritis benefits. Cannabidiol has also been studied for its general effects on inflammation.
CBD vs. other gout treatments
People turn to CBD for gout instead of mainline prescription medications due to this hemp substance’s impressive side effect profile. Even THC, which is considered safe enough to prescribe to chemotherapy patients, can have serious side effects. CBD, on the other hand, has not been determined to have any major side effects whatsoever, sharply contrasting this cannabinoid with both THC and many mainstream medical treatments for gout.
Colchicine, for instance, a drug that was specifically designed for gout, commonly causes serious gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. NSAIDs also frequently cause gastrointestinal distress, and these alternatives to steroids can also cause headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, high blood pressure, and kidney or liver problems.
Furthermore, corticosteroids can cause fluid retention, high blood pressure, glaucoma, mood swings, and delirium. Since common pharmaceutical gout drugs all have serious side effects, it’s no wonder that people with this condition are opting to try CBD in droves.
How do you use CBD for gout?
In many cases, people choose to use topical CBD for gout. Gout usually remains localized to a particular part of your body, and applying CBD topically to that area delivers potent, fast-acting benefits directly to the site of pain and inflammation.
It’s important to remember, however, that eliminating the root causes of gout is more important than addressing its symptoms. Reducing the pain associated with gout will make life easier, but it won’t stop your gout symptoms from recurring.
Therefore, you might want to try fighting gout with CBD products that exert their effects throughout your entire body. There’s still a lot we don’t know about how CBD works, but using a CBD product that affects your whole body is more likely to address the underlying causes of gout than applying a CBD topical to your affected joint.
Should you use CBD for gout?
Based on the available evidence, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try CBD for gout. This cannabinoid has not been discovered to have serious side effects, and it doesn’t get you high. CBD has been researched extensively for its potential anti-inflammatory benefits, and reducing your gout-related inflammation is the best way to experience long-term relief.
Gout & CBD FAQ
1. Does CBD bring down inflammation?
Many users have noticed their inflammation go down after using CBD. A considerable volume of research has been conducted into the potential benefits of CBD for inflammation, and relief from inflammation-related conditions is one of the main reasons people use CBD. People use topical CBD products for inflammation most commonly, but oral or inhalable CBD products may be more appropriate for body-wide inflammation.
2. How long does it take for CBD oil to work for joint pain?
The amount of time it takes to notice pain relief after using CBD depends on the type of CBD product you use. Inhalable products, like CBD dabs and pre-rolls, usually kick in within less than a minute. Oral CBD products can take up to 30 minutes to take effect, and CBD topicals usually activate after around 5 minutes—but only in the area where you applied the topical.
3. Is CBD good for joint pain?
Many people use CBD for joint pain, and some of them swear this cannabinoid works better for chronic joint conditions than mainline medications. CBD appears to interact strongly with your body’s TRP receptors, which regulate inflammation. Reducing inflammation in joints affected by chronic pain often provides the body a window to repair itself, improving long-term pain.
4. Does CBD make arthritis worse?
CBD is not known to worsen the symptoms of arthritis. On the contrary, many people with arthritis who have used CBD report improvements in their conditions.
The additional ingredients in some CBD topicals, however, may be harmful to your joints. If you decide to use CBD topicals for arthritis, check the ingredients carefully beforehand, and consider the potential benefits of inhaling CBD flower, nature’s simplest CBD product.
5. What is the right CBD dosage for gout?
The FDA has not released any guidelines regarding the usage of CBD for gout. Studies have shown CBD to be impressively non-toxic, however, and CBD overdose appears to be a near-impossibility. As a result, don’t be afraid to increase your CBD dosage if the initial amount you used didn’t improve your gout symptoms.
