Can Cannabis Target Endometriosis as a Natural Treatment?
Considering the number of people who suffer from it, its potentially debilitating effects and the paltry research funding it receives, endometriosis is arguably the disease most neglected by scientific study. But why is this? And while we’re forced to wait for improved diagnostic tests and therapies, can women take relief from natural treatments?
There are many misconceptions about endometriosis. First, the excruciating cramps characteristic of the condition are often dismissed as ordinary menstrual pains; many believe it’s only suffered by older women — but it affects women of reproductive age, meaning you’re likelier to develop it when you’re younger; you hear doctors tell patients that it’s in their heads; and people often link the condition to heightened sexual activity or STDs. This is simply incorrect.
What Is Endometriosis?
Though it’s considered a relatively new disease, the first recorded symptoms of endometriosis date back to ancient Egypt. It’s caused by an abnormal growth of the endometrial tissue which lines the uterus, whereby the tissue grows outside the uterus and attaches to other organs. The body detects this foreign substance and attacks it, triggering an inflammatory response that leads to scarring, pain, and occasionally infertility.
Endometriosis has four stages, each getting progressively more severe. Women with stage three or four endometriosis get an ovarian cyst that grows each month when they have their period and can eventually become large enough to impede normal ovarian functioning.
The most obvious consequence is pain: pelvic pain, chronic pain, pain in the lower back and legs, and pain felt while urinating, making bowel movements, between periods and during sexual intercourse are all common. This in turn causes sleep problems, which subsequently lowers your pain threshold, creating a cycle of continually worsening symptoms.
Approximately 30 to 50% of women with endometriosis also experience infertility, most often due to structural damage that causes the fallopian tubes to become blocked.
Living With Endometriosis
I was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis when I was 19. Doctors found an eight-centimeter cyst on my right ovary which they successfully removed through surgery, temporarily granting me a symptom-free life.
But I needed to take birth control pills to manage my condition. As soon as I stopped, my symptoms returned, and now I have a six-centimeter cyst on my left ovary. Living with a chronic disease that causes regular pain and discomfort can make anyone difficult to be around sometimes, and really puts a strain on personal relationships.
Endometriosis has hindered my career too. My work schedule needs to be incredibly flexible, I’m forced to take roughly one sick day per month, and I’m less productive on days when I feel unwell. The condition takes from every aspect of your life.
Diagnosing Endometriosis
There’s still no none-invasive diagnosis for endometriosis, meaning the only way to confirm it is with surgery.
Experienced doctors may be able to differentiate between an endometrioma and other cysts on an ultrasound and, coupling it with your symptoms, infer that you probably have the disease, but this isn’t a failsafe, and won’t work for someone with mild symptoms.
We don’t even have a functional blood test. CA 125 blood tests, usually used to detect cancer, can indicate the potential presence of endometriosis but aren’t 100% accurate. It’s still a useful diagnostic tool, but many doctors aren’t aware of it.
The stigma attached to women’s reproductive health also hinders the diagnostic process. People are unwilling to talk about endometriosis, and some doctors are reluctant to acknowledge it.
Treatments for Endometriosis
When it comes to treating endometriosis, the only conventional options are birth control pills, surgery, and Lupron.
Birth control pills alleviate the symptoms without addressing the cause, interfering with estrogen production in a way that prevents endometrium buildup; surgery is an option if you present with a cyst; and Lupron, an injected pituitary suppressant, induces temporary menopause.
Like birth control pills, Lupron addresses the symptoms but isn’t sustainable; by heavily inhibiting estrogen production it causes side-effects such as memory loss, bone loss, hot flashes and insomnia, essentially trading the symptoms of endometriosis for new ones.
Millions of women suffer from endometriosis, yet there’s a glaring lack of adequate treatment options.
Research Into Endometriosis
Despite its cause still being unknown, funding for research into endometriosis has dropped by 40% in the last four years. Historically, women’s health has received inequitable levels of attention, and women are still underrepresented in STEM fields, leading to a general lack of awareness about, and subsequent investment into researching, conditions such as endometriosis. And when a disease receives little funding, it naturally attracts fewer researchers.
The Genetic Component to Endometriosis
Endometriosis has a significant genetic component and an estimated inheritability of approximately 50%.
In my case, genes affecting my liver make my body less capable of metabolizing toxins, including estrogen-mimicking dioxins. Genes that influence the body’s inflammatory response have also been linked to endometriosis, as has the estrogen receptor gene ESR1 which mediates estrogen activity in the brain.
The genes most closely linked to endometriosis include:
Cannabis for Endometriosis: A Natural Treatment
For women wanting to mitigate the symptoms of endometriosis without resorting to unsustainable hormone therapies, cannabis offers a good natural treatment. By breaking endometriosis down into its main symptoms, it’s possible to see how specific cannabinoids and terpenes found in the cannabis plant can help people who are genetically predisposed to developing the condition:
Inflammation: CBD
CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties are well-documented. It’s been shown to reduce inflammation along several key pathways in the body, making it an effective treatment against certain inflammatory conditions.
Loss of Appetite: THC
Loss of appetite often accompanies the pain caused by endometriosis. THC has been found to help regulate functions such as pain sensitivity and appetite through its interactions with the body’s endocannabinoid system.
Pain: CBD and CBN
Studies have demonstrated CBD’s ability to alleviate both neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Research has also shown CBN to have impressive analgesic properties.
Nausea: CBD and THC
CBD alleviates nausea and vomiting by interacting with serotonin receptors. THC also possesses antiemetic properties and reduces vomiting by binding with CB1 receptors in the brain.
Difficulty Sleeping: Limonene and Linalool
These terpenes are great natural sleep aids. Linalool has been shown to increase production of the sedating hormone adenosine, and both are believed to reduce the symptoms of insomnia.
While we await adequate research into a disease that affects millions of people, natural treatments could provide essential relief. We cannot expect women to spend their entire lives on hormone therapies and, in the absence of a cure, improved treatment options are desperately needed. I’ve found great comfort in the medicinal components of cannabis. And I hope others can too.