AAt the age of 17, I took the pill. Partly because I knew I was going to college and in all likelihood I was likely to do so soon, but mostly because he recommended me to help with menstrual cramps. After endless stays in the school nurse’s office and a particularly bad day when I almost ran out of walk from the bathroom to the bedroom, it became apparent that my menstrual pain was not “normal. “. The word endometriosis was coined even though no diagnosis was ever made. But the pill helped quench those pains and made it bearable to have a uterus.
A study published in the British Medical Journal showed that 20% of women under the age of 25 have lost school or work due to menstrual pain, and a further 40% found that it severely affected their ability to concentrate. While there are no statistics showing how many women take the pill specifically to relieve menstrual pain, it is widely promoted as a beneficial side effect of hormonal contraception. A 2017 article even looked at how each different form of contraception ranks in pain relief bets.
But what if there was another option: one that didn’t include hormone-altering medications and the various disadvantages there are? CBD has had a moment in healthcare recently, with discussions about its potential benefits, such as pain relief, anxiety relief, and managing the side effects of cancer, including nausea. Studies on this are still in the early stages and therefore, although the positive effects have not yet been confirmed, what has been published so far looks promising.
Cannabidiol (also known as CBD) is a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in marijuana. A study published in the journal Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings discussed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CBD and states that “We are just beginning to understand the impact of phytocannabinoids and their clinical applications. It is important that health care providers be aware of the use of CBD in their patient population. “
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Researchers are beginning to establish a connection between the properties for treating CBD pain and a potential use for treating adverse menstrual cramps. Dr Leila Frodsham, a consultant gynecologist and spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says “CBD has some evidence to support its use in intractable pain conditions and anxiety management with good effect. There is less evidence. to support menstrual symptoms, however, as efficacy is thought to be similar to ibuprofen, it can help with both menstrual cramps and the labile mood of premenstrual syndrome. “
Although there is still little research on the benefits of the oil in terms of menstrual pain, there are some products that take advantage of it directly for specific purposes.
Daye is one such company. Founded in March 2020, the company specializes in CBD-infused tampons that claim to reduce menstrual pain in a hyper-oriented way. The company’s idea “arose from reading research articles on industrial hemp, the mother plant of the CBD.” Valentina Milanova, founder of Daye, tells The Independent: “Through research, I realized that the fibers of the plant are hyperabsorbent and that the extract of its flower can relieve pain.” But the brand does not refer to its products as painkillers because this has not been scientifically proven.
I thought I would test the products. I waited until I heard the telltale signs of pain in the beer: back pain, dull stomach, a general shrinkage around my torso, to try the tampons. What happened can be more aptly described as nothing. I heard nothing. The pain never occurred, and I had the first period without pain since I can remember. I wondered if maybe it was a coincidence: a swallow doesn’t make a summer and all that jazz. But Aunt Flow’s second month’s visit provided the same results: nothing. No pain. Zilch. Zero.
Dr. Frodsham talks about the lack of research on CBD oil in general, and its relationship to the symptoms of the period specifically, but says that “It seems that CBD ingested orally may be slower to function and less effective than topical application. Any drug that is taken orally passes through the liver to be metabolized, so much of the active drug is lost in the process. ” and adds that “Gynecologists often use suppositories to relieve pain for gynecological procedures, as the blood supply to the pelvis is rich and therefore, theoretically, this may be more effective.” In a later correspondence, he tells me that after our conversation he did more research on CBD, specifically in terms of its effectiveness in terms of menstrual pain and women’s health, and came across a study that is being carried out at present on the same subject, the results of which he anxiously awaits.
Research on women’s health is desperately inadequate. On average, a woman in the UK needs seven to eight years to be diagnosed with endometriosis, with around 40% of women needing at least ten GP visits before being diagnosed. It is believed that 1 in 10 women suffers from endometriosis. Therefore, having a comprehensive study dedicated to the effectiveness of CBD for menstrual pain is potentially innovative. It remains to be seen what the results will be, but in my personal experience and the experience of Dr. Frodsham, it seems that CBD could be a big step towards an effective solution for menstrual pain, especially when used topically in products such as tampons.
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