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Medical Marijuana and PMS
When it’s that time of the month for women, it feels as though the whole body is under attack. Not only does PMS bring painful cramps, but it also comes with mood swings, intense nausea, headaches, and so much more. Because of this, many women struggle to find any relief during their periods each month. However, more and more evidence is pointing towards medical marijuana and PMS having an incredibly beneficial relationship.
Can smoking weed affect your period? Does weed help period cramps? If you’ve got questions about consuming marijuana for menstrual cramps, we have answers. Today, we’re talking all about medical marijuana and PMS.
What Exactly is Premenstrual Syndrome?
Before we discuss consuming weed for period cramps, let’s define what premenstrual syndrome actually is.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) happens about a week or two before your period, and it brings a combination of symptoms and effects. For some women, PMS means light cramping, tender breasts, or maybe some bloating. However, other women experience much more intense PMS symptoms like vomiting, headaches, and intense pain. PMS can often be so painful that women miss school or work due to the full-body effects.
PMS is ubiquitous. About three out of every four women experience premenstrual syndrome; however, it may be more likely to occur in women with high stress levels or a history of depression. When you no longer have your period, like during pregnancy, you’re not undergoing PMS anymore. However, symptoms may come back after giving birth.
Symptoms of PMS
The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome do differ significantly depending on the person. As we mentioned, some women experience very mild effects, while others experience much more intense side effects that require medical attention to deal with. Here, we’re breaking down some of the most common symptoms of PMS, and we’ll explain how they can vary.
Cramps
Easily the most common symptom of PMS is abdominal cramps. Cramps occur when your uterine muscles contract, creating throbbing, stabbing, or cramping pains in the lower abdomen. This contraction happens because your uterus is attempting to shed its lining. (Ouch.)
With cramps, some women will experience pain shooting down their lower back and thighs, as well.
Again, the severity of cramps varies significantly from woman to woman. Some people find that cramps are just a dull pain that you can easily remedy with over-the-counter medication. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. A lot of women struggle to find any relief from their menstrual cramps, even with pain meds.
We’ll talk more about it later, but many women find that the anti-inflammatory properties in cannabis work beautifully for helping to reduce the severity of their cramps.
Mood Swings
Another common symptom of PMS is mood swings. Mood swings happen during premenstrual syndrome because, during this time, women’s bodies are producing an egg. This egg causes both estrogen and progesterone levels to drop, affecting you both physically and emotionally.
These changes affect your serotonin levels, too, which directly impacts someone’s mood. Thus, it becomes much easier for women with premenstrual syndrome to experience changes in mood, either severe or mild.
While you may remedy the physical effects of PMS through medication, it can be tough to find something to help with mood swings. Thankfully, when it comes to medical marijuana and PMS, the plant’s calming properties may provide the internal balance you’re craving. (But, again, we’ll touch on that in a bit.)
Fatigue
With all that the body is going through during PMS, it’s no surprise that fatigue is a common symptom. During PMS, many women can expect to feel extra tired, sluggish, and struggle to find the motivation or energy they typically have. While this isn’t any fun, it’s quite normal. Your body is undergoing a lot of harsh changes during this time of the month, so don’t feel shocked if you find yourself more slow-going than usual.
Constipation or Diarrhea
Unfortunately, with PMS, the stomach problems don’t stop at just cramps. Many women experience constipation or diarrhea when PMSing. This is because, as we mention, the uterus is shedding its lining. To do so, the body produces a hormone called prostaglandins — these hormones create the contractions your uterus needs. However, they are also the cause of a lot of digestive complications such as constipation or diarrhea.
Since your body produces an excess amount of this hormone during premenstrual syndrome, it makes sense for women to experience stomach upset. You may remedy these symptoms by watching what you eat during this time of the month, but, for some women, these symptoms are simply unavoidable.
Headaches
Finally, it isn’t uncommon for women experiencing PMS to have headaches. Headaches are a common PMS symptom because of the intense hormone changes happening in the body. With the fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels, the body reacts negatively, resulting in myriad headache types. Some women experience pressure headaches during PMS, while others undergo severe migraines.
You can turn to pain killers to alleviate headaches pains, but some women find that this doesn’t always do the trick. When it comes to medical marijuana and PMS, the plant can do wonders for those with pounding headaches. To learn more about MMJ and headaches, click the links below.
LEARN MORE: Medical Marijuana for Intractable Headache Syndrome | Medical Marijuana for Migraines
The Benefits of Marijuana for PMS Symptoms
Okay, we’ve talked enough about the symptoms of PMS. Now, let’s get into the relationship between medical marijuana and PMS.
Women are discovering that using weed for period cramps, nausea, and other symptoms can be incredibly helpful. This is likely because the reproductive system has some of the most cannabinoid receptors in the entire body. So, when you consume cannabis — or apply it to the affected area — the cannabinoids are able to bind and work with numerous receptors. For example, the compounds with anti-inflammatory properties function to directly lower inflammation in the uterine lining, helping to reduce the severity of cramps.
To experience more profound, concentrated pain relief in intimate areas during PMS, many people turn to cannabis suppositories. These are medications that dissolve after being inserted into the body either vaginally or anally. For those with PMS, inserting a high-dose cannabis suppository vaginally can bring direct, tremendous pain relief in the pelvic area.
LEARN MORE: Cannabis and Sex: What’s The Deal?
Along with helping with pain, the hormone-balancing properties in cannabis may also help with mood swings. As we mentioned, it’s easy for women to experience drops in their mood because of their period, but cannabis is terrific for providing a bit of uplifting, blissful relief. Calming strains are also perfect for getting the brain to think more rationally, reducing any stress or frustration you may have stemming from PMS.
Finally, nausea and vomiting are no match for medical marijuana. The anti-nausea characteristics work flawlessly to help calm the stomach and reduce digestive upset. Of course, this will not stop you from having stomach complications entirely, but it may make them much more manageable.
How to Get a Medical Card for PMS
Getting a medical marijuana card for PMS has never been easier. Premenstrual syndrome creates various severe side effects that can qualify you for medical marijuana. Even though you can’t get an MMJ card for PMS alone, the syndrome brings more than enough side effects that apply for medical cannabis in states across the US. And, here at Elevate Holistics, it is our job to help you qualify.
With Elevate Holistics, you’ll meet online with a board-certified physician who will talk to you about your symptoms. Then, they will determine whether or not your symptoms qualify for MMJ. If they do (and we do everything we can to ensure that they do), then our doctors will give you the medical recommendation your state needs to get your medical marijuana card. Oh, and did we mention everything happens entirely online? You don’t even have to leave your house to have your appointment.
So, if you’re interested in experiencing the connection between medical marijuana and PMS, Elevate Holistics are the experts to help out. Click the button down below to make your appointment and get the process started.