1. < Depression & Anxiety

Does CBD oil help you with your depression and/or anxiety?

Posted by lalyfa @lalyfa, Feb 24, 2018

I am curious to know if anyone has had success with CBD or Hemp oil helping with depression/anxiety? I’ve been reading a lot about it and am curious.
I've been reading about this and am very interested but would like thoughts/opinions from anyone who has actually tried it or knows someone who has. TIA

Thank you,
Laura

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

GailBL, Alumni Mentor | @gailb | May 21, 2018

For those who are interested in using CBD as a pain or anxiety reliever, here are two websites that provide excellent quality products and one has an extensive educational programs that are free. One series of the education programs helps each person determine their own dosage for their problems.

1. http://www.cbdlivingwater.org — has good products. I used the Living Water to help me withdraw from Tramadol.

2. https://mjstherapeutics.org — this is where I purchased my CBD Daily tincture. It's an excellent quality product and they have others you can order online.

3. https://healer.com/about-us/ educational programs. I need to take their education programs and determine the correct dosage for my arthritis and radiculopathy pain.

These are good sites with reliable products and information. I have tested these links now and they work.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

REPLY
Lorena Egas | @lorena1egas | Jun 6, 2018
In reply to @gailb "@lalyfa Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am a Volunteer Mentor and not a medical professional. As..." + (show)
@gailb

@lalyfa

Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am a Volunteer Mentor and not a medical professional. As such I can offer the benefit of my personal experience, as can others on this site, but not medical diagnoses nor medical opinions. We strive to help each other with the understanding that we are all different and what works for me may not work for you. I have gotten so much good from participating in Mayo Connect that I love it.

Yes, I have used CBD tincture and CBD Living Water for anxiety. I haven't used it for depression as I already take an antidepressant. It doesn't seem to interfere with my Citalopram.

I decided to try CBD when I was withdrawing from Tramadol, a synthetic opiate I had been taking for pain (with 2 other medications) for over a year. As I began slowly reducing my use, I experienced a lot of anxiety and muscle tremors in my legs especially. I know that using a marijuana medication meant that my pain doctor would not prescribe for me again, but I was getting off the pain medications one by one anyway, so I don't care.

The CBD Living Water was my favorite as it just was like drinking bottled water and was immediately available in my system. Within a few minutes of drinking one serving, my anxiety began reducing. It was so benign that I thought perhaps it was just my own thoughts that were calming me down--my belief that it would help. So, I bought the CBD tincture as kind of a test to see if I reacted the same. The next time I was having withdrawal anxiety I used the CBD Tincture. I didn't realize at that time that it can take up to 2+ hours to have effect when you take the tincture, but that was actually good for my test purposes. My anxiety continued for another hour until slowly the tincture began taking effect. I decided then that the CBD Living Water worked best for my anxiety.

CBD Living Water is expensive at $5.00 per bottle with 2 servings. It has no flavor (the tincture had a sweet weird flavor I didn't like) and is easy to drink. I only used 4 bottles to help me through my withdrawal. I don't use it now, but I will if I have anxiety in the future. I am impressed with how helpful it was in my withdrawal. I think it would help in withdrawal from cigarettes too. I did that 34 years ago though.

Are you willing to share what you're anxiety is about? I had panic and anxiety attacks for years and used Ativan and later Lorazepam for them, especially when I had to fly in planes. About 6 years ago I started taking Citalopram antidepressant, and all my anxiety/panic attacks went away. I only had it again recently during my withdrawal process. I know my relief from anxiety is from the Citalopram. I even did 7 zip lines in Costa Rica a little over a year ago. My flights there, to Panama and back were anxiety free. That has been so incredible for me! I love traveling now.

Please let me know if you have questions,. I also hope others on Mayo Connect will let you know their experiences with CBD and Marijuana as medical alternative treatments.

Gail B
Volunteer Mentor

Jump to this post

Hi, I ve been taking cbd oil (0,03% THC) and it has been perfect then it helps me to have a good and profound sleep. My mood seem better and I am more relax than on anything before. I live in Ecuador, and need aproval from my family for my health decisions, specially then i am unemployed and need their financial support at this moment. I take zoloft and seroquel (for sleep), and autoinmune medications. I dont want to add more meds to my cocktail, so cbd is a perfect option. Sadly, the psychiatrist is very skeptical then he is really aware of all the cases he managed that take the marihuana for recreational purposes. So, he is reluctant to any form of marihuana and doesnt believe that there are isolate products. At the end, he agreed that if it really just have 0,04%thc I am free to take it. I need to prove that, and sent him the 3rd part lab tests for the specific brand and product i am taking and scientific information about cbd. He is looking for more scientific reliable information from wellknown sources as Mayo Clinic. I wrote to my reumathologist at Mayo Clinic and he answer me that he doesnt know that much about cbd but he will ask his colleagues at the complementary integrative department of Mayo C. The point is that a reliable source tell that cbd is safe to take. thats all I need. Wondering where can I find this sources. Thanks,
Lorena

REPLY
Lorena Egas | @lorena1egas | Jun 6, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using CBD oil and marijuana (prescribed or otherwise) 1) to control depression and anxiety or 2) to treat side effects of tapering off of antidepressants, we requested input from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist on the topic.

She recommended the following resource from the Minnesota Department of Health: http://www.health.state.mn.us/topics/cannabis/patients/patientinfosheet.pdf, which talks about warnings for using medical marijuana. In this info sheet you'll find sections about:
- Risks for use by children, adolescents, and young adults
- Risk for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Risk of psychotic episodes and psychotic disease
- Risk of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Risks for use by persons with serious heart or liver disease
- Risk of dependence and addiction

The pharmacist also mentioned that one would assume risks to be greater when used without medical oversight (e.g., CBD oil, cannabis water, etc.) She indicated that it’s important to remember that this could be an addictive substance, so using it to “wean” off other addictive substances may just be trading one addiction for another.

The info sheet also includes information about:
- Driving, operating machinery, or doing work that could harm people when under the influence of medical cannabis
- Advice on starting low, going slow
- Keeping medications secure and in their original containers
- Sharing with or selling cannabis to others

I hope this helps with some of the questions people were asking.

Jump to this post

Thanks for this information. I am trying to show to my doctor that cbd oIL (0,03%thc) is not psycoactive and it's safe because of low thc. I can't find that information on the paper above. Where can I find a reliable source as Mayo Clinic that explains this. Thanks

REPLY
GailBL, Alumni Mentor | @gailb | Jun 6, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using CBD oil and marijuana (prescribed or otherwise) 1) to control depression and anxiety or 2) to treat side effects of tapering off of antidepressants, we requested input from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist on the topic.

She recommended the following resource from the Minnesota Department of Health: http://www.health.state.mn.us/topics/cannabis/patients/patientinfosheet.pdf, which talks about warnings for using medical marijuana. In this info sheet you'll find sections about:
- Risks for use by children, adolescents, and young adults
- Risk for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Risk of psychotic episodes and psychotic disease
- Risk of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Risks for use by persons with serious heart or liver disease
- Risk of dependence and addiction

The pharmacist also mentioned that one would assume risks to be greater when used without medical oversight (e.g., CBD oil, cannabis water, etc.) She indicated that it’s important to remember that this could be an addictive substance, so using it to “wean” off other addictive substances may just be trading one addiction for another.

The info sheet also includes information about:
- Driving, operating machinery, or doing work that could harm people when under the influence of medical cannabis
- Advice on starting low, going slow
- Keeping medications secure and in their original containers
- Sharing with or selling cannabis to others

I hope this helps with some of the questions people were asking.

Jump to this post

@lorena1egas

If you page down a little further, I have posted some links to websites with information about CBD/marijuana. I also think the CNN special programs by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, titled WEED are excellent. There are 4 specials the have produced, with the last one (about a month ago) having the most recent reliable medical information. It is called: WEED 4, and if you Google CNN, and search for the program, you can find it. Also, your doctor should know that CBD has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for seizures. My grandson has Tourettes, so that was my original motivation for finding out more about CBD. When school is out this month, he will try the CBD to see if it has a beneficial affect on his Tourettes. I hope you can find the reliable information for which you are searching. It is still difficult to find places that have been able to research marijuana enough to understand the things it is good for. However, if you watch the CNN presentation and recommend it to your doctor that may just be what you need. Good luck. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

REPLY
Lorena Egas | @lorena1egas | Jun 7, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using CBD oil and marijuana (prescribed or otherwise) 1) to control depression and anxiety or 2) to treat side effects of tapering off of antidepressants, we requested input from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist on the topic.

She recommended the following resource from the Minnesota Department of Health: http://www.health.state.mn.us/topics/cannabis/patients/patientinfosheet.pdf, which talks about warnings for using medical marijuana. In this info sheet you'll find sections about:
- Risks for use by children, adolescents, and young adults
- Risk for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Risk of psychotic episodes and psychotic disease
- Risk of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Risks for use by persons with serious heart or liver disease
- Risk of dependence and addiction

The pharmacist also mentioned that one would assume risks to be greater when used without medical oversight (e.g., CBD oil, cannabis water, etc.) She indicated that it’s important to remember that this could be an addictive substance, so using it to “wean” off other addictive substances may just be trading one addiction for another.

The info sheet also includes information about:
- Driving, operating machinery, or doing work that could harm people when under the influence of medical cannabis
- Advice on starting low, going slow
- Keeping medications secure and in their original containers
- Sharing with or selling cannabis to others

I hope this helps with some of the questions people were asking.

Jump to this post

Hi, thanks for the answer. I've sent him the links on this thread. I think the most relevant is the approval of cbd for seizures. I'll search for that. If neurologists use it he maybe will understand.

REPLY
lydiaoscarsmom | @lydiaoscarsmom | Jun 10, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, all — as there has been a lot of discussion in this thread about using CBD oil and marijuana (prescribed or otherwise) 1) to control depression and anxiety or 2) to treat side effects of tapering off of antidepressants, we requested input from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist on the topic.

She recommended the following resource from the Minnesota Department of Health: http://www.health.state.mn.us/topics/cannabis/patients/patientinfosheet.pdf, which talks about warnings for using medical marijuana. In this info sheet you'll find sections about:
- Risks for use by children, adolescents, and young adults
- Risk for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Risk of psychotic episodes and psychotic disease
- Risk of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Risks for use by persons with serious heart or liver disease
- Risk of dependence and addiction

The pharmacist also mentioned that one would assume risks to be greater when used without medical oversight (e.g., CBD oil, cannabis water, etc.) She indicated that it’s important to remember that this could be an addictive substance, so using it to “wean” off other addictive substances may just be trading one addiction for another.

The info sheet also includes information about:
- Driving, operating machinery, or doing work that could harm people when under the influence of medical cannabis
- Advice on starting low, going slow
- Keeping medications secure and in their original containers
- Sharing with or selling cannabis to others

I hope this helps with some of the questions people were asking.

Jump to this post

Hi @lorena1egas, Here is some information that may help you. It is found in a book I borrowed from my library. It states that CBD does not have psychoactive effects and actually counteracts THC's psychoactive effects. Hope this helps.
REPLY
georgette12 | @georgette12 | Jun 14, 2018

i am interested in comments re CBD for depression or anxiety also. i live in a state where it's legal so i did buy some cookies with that ingredient. it did relax me but i can't evaluate it other than that. i haven't read the research which i'm sure is out there.

REPLY
1 reply
grandmaR | @grandmar | Jun 17, 2018

LADIES,
I GOT THIS IN MY INBOX.
THIS IN NO WAY IS MEDICAL ADVICE, JUST AN FYI.
GUYS, YOU MAY WANT TO READ THIS, TOO!

https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-pictures/different-types-of-depression.aspx

Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

REPLY
GailBL, Alumni Mentor | @gailb | Jun 17, 2018
In reply to @georgette12 "i am interested in comments re CBD for depression or anxiety also. i live in a..." + (show)
@georgette12

i am interested in comments re CBD for depression or anxiety also. i live in a state where it's legal so i did buy some cookies with that ingredient. it did relax me but i can't evaluate it other than that. i haven't read the research which i'm sure is out there.

Jump to this post

@georgette12

Since you live in a state where CBD is legal, I recommend that you contact your physician or psychologist about using it for depression. I know that marijuana can be bought as an edible, but I'm not aware of CBD edibles. I know that marijuana edibles are extremely potent and should be used with caution about getting too much. As I remember, you've had longer term depression, so I think you need to ask your doctor about using CBD or marijuana for it. It may not be helpful for you.

I have used CBD for the anxiety that comes from withdrawing from opioids, and it was helpful. I've not used it for generalized social anxiety and I'm not sure how effective it would be for that. A few comments up I posted 3 links to information about both CBD and marijuana. In addition, you may want to watch the CNN Special on WEED, with Dr, Sanjay Gupta. There are 4 of these documentaries, but I think the 4th and most recent one gives the best information.

It's good to have you back in the community Georgette.

GailB
Volunteer Mentor

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jun 17, 2018

Hi all,
With the growing number of posts referring to CBD oil (cannabidiol) and how to use it, I thought I would post a couple of recent articles to help with your research. According to this article by NPR, "By one estimate, the CBD industry has doubled in size over the last two years, and is now worth $200 million. But with this popularity the hype may have gotten ahead of the science."

While there is promising evidence that CBD may help anxiety, the jury is still out. Here are some articles to help you when discussing with your health providers or considering what you need to know when purchasing any unregulated substance:
– Does CBD Really Work For Anxiety? (HuffPost) https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/does-cbd-work-for-anxiety_us_5af4924ce4b00d7e4c18a6ac
– Anxiety Relief Without The High? New Studies On CBD, A Cannabis Extract (NPR) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/23/604307015/anxiety-relief-without-the-high-new-studies-on-cbd-a-cannabis-extract

REPLY
1 reply
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.