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.

Gail Benson Ledesma , Alumni Mentor | @gailb | Dec 4, 2018

In reply to @merpreb "Yes rascal." + (show)

@rascal1

I too have reflux and the tincture/oil (same thing) gives me heartburn at night. It's better to use an edible of some kind. I found CBD Living Water to be the smoothest way to get my CBD. You can Google it.

rascal1 | @rascal1 | Dec 4, 2018

In reply to @gailb "@rascal1 I too have reflux and the tincture/oil (same thing) gives me heartburn at night. It's..." + (show)

Thank you Gail. How much do you drink ?

rascal1 | @rascal1 | Dec 4, 2018

In reply to @gailb "@rascal1 I too have reflux and the tincture/oil (same thing) gives me heartburn at night. It's..." + (show)

Thank you. Have you tried in capsule form?

karen00 | @karen00 | Dec 5, 2018

In reply to @cdcc "Karen, I suffer with extreme severe anxiety from morning til bedtime which happened from withdrawal from..." + (show)

@cdcc thanks for the help! I’ve purchased some and am going to try it!

stephanieann | @stephanieann | Dec 5, 2018

Hi Mammacita and others
Regarding pain management and using CBD I have heard it helps some and others no. I recommend googling about CBD and decreasing pain and also the particular condition you want the cbd to address example: CBD use in decreasing fibromyalgia pain . I also recommend keeping a pain management diary to assess more objectively if the CBD is effective. Record time CBD given and list the target symptoms you want to address such as can move easier, pain level ( 1-10), That way eventually you will probably see a pattern of the time it takes for the CBD to be effective and when it starts to wear off. You can find sample pain management diaries on the internet. Hope this helps

stephanieann | @stephanieann | Dec 5, 2018

I forgot to mention based on my experience, I found it is good to keep a log when you start using the CBD, the dose and strength and time given. I have had my son's aides taking data for the past 5 months. This is important for the doctor to see as well as for yourself in more objectively analyzing how the CBD is impacting your symptoms , pain, mood etc.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Dec 6, 2018

In reply to @helenannmarie55 "I am using Hempworx cbd oil and have had less pain, it has really helped me..." + (show)

Hi, @helenannmarie55,

It is fine to share your experiences and which products have worked or not worked for you on Connect.

What isn’t allowed is for someone to mention a product in which they have a commercial interest. This includes commercial postings or solicitations, or advertisements for a business, per our Community Guidelines (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/) and Terms of Use (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/).

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Dec 6, 2018

@stephanieann- This is wonderful advice. Keeping a journal is a great way to see what doses work, what brands, time of day or if you have eaten or not. The journal is also something that you can bring to your doctor. I believe that you will find that tinctures, that you place under your tongue works faster than capsules or chewables. This was the advice of the gal who sold me my oil. And, when I feel that I need it I want it to work as quickly as possible. Does it taste good- ah, no. But it's palatable. Some people, as mentioned above don't like the tincture but there are other ways to take it, thank goodness!

healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 7, 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

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I've struggled with bi polar (mild form), and find exercise, prayer, healthy food, Vit B's, Omega3, Vit C helpful. About a month ago, I started putting CBD creme on my arthritic thumbs. It may be helping with mini seizures too. Also may help with my afib heart issue. Not enough research at this time. Hope Mayo Clinic will add this to their avenue of research.

healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 10, 2018

In reply to @lalyfa "I have been totally off the effexor and all anti-depressants for 2 weeks now. The dizziness..." + (show)

How is your nutrition? And exercise? And yoga stretches? And meditation/prayer/contemplation? And life style choices. I think it's interesting there is so much emphasis on meds and little on life style choices which are a big player in our health.