Going through chemotherapy for cancer is something no one ever wants to face. On top of having a serious illness, many people also deal with difficult side effects related to chemotherapy, including hair loss, anemia, nausea, vomiting, weight changes, low concentration or focus, infection, and fertility problems. Additionally, it can be hazardous to combine any other drugs alongside chemotherapy, so there are very few ways to deal with these symptoms. According to recent research, this soon may change. CBD has been shown to have supportive qualities in easing side effects related to chemotherapy and does not cause any additional stress or harm to the body.
There exist numerous anecdotal reports of individuals who have benefited from using CBD during chemotherapy. One of these is from a woman diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer who writes that CBD oil alongside other components of cannabis were essential to her journey through chemotherapy. She reports that it helped to alleviate feelings of nausea also helped to improve her appetite, which consequently helped her avoid weight loss while undergoing treatment, a common side effect of chemo. CBD is soothing and helped to calm her anxiety, which was brought on by nerves surrounding treatment, as well as insomnia.
Some cancer patients struggle with side effects related to chemotherapy for several years after their treatment has concluded. Neuropathic pain, which is pain affecting the sensory nervous system, is another significant side effect of chemo, affecting up to 75% of cancer patients. Those with severe neuropathic pain sometimes turn to opiates to help their symptoms, which have often been shown to cause more harm than good, at times leading to addiction or overdose. Here is a link to a study performed at Temple University on neuropathic pain and CBD.
University of Glasgow has also done a blind study which shows promising results.
Although much of the evidence is anecdotal, CBD is effective in fighting the side effects surrounding cancer treatment. There is no argument which claims that CBD-based treatment would help everyone. However, if it could help only a few thousand people, this would be enough of a reason to justify further human research.
