Second Nature Care Blog

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cannabis - Naturopathic Medicine

[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 19, 2014 9:00:00 AM / by Dr. Isadora Guggenheim

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A new study that focused on teens with inflammatory bowel disease showed that teens lit up more cannabis to get relief from their symptoms.  Cannabis had anti-inflammatory effects for IBD.  Some teen smoked cigarettes and found that nicotine in cigarettes was beneficial for ulcerative colitis and a smaller group used opiates for pain management.   

Researchers found that teens in the IBD group who self-medicated with tobacco and cannabis were younger than those who used in the non-IBD group.  Teens with IBD (55%) used cannabis more than once a week for up to 76 days in the past six months compared to 24% in non-IBD group who used cannabis for 35 days in the past six months.   

Is there a non-smoking alternative for inflammatory bowel disease?

Yes, and we work with teens with inflammatory bowel disease.  We identify food allergies and sensitivities. We get a thorough functional bowel profile to pinpoint which flora needs to be increased or decreased, whether you have a parasitic infection, how well your pancreas is functioning and your level of inflammation.  We carefully construct an individualized program to repair your intestinal microbiome.

Smoking anything is damaging to your lungs and other tissues.  Smoking cannabis and cigarettes during adolescent brain development can lead to higher risk for substance use disorders.  These substances, even with their medical merits, do not address the underlying root cause of disease.  They only provide temporary relief.

If your child has inflammatory bowel disease call us and schedule a new patient appointment over the holiday break. 

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Topics: The Scoop on Poop, Healthy Living, Medical Marijuana

Isadora Guggenheim, ND, FNP, RN, MS, CNS, LMT, owner of Second Nature Naturopathic Care, LLC
For all appointments: Tel: 845 358-8385 Fax: 845 358-2963 drguggenheim@msn.com