A month ago I developed extremeeeee anxiety. I got some CBD oil and started taking it. Here's what happened.
My name's Karen. You may know me as the effervescent personality behind such blog posts as Boys have Dinks, crowd favourite Snail Mucus Moisturizer or the classic And the OTHER Thing About a Brazilian Wax. I'm a fundamentally happy person who's rarely in a bad mood. If someone repeatedly tried to cut my toenails while I slept, that would put me in a bad mood I think. But that's about it.
My perpetual good mood disappeared last month AFTER I had my breast cancer scare. Not during. After. In the days after I found out I was in the clear, I developed ANXIETY.
I had the kind of anxiety you'd expect from someone who lied about being a great singer and was then pushed onstage (naked) to sing Opera in front of thousands of Simon Cowells.
I felt short of breath, my heart was beating rapidly, I woke up 10X every night and I just felt like a nervous ball of tangled scribbles. For no reason. I wasn't afraid the test results were wrong, I wasn't worried about breast cancer at all, but THAT initial scare triggered some switch in me and I had constant anxiety.
Other than that, how did I know I had anxiety?
In the course of one week I convinced myself I had:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- a brain tumour
- Parkinson's
- Ovarian sarcoma, anddddd
- Rabies.
Soooooo I'm definitely going to chalk this anxiety up to some kind of post traumatic stress after my health scare.
I tried all the things I would normally try if I found myself anxious or stressed out. Breathing exercises, going for a run, meditation, telling myself to calm the hell down you lunatic NOTHING is wrong. All of it worked a bit, especially the meditation, but the anxiety came back.
By day 2 I started looking into other ways to get rid of my imaginary anxiety because it was cutting into the energy I liked to devote to my real anxiety. The day-to-day anxiety. The anxiety you get when you're waiting to pull into a parking spot and you suddenly see someone else heading for it too.
Pills are very helpful for anxiety. But I already take pills.
I take the smallest dose possible of an anti-anxiety drug. I have for years. It works so well that I constantly think I don't need this stupid pill, I don't even have anxiety, I'm just going to stop taking it.
And then I remember those people who decide to go off their meds because they haven't eaten anyone's face in a long time and 2 weeks later they go and eat someone's face. So I stay on my anti-anxiety drug.
I know this particular bout of anxiety is reactionary though. It's like a skipping record and I just need someone to bump into the stereo to get me back on track. Yup. I just need a little bump to get me through it.
Enter CBD Oil.
Table of Contents
What is CBD?
CBD is one of many chemical component of marijuana. It doesn't get you high. THC gets you high. CBD doesn't.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is when the CBD compound is mixed into a "carrier oil". Something that's edible like Grapeseed or Olive oil. You can also make CBD butter which is a Cannabutter but you make it with CBD instead of something with a high THC. I also now make my own cannabutter with CBD I grow.
What does CBD Oil do?
Everything from curing anxiety to healing bones apparently. Here's a list of research studies that lists all the conditions CBD may be therapeutic for. It sounds a bit snake oil to me but I was willing to give it a try.
Is CBD Oil Legal?
Yes. Unless you live in Idaho, Nebraska or South Dakota. Everywhere else in Canada and the United States, CBD Oil is a legal form of medical marijuana.
Is CBD Oil Dangerous or Addictive?
Nope. In fact it's quickly growing in popularity among both children and the elderly population as the go-to drug for many ailments like anxiety, osteoporosis (CBD stimulates bone growth), insomnia and ADHD.
So I got me some CBD oil and took it for two weeks. Here's what happened
My Two Weeks of CBD.
Day 1. Approximately 35 seconds after squeezing the CBD oil drops into my mouth I was convinced that I was getting high. Completely and totally high. I was flyingggggg!!!! I was not. I was fine. Anxiety is a tricky bitch.
Day 2. My anxiety felt kind of the same I think. No big change and I still felt like I couldn't get a deep breath.
Day 3. I might feel better, I'm not sure.
Day 4. O.K. my anxiety is definitely better. I noticed two things on day 4. When my heart started to beat faster (which would normally lead me into hours of a pounding racing heart) it would just stop. Not completely because then I'd be dead. It just stopped pounding. I'd have a few hard thumps and then it was over. Also, by day 4 I realized I could breath again.
Day 5. Pretty much the same as day 4. I wouldn't say my anxiety was magically completely gone but it was a lot better. Manageable. Like I didn't need to worry that if I went out for dinner I might scream and run across the tabletops heading for the door. I'd prefer it the anxiety were completely gone though.
Day 6. I was really counting on sleeping better and again, I am sleeping better, I'm just not sleeping the way I used to. I still wake up at night, WIDE AWAKE, just not as many times.
Day 7. All my major anxiety symptoms are reduced by about 85% I'd say.
Week 2. Same as Day 7. So my symptoms are less they just aren't completely gone.
Conclusion
It is SO hard to say if CBD oil has "cured" me of anxiety. Yes, I'm feeling much better than I was 2 weeks ago. But it all happened so subtly and slowly that it's hard to tell. Maybe my anxiety just went away on its own. Maybe it's a placebo effect? Even if it is, that's fine, so long as I don't randomly hyperventilate for no reason anymore. I mean a parking lot spot is one thing but gasping for air while buying bread at the grocery store?
Oh, hey, don't mind me, I'm simply grabbing this loaf of whole wheat while breathing as though I ran 10 blocks while being chased by a knife wielding psychopath. Who probably wants to eat my face.
Next post I'll walk you through how to get CBD oil if you're interested in it because the road to it may be legal but it isn't straight.
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I’m still waiting for my CBD oil I ordered it never came
Ordered It 2 weeks ago
I’m stIll waiting for my shipment of CBD oil I ordered It 2 weeks ago
Hope it will come soon
Hey, regardless of your state of mind, don't underestimate the possibility of face-eaters. I close my timber venetian blinds every night so that the warm golden glow of my lighting does not attract wandering face-eating humans who just happen to be walking down my street. Besides, it's like a comforting Victorian night-time ritual.
I’m curious what oil did you take and what ratio! Have you tried 18:2 capsules (full plant extract) or just pure CBD? How many milligrams?
This is in response to your anxiety. Did you by chance lower your red meat intake after your scare? My daughter was having panic attacks and in doing research found that low iron levels and B6 vitamins were a huge contributor. She is a picky eater and wasn't eating any red meat at all. I bought her teen vitamins with iron and she started eating hamburgers and steak. It honestly helped her tremendously. When I was in college I had two friends who were vegetarians. I ran into both of them separately years later and asked if they still were. They both told me they had to stop being vegetarians because they were having horrible panic attacks. Makes perfect sense now. Another friend was diagnosed recently with celiac disease. He had had panic attacks all his life. Once he eliminated gluten from his diet the panic attacks stopped. He was actually absorbing the nutrients now. So it is worth a shot to bump up your iron and B vitamins. I just read the other day that a study had been done backing this theory. As far as the CBD oil, the reason I found your page was I did a search of black spot in eye. My dad has had a black spot in his eye for 20+ years. He started taking CBD oil for his back pain and told me the other day the black spot miraculously disappeared. I was like OMG it is the CBD oil. I read in one of the comments above that it reduces the pressure in eyes. Amazing.
CBD oil isn’t available here yet, but since reading your article, I have been inundated with unsolicited emails in my spam folder trying to sell me CBD oil. Big Brother really is paying attention to you. Thanks, I wasn’t getting any spam mail before.
Sorry PegB! But I'm not sure it's because of my site. It doesn't work that way. There isn't any way for Spammers to get your email address from Mailchimp (my email provider). It's a high end, super secure site. Also, I wrote the article and I haven't received any CBD spam. I would be interested to know if this has been seen by any other people though. ~ karen!
I have suffered from joint pain all winter and a friend recommended native cbd balm. It's expensive but provides amazing relief.
Thank you Karen for discussing this! It is more of a serious topic that many people are dealing with or seeking to find relief using CBD for various mental/physical issues. With some health issues of my own recently, I'm realizing that the kind of silent anxiety or night anxiety I have is affecting my whole health and I never thought I had anxiety until recently since I'm not an "anxious" person. I too am going to try CBD as I've heard it helps with sleep issues, joint issues and anxiety to name a few, worth trying. I hold a lot of Well wishes for you in figuring out what works and doesn't and to a healthier place.
My doctor referred me to a cannabis clinic, Apollo, where I received the care of a doctor who specializes in matching one's conditions/issues to appropriate treatment (and they are available nationwide and through the telemedicine network as well). Their website is full of information and links regarding dosages, suppliers, intake options, ratios of CBD to THC etc and the range of affordability and stock of suppliers - all of whom are subject to medical standards and testing. Some of those suppliers offer compassionate pricing for those of us who are on limited incomes. Every step of the process is easy and all the people were knowledgeable and friendly.
I am interested in trying it for my cat. He has some bone deformities that cause him pain and is very nervous & timid. I just do wonder what the taste is if I mixed it in his wet food. I see some cbd marketed towards pets and curious if it is the same stuff or basically snake oil.
I've been taking CBD oil for several months for chronic pain (arthritis, back pain, inflammation, etc.) and it's really helped alleviate the symptoms. I put my dog on CBD as well because at nearly 11 years old, she started to walk up the stairs with a very stiff gait. Now she flies up and down the stairs no problem at all.
I've also been using THC oil at night so I can sleep for a change. For years I've taken forever to fall asleep, then I wake up in the middle of the night for a few hours, then fall asleep just before my alarm goes off. Grrrrr. I first started with a vape pen a friend let me borrow, and when I woke up the next morning after sleeping through the night, I was blown away. So this is what it feels like to sleep a solid 7 or 8 hours!
You just have to make sure you get the right stuff. Sativa strains are the ones that give you the psychedelic effect, Indica is the stuff that mellows you out and lets you sleep. As it was explained to me "Indica = In da couch".
It's all a numbers game. You need to get the right concentration and find your correct dose. Start low and build up to it.
Damn, I wish I could give you a caring, meaningful hug. Keep your faith in you, you rock!
Hi Karen and everyone!
Not dismissing the CBD oil. It does wonders for my dog. But in regards to the anxiety and waking up at night, the book Wheat Belly, by cardiologist William Davis has greatly improved my life with anxiety and adrenal fatigue. (My general practitioner said she didn't believe in adrenal fatigue, so I told her Buh-Bye Now.)
I buy our CBD oil through the Stanley Brothers (Charlottes Web) Through Denver Co. I give it to my autistic son for his anxiety. It totally helps him sleep better but tends to put him to sleep at school as well if (first period that is) If I give it to him in the morning before school. so we only give it to him at night now. I tried to grow a plant last summer and it turned into a huge monster and ended up being the wrong sex and I could not use it for CBD. Don't know if I'll try again but it would certainly be cheaper! Very expensive.
Karen, I've been on anti-anxiety meds for many years. Sometimes after you've been on them for a while you need a bump up on your prescription. A little higher dose will work wonders and is way cheaper than CBD oil, at least it is in the States. Go see your Doctor. :)
This post is incredibly timely. I've also suffered with a near constant low-level female anxiety for about 20 years. I guess i'm an early bloomer because it started when i returned to school for a second degree when i was 30. My anxiety accompanies periods of full-blown depression mixed with dysthymia. I tried SSRIs and had a withdraw reaction when i tapering off them. I tried bupropion and had a profound headache for the entire 2 weeks i was taking it. After that, i swore off anti-depressants across the board.
When i returned to school for a masters, i started having panic attacks and at that point, my doctor finally prescribed a very low dose prn (as needed) anti-anxiety med. Basically, i was given 30 pills to last 6 mos and that was all i needed. I never asked to increase the dose or quantity. The last time i called for a refill, i was only given 10 because the practice is trying to "lower their controlled substance prescribing." WTF!!??!! I can see cutting off people who are perpetually upping their dose but i never asked for any change. It was important to me to feel like i had something in my medicine cabinet for when "mindfulness" didn't work.
A friend started selling CBD via one of those MLM companies and singing the praises of it's effect on her anxiety. The MLM prices are crazy (because everyone needs to get a cut) so i took myself to the natural food store to buy some reputable CBD. They had a older hippy woman who was their resident "expert" on CBD. She spent about 30 mins with me discussing the products they offer. They were all certified organic and had third party certificates of analysis for chemical composition. She told me they offer a money back refund if the product doesn't work for me and out the doors i went with my brown bottle of mystery and hope.
I've been taking it for a total of 4 days now. I'm definitely sleeping better (having pretty intense dreams) and i feel more calm. I'm trying to decide whether to stick with my current dose of 8mg, try a small bump, or second dosing time.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to say in your next post and am happy to hear you're feeling better.
I've been taking CBD oil and/or gummies for about a year. Since I've gotten old, I have lots of health problems--which include worrying about them. Like you, I can't guarantee the CBD works. All I can say is: something is or I too would be racing across (well...crawling across) the table tops making for the door. Or just sitting in the corner weeping. I'm all for any help I can get, except for getting high. (Which I never have.)
Thank you for your candor, Karen. Dr. Markus, what is "a tad "of sativa's thc?
be well all
How much oil did you take daily
CBD pils was suggested to me because I have sciatica, degenerative discs, herniated discs and arthritis (a my pain management says “a whole lot going on there). My first low dose did nothing for me, but I discovered I sure was sleeping well. My dosage has been upped, my back has been doing better but now I’m on a migraine bender (one bout lasted 9 days with no relief 😱😱😱, I’m in the third day of a lighter one as we speak).
However, since it’s not covered by any insurance, it’s hella expensive. Like $150 for 90 capsules of a higher mcg level, brand carried by my doctor. I found basically the same level dosage I’m currently taking of s brand I’ve used (CBD+) for about two-thirds the price.
I would hop onto medical Marijuana in a heartbeat in FL you have to obtain a license for usesge, which my doctor said he’d recommend it for me if we can’t get this under control. However, again it’s hella expensive. Being a retired person on a limited income, I’d rather not do it for that reason alone.
Thanks for opening up this discussion.