2024 | Meno Martha International Menopause Directory

July 25, 2024

Menopause and Medical Cannabis

Menopause and Medical Cannabis explains how more research studies are required to establish the effectiveness and safety of medical cannabis to alleviate menopause-related symptoms.

Menopause-Related Symptoms

Have studies examined the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis (MC) to alleviate menopause-related symptoms?

In More Women Turning to Medical Cannabis for Relief of Menopause Symptoms, published 03 August 2022, the North American Menopause Society note:

“Several observational studies previously demonstrated that medical cannabis use is associated with various clinical benefits, including improvements on measures of anxiety, mood, sleep, and pain, as well as cognitive improvement after treatment. But no studies to date have examined the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis to alleviate menopause-related symptoms”.

Perimenopause and Postmenopause

Did A Survey of Medical Cannabis Use During Perimenopause and Postmenopause, published 02 August 2022, examine the safety and efficacy of MC to alleviate menopause-related symptoms?

The Conclusion of the authors of A Survey of Medical Cannabis Use During Perimenopause and Postmenopause: Conclusion, with 258 participants, was:

“Results suggest that many individuals are currently using MC as an adjunctive treatment for menopause-related symptoms, particularly sleep disturbance and mood/anxiety. Future research should examine the impact of different MC use characteristics (e.g., cannabinoid profiles) on the efficacy of MC use for menopause-related symptoms. Increased severity and prevalence of mood and anxiety symptoms in perimenopausal participants suggest promising targets for clinical trials of cannabinoid-based therapies”.

July 2024 Study

What did the Women’s Perceptions and Experiences With Cannabis Use In Menopause: A Qualitative Study, published 09 July 2024, include in their Results?

The Results of the authors of Women’s Perceptions and Experiences With Cannabis Use In Menopause: A Qualitative Study, with 12 participants, included:

“Women self-managed their cannabis use, learning from their own experiences or the anecdotal sharing of others’, accessed cannabis from a variety of medical and nonmedical sources, and relied on experimentation, and a range of supports were described”.

Healthcare Provider

What should be noted about the use of MC to relieve the symptoms of menopause?

In Cannabis May Offer Relief From Menopause Symptoms: More Research Is Needed To Understand Cannabis Use for Menopausal Symptoms the Open Access Government elaborate on:

“Although some research studies have been done to understand the uses of cannabis in women to relieve the symptoms of menopause, more research needs to be done on the effectiveness of CBD products for menopause relief”.

On page two in More Women Turning To Medical Cannabis for Relief of Menopause Symptoms the NAMS note:

““Given the lack of clinical trial data on the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis for management of menopause symptoms, more research is needed before this treatment can be recommended in clinical practice. Healthcare professionals should query their patients about the use of medical cannabis for menopause symptoms and provide evidence-based recommendations for symptom management,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director”.

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New or Updated

Last Updated: 25 July 2024 – Last Revised: 25 July 2024

July 25, 2024/by Meno Martha

July 14, 2024

Blog

Menopause Self-Care

Menopause Self-Care builds on our current self-care; our menopause symptom management; our healthy lifestyle, diet, weight management, regular physical activity and…

Self-Care

What is self-care?

Depending on the Source the definition of self-care may vary. In Self-Care for Health and Wellbeing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition is:

“WHO defines self-care as the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote their own health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness with or without the support of a health or care worker”.

Self-Care Actions and Interventions

What are the two parts to self-care?

In Self-Care Month 2024: What Is Self-Care? the WHO elaborate on:

“Did you know there are two parts to self-care?

Self-care actions and self-care interventions

Self-care actions
Self-care actions are habits, practices and lifestyle choices – things that we can do to help look after ourselves and lead a healthier life. They include but are not limited to:

Taking regular physical activity…
Eating a healthier diet…
Looking after our mental health…
Quitting or cutting down on alcohol and tobacco”.

Self-care interventions

Self-care interventions are the evidence-based tools that support self-care. They include quality medicines, devices, diagnostic, and digital tools. Now is an exciting time with more and more tools being developed”.

Menopause Self-Care

How can self-care apply to menopause?

In Menopause Fact Sheet: Managing Your Menopause – General Tips To Help With Menopause Symptoms the Self Care Forum in collaboration with the NHS National Menopause Clinical Reference Group, elaborate on:

“Lifestyle changes and self care can help you during the perimenopause and menopause whether or not you are using HRT. Make sure you rest when you need to, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, take physical exercise regularly, find time to relax, cut down on alcohol, share with other people going through the menopause and if you smoke, talk to your pharmacist or GP practice about an NHS stopping smoking programme”.

In their Menopause Wellness Hub the (British) Women’s Health Concern explain:

“However you choose to manage your menopause symptoms, your lifestyle choices are going to be the cornerstone of any treatment plan you choose.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other complementary and alternative treatments can all be very helpful, but the transition to menopause is a good time to review your lifestyle. Not only can this help manage menopausal symptoms in the short term, it can lay the foundations for good health through perimenopause, menopause, and the years to come”.

Menopause Depression and Self-Care

How can self-care apply to menopause depression?

On page one in Menopause and Depression: Recognizing Depressive Symptoms and Depression the North American Menopause Society elaborate on:

“When you are transitioning into menopause, you should notify your healthcare practitioner whether you have suffered from depression in the past or whether you were particularly sensitive to hormone changes and have experienced premenstrual syndrome or postpartum depression. Be alert and notice whether these mood changes are mild and do not greatly affect your quality of life or whether they are severe and debilitating and interfere with your daily activities”.

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with menopause self-care?

If you would like help with menopause self-care, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Menopause Fact Sheet: Managing Your Menopause – When To Seek Medical Help the Self Care Forum in collaboration with the NHS National Menopause Clinical Reference Group, explain:

“See a health professional at your GP practice if you think you have perimenopause or menopause symptoms and one of the following:

You want to know more about treatment
You want to discuss contraception
You are under 45
You are already on hormonal treatment or have had a hysterectomy
Your periods have stopped unexpectedly or have become a problem
Any of your symptoms have become a problem

See a GP at your practice if:

It is more than a year after your last period, you are not on HRT and you experience vaginal bleeding”.

Who is a GP?

Dots and/or DotC (Depending on the Country) a GP may be a registered general practitioner, a medical practitioner, a medical doctor or a doctor.

What is the NHS?

NHS can be an abbreviation for the (United Kingdom) National Health Service.

What is HRT?

HRT can be an abbreviation for the Hormone Replacement Therapy.