CBD Trial - Two Weeks Out

CBD Trial: Week Two Report

It has been two weeks since my CBD self study commenced. (CBD Oil - Hype or Hope?) I've religiously taken a dropper every morning and evening with 10 mg. CBD per dose, while continuing to parse through an overwhelming amount of information on the web. I found a seemingly credible resource, the CBD Oil Awareness Project, with information on the science of how it works.  CBD affects our bodies because, in addition to our circulatory system, etc., we have an endocannabinoid system. Wait a minute - what?  I never heard of an endocannabinoid system and I bet you haven't either.  The CBD Awareness Project (cbdoiol.org) explains:

"The endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining your body in a state of optimal homeostasis. In other words, the ECS works to keep your body in a stable condition where everything is working at its best, despite what might be going on outside you. For example, your ECS aims to keep your heart rate steady and your body temperature within a set range.... Your body is at its healthiest when it’s in a state of equilibrium, so the ECS works with the various systems in your body to maintain this equilibrium." I recommend reading the whole article at:
https://www.cbdoil.org/endocannabinoid-system/  In a nutshell, we already have cannabinoid receptors in our central and peripheral nervous systems just waiting to receive the affects of CBD.

~ ~ ~  WEEK TWO REPORT  ~ ~ ~

THE TASTE:  It doesn't taste so bad anymore.  I got over it by about the third day.  I barely notice it other than an oily, strong vegetable taste. Sort of how I hated asparagus and arugula at first and now love them. Well I don't love the taste of CBD but it's only there for a couple of seconds and it's gone.  

THE BENEFITS:  Wish I could say there is no longer one achy joint in my body, but sadly that's not the case. Three unanticipated benefits have popped up, though - marked improvements with digestion, chronic dry eye relief and better sleep.

Digestion: I experienced less reflux symptoms very early on, and that is holding true. I don't feel LPR often now but when I do, it subsides quickly. After two weeks my whole digestive system feels soothed. I'm not one to blog details about my alimentary canal, but the word normalized sums it up. "Soothed from the inside out" is an apt description.  It's worth continuing just for this aspect.

Chronic Dry Eye:  Only a dry eye sufferer can comprehend the impact it has on your life.  My ophthalmologist has tried several medications, drops and even punctal plugs. These treatments provided marginal, temporary (if any) relief. At times it feels like my eye socket has a horse chestnut stuffed into it. Your whole eye is swollen, red and itching at all times. Dry eye gives me headaches, my eyelids blink uncontrollably, it wakes me up at night, and sometimes I'm terrified of going blind in one eye. As of right now there is a noticeable improvement. Most days I'm not really aware of it.  I'm cautiously optimistic though - the test will come in January-February when the furnace is running full blast.

Sleep: Wow. I wake up not remembering anything after setting my alarm. I'm usually up half the night with racing thoughts, getting up to read and drink chamomile tea, or doing breathing and counting meditations. I began sleeping like a log the second day. If there's one downside, it's an effort get out of bed despite sleeping soundly. Once I wake up though, I'm alert and my memory seems better. This all seems to indicate that an anti-inflammatory response is occurring at some level.  With hope it will continue and the benefits will expand. In the meantime I'll keep reading and researching!