CBD and Surgery Recovery

CBD is a utility cannabis derivative useful for post-surgery complications. Cannabidiol-infused products help with mental stressors, loss of appetite, pain, inflammation, and sleeplessness associated with surgical recovery. This blog explains how Cannabidiol is useful for post-surgery management.

Surgical operations invite several complications, including, but not limited to, chronic pain and inflammation. Pharmacological drugs like opioids, though effective for blocking pain signals, may result in drug dependency and addiction. Also, post-surgery pain and inflammation predispose many patients to stress, anxiety, and depression. Pain, inflammation, and mental duress are common precursors of poor quality sleep, reducing the patient's quality of life. Cannabidiol dispenses multiple health benefits to its users, including, but not limited to, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, and antidepressants useful for post-surgery complications. The non-addictive cannabis derivative also relaxes its users, enhances their appetite, and mitigates other undesirable conditions post-surgery.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol, abbreviated as CBD, is a cannabis-derived compound domiciled in the hemp plant. Although the compound contains trace amounts of psychoactive THC, it is relatively non-psychoactive, making it a vital component of medicinal ingredients. Unlike THC, Cannabidiol products do not lead to mental alterations. They provide antioxidant, anxiolytic, analgesia, and anti-inflammatory properties, which benefit users with different health and therapeutic conditions. Research on cannabis derivatives is ongoing; the studies target CBD's efficacy for chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. The legalization of hemp offers fodder for more consequential studies on the health benefits of Cannabidiol.

CBD for Post-Surgery Management

Intrusive surgical operations invite many medical-related conditions that call for potent painkillers. Common risk factors of surgery are acute or chronic pain and inflammation. Medications related to surgeries like cancer could also cause drowsiness and nausea. Surgical operations could sometimes result in loss of appetite, a common precursor of weight loss. De Gregorio et al.(2019) stated that prolonged inflammation and pain could lead to neurological problems like anxiety-related behaviors. Therefore, the nexus between post-surgery recovery and CBD is the latter's utility in the management of side effects of medication and complications from surgery.

CBD vs. Pain and Inflammation

Cannabidiol contains anti-inflammatory properties which reduce pain and inflammation related to surgery. Intrusive operations like kidney transplants, muscle injury surgeries, or arthritis operations are common operations that live millions in excruciating pain. Immediately after operations like grafting, a common procedure done to fill skin volume by transferring flesh from one part of the body to the other, one may experience inflammation and pain. The swelling comes from damage to tissues. The damage results in constant pain signals to the brain. Hammell et al.(2016) observed that transdermal CBD reduces pain and inflammation. Cannabidiol binds with pain-carrying neurotransmitters, blocking them from taking pain signals to the brain.

CBD for Sleeplessness

Lack of sleep is a function of many problems, including, but not limited to, pain, inflammation, and mental duress. Cannabidiol mitigates lack of sleep in three ways. It is a pain utility; (De Gregorio et al.(2019) suggested that the cannabis compound releases anti-inflammatory properties which block pain signals from reaching the brain, leading to good-quality sleep. It contains anxiolytic properties which suppress anxiety. The nexus between sleeplessness has been established in a wide of literature; the condition has a negative association with quality sleep. CBD also binds with receptors in the Endocannabinoid system, the complex network of neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones responsible for regulating activities like pain. The interaction between CBD and ECS results in the release of sleep hormones like melatonin and Cortisol; the former reduces sleep, while the latter promotes good-quality sleep.

Treats Anxiety, Stress, and Depression

Stress, anxiety, and depression are common effects of acute or chronic pain associated with surgery. The relationship between Cannabidiol and stress comes from the former's capacity to reduce releases of 'feel-good' hormones and counter the effects of the Cortisol hormone. Evans (2020) observed that high-stress levels correspond to the accumulation of Cortisol hormone in the blood. CBD's interaction with the ECS produces a hormone that neutralizes stress hormones' effects, making the user relax and calm. The Cannabis derivate also releases antidepressant properties, which work for stress. The non-addictive cannabis derivative also releases anxiolytic properties, which reduce anxiety-related behaviors.

Reduces Nausea

Pharmacological drugs given post-cancer operations result in nausea and vomiting. Vomiting leads to loss of fluids and weight. Rock et al.(2021) observed that CBD contains compounds that suppress nausea associated with cancer medication. However, CBD's efficacy for managing cancer-related nausea is a function of anecdotal studies; users should seek medical advice before using CBD to suppress nausea.

Side effects of CBD for Surgery Recovery

Post-surgery treatments may require strong pharmacological drugs to suppress pain and inflammation. Some of these drugs may be classified under grapefruit-sensitive medication. Grapefruit drugs like anti-histamine are commonly used after surgery. However, CBD inhibits the uptake of grapefruit-sensitive drugs, making them accumulate in the body or rendering them ineffective. Therefore, cannabis-infused drugs post-surgery should rely on medical prescription. Other side effects of CBD during recovery from surgery include;

• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Diarrheas
• Vomiting
• dry mouths

Topical products used for managing skin-related problems may also result in irritation, itching, or skin rashes; these complications are, however, limited to poor-quality products.

The poor regulations in the cannabis industry predispose users to products with high levels of THC. High THC levels may result in psychedelic behavior in edible vapes and sublingual products. The UK regulations require THC levels below 0.2% to protect consumers from poor quality. Users should use high-quality products from reputable brands to get the best treatment outcome.

Conclusion

CBD is a utility drug essential for surgery recovery. It provides anxiolytic properties to mitigate surgery-related anxiety, antidepressants to deal with depression, and anti-inflammatory properties to deal with pain and swelling, synonymous with intrusive surgical procedures. Studies on the efficacy of Cannabidiol for surgery recovery remain anecdotal; patients should not replace them with prescription drugs without medical advice. Also, Cannabidiol inhibits the uptake of grapefruit-sensitive medications like anti-histamine; this may make it harmful alongside such medications. Cannabis is a utility treatment used correctly; high-quality products have better treatment outcomes, resulting in minimal side effects, and form no dependency or addiction.

References

De Gregorio, D., McLaughlin, R. J., Posa, L., Ochoa-Sanchez, R., Enns, J., Lopez-Canul,   M., ...&Gobbi, G. (2019). Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain. Pain, 160(1), 136.

Evans, J. (2020). The Ultimate Guide to CBD: Explore the World of Cannabidiol. Fair Winds      Press

Hammell, D. C., Zhang, L. P., Ma, F., Abshire, S. M., McIlwrath, S. L., Stinchcomb, A.       L., &Westlund, K. N. (2016). Transdermal Cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviors in a rat model of arthritis. European journal of pain       (London, England), 20(6), 936–948. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.818

Rock, E. M., Limebeer, C. L., Pertwee, R. G., Mechoulam, R., & Parker, L. A. (2021). Therapeutic potential of Cannabidiol, cannabidiolic acid, and cannabidiolic acid methyl ester as treatments for nausea and vomiting. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 6(4), 266-274.