How to Knock Out Symptoms of Menopause Using Cannabis

Menopause is not exactly a pleasant way to welcome your 50s and the next chapter in your life, but it is a natural process. It can start in your 40s but usually starts in your early 50s.

It brings with it a variety of different symptoms so you almost get to figuratively spin the wheel and see what symptoms you are bringing home. However, this doesn't have to be the end of the world. You can knock out symptoms of menopause using cannabis. In fact, cannabis is almost like a catch-all. There are strains of cannabis that will help you with almost every symptom of menopause, especially the more unpleasant symptoms. So what are these symptoms and how can cannabis help?

Slowed Metabolism/Weight Gain

One of the issues menopausal women face is that of a slowed metabolism. The metabolism stops working as quickly as it once did, which usually results in weight gain. Of course, this is unpleasant for anyone and everyone. No one wants to experience unexpected weight gain. However, cannabis is prescribed as a treatment for appetite regulation. When your metabolism isn't working the way it once did, you can consume cannabis the same way it's prescribed to patients with HIV or those undergoing chemotherapy. Believe it or not, regulating your metabolism even if it's slowing down will help you to avoid things like overeating when your metabolism isn't right behind you, it will help you develop an appetite if you don't have one, and it will help to prevent the unexpected weight gain associated with a change in your metabolism.

Insomnia/Sleep Disruptions

Another unexpected surprise associated with menopause is problems sleeping. You might have insomnia. You might be lucky enough to be the person who always starts waking up early even if you're exhausted. Not getting the right amount of sleep can leave anyone cranky and really put a damper on the rest of your day, and that's where cannabis comes in. Cannabis comes in different strains. Indica strains, for example, are used for their sedative effects. They have terpenes in them which help you get to sleep and stay asleep. So, if you're facing sleep disruptions, meaning you wake up a lot in the middle of the night now, or if you're constantly waking up early, or if you're just having trouble getting to sleep in the first place, you can take indica strains before you go to bed and they will help. These are the more sedating strains that are usually prescribed specifically for sleep-related issues.

Fatigue

Fatigue all over your body is another common problem. You can help offset this fatigue with different cannabis strains as well. Sometimes that fatigue is simply a secondary symptom of your sleep problems, and sometimes it's a secondary symptom of the hormonal changes that menopause brings. There are a lot of factors that all seem to work together to make your 50s a little bit of a challenge, but rest assured, sativa and indica strains can be there to help you. If you're having a lot of fatigue, mix and match different strains to see which one is alleviating for you and your body. It might be contingent upon what other symptoms you are also having. Again, if your fatigue is brought about by hormonal changes, sativa strains that help regulate the hormones released by your endocannabinoid system could be the winner. But if your overall fatigue is simply the result of not sleeping well, indica strains could be the better choice.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another wonderful symptom of menopause. But rest assured that anxiety is one of the biggest issues treated by cannabis. Cannabis controls anxiety by regulating hormones and helping to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety put out by that same endocannabinoid system. A lot of people use indica strains because they contain the terpenes that are most effective at calming you down. But don't rule anything out. Try them all and see which one works best for you. Every person is different and everybody responds slightly differently. Moreover, you can try different levels of CBD and THC. If you are experiencing particularly severe anxiety, a higher level might be better for you. Play around with the doses.

Irritability/Moodiness

The same is true of irritability and moodiness. These emotional and mood changes are a common symptom of menopause but the thing is, most of these symptoms are related to one another. Changes in hormones might result in a lack of sleep, which can result in moodiness or irritability and overall fatigue, and then create subsequent anxiety about not being able to sleep. It's a vicious cycle but the good news is you can literally attack the most prominent symptoms of menopause and knock them out entirely with cannabis.

Hormonal Fluctuations

Hormonal fluctuations, probably the big winner here, are responsible for the majority of changes. One symptom that we didn't tackle yet is that of hair dryness or hair loss. Similarly, women might experience changes to their skin quality and all of these things are related to hormones. As your hormones change, you get subsequent changes to all the other areas of your body like your skin and your hair and your nails. So you can deal with any problems you're having by using cannabis to tackle hormone changes. Cannabis will help your endocannabinoid system to better regulate itself and release the right amount of hormones so that everything in your body physiologically can remain healthy.

Overall, take the time to try different cannabis strains and see which one works best for you. There are different terpenes in each strain, so beyond the traditional indica and sativa, look at different products put out by your local dispensary and talk to the people there to figure out which ones they recommend most for the symptoms that you are facing. Don't let your 50s get you down. Knock those symptoms of menopause out of the way and continue living a happy and healthy life.