Why I Tried CBD Products

And the ways the affected my mental and physical health.

---

NOTE: I am no longer promoting products by Kat’s Naturals.

---

This was a post about Heal from Kat’s Naturals. However, after ending my relationship with the company, I am no longer promoting any of their products.

What Is CBD?

If you’ve not heard of CBD oil before, let me tell you a little about it. CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of over 85 compounds called cannabinoids. CBD oil is produced from cannabis or hemp plants. Typically, the hemp used is low in THC and high in CBD.

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the substance found in cannabis plants that produces the euphoric “high” effect. The most common products today are THC-free products.

What You Should Know

Not all CBD products are equal, and due to little regulation, many retailers are trying to pass off poor substitutes to unsuspecting consumers.

Here are five important things to consider when choosing CBD producers.

1. Harvest: Where are their farms? Are they US or foreign grown?
2. Extract: What is the purity of the product?
3. Distill: How are the products distilled?
4. Purity: How does the company process and test for pesticides, chemicals, and the cannabinoid profile?
5. Potency: How potent are the products?

Using CBD With Bipolar Disorder

Again, I want to start this section by telling you that what you are about to read is my personal experience. I do not have medical reports or studies to back up what I’m about to say.

There are three distinct areas where I have seen improvement while taking CBD.

1. Anxiety

First and foremost is anxiety. It took a few weeks before I could tell a noticeable difference, but then one evening I was sitting and watching TV and it dawned on me, I couldn’t remember the last time I had taken anything for anxiety.

My bad bouts with bipolar anxiety make it difficult for me to drive, be around people, or even leave the house. It had gotten so bad that I was taking anxiety medication first thing every morning just to get through the day.

CBD brought some quiet to the noise in my head. Most days now, I can drive just fine without anxiety meds, and my last 30-day supply has lasted about five months so far.

2. Sleep

Sleep is a constant issue in dealing with my bipolar. There are way too many nights spent staring at the ceiling or watching TV all night because I know sleep will never come.

Using CBD oil has improved my overall sleep and another big reason I wanted to write about CBD. There have been fewer nights with no sleep, and on the good nights, my sleep tends to be more sound and restful.

3. Mood

It’s no surprise that dealing with anxiety and sleep issues can create a less than pleasant mood. There are times I feel sorry for the people in my life because they have to put up with me.

With problems one and two being a little better controlled, problem three (mood) has been much better. I find myself smiling and laughing more than I had been and actually being an encouragement to other people rather than a Debbie Downer.

That’s not all, though. I’ve also noticed some positive changes with my Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Using CBD With Familial Mediterranean Fever

CBD did not stop my FMF attacks or their symptoms. If that were the case, you would have already seen me on the evening news because no one would be able to shut me up about the subject.

Nothing is a perfect solution, but using CBD oil has brought me some tangible results.

Pain

Perhaps the worst part of FMF, other than the fact that it’s slowly destroying my organs, is the pain it inflicts on a nearly daily basis. If that suffering weren’t enough, there are the times when I do something physical, such as mowing the lawn, and FMF decides to increase the intensity of its onslaught.

After a couple of months on CBD, I have noticed markedly less pain. I’m not sure if it’s the result of sleeping better or if the improved sleep is the result of less pain. In either case, I’ll gladly take the change.

Appetite

So this might be a positive and a negative. Let me explain.

One thing FMF does is to destroy my appetite and create a horrible metallic taste in my mouth. It’s hard to eat anything when enduring the latter.

That issue seems to be happening a lot less frequently since I’ve been using this product. The only reason I say this might be a negative is that there are still a few pounds I’d let to get off, and the improved appetite means I’m eating more and plateaued at my current weight. Again, I’ll take it.

Digestion

Another joy of Familial Mediterranean Fever is coping with gastroparesis and IBS. Both disorders have substantially improved in the last two months. 

There still is the need to be careful of what I eat and how much I consume at one time, but there have been far fewer bouts of intense nausea or IBS episodes.

Is CBD Right For You?

CBD has become a welcome addition to my daily routine. Improved sleep, anxiety, and pain levels are helping me to enjoy my life more and spend extra time blogging.

In conclusion, the reason I am writing this CBD Review is because of the positive ways I have seen my life improve since I’ve been using it. Your results may be vastly different.

CBD oil is not cheap, so be sure to purchase a small quantity if you’ve never used it before. Even a small 5ml bottle should last a few weeks, and during that time you’ll have some idea if the product is improving your life. 

As always, I recommend keeping a health journal, especially during the first few weeks of using CBD. Be sure to track mood, energy level, anxiety intensity, pain, etc. to see if there’s an improvement. CBD needs a couple of weeks to reach optimum efficiency. Be patient.

Since this post is based on my experiences, I would love to hear from you. If you try or have tried any CBD products, I want to hear your experience. Leave your comments below or send me a note through the Contact Page.

Until next time, keep fighting!