Health
CBD Oil For ADHD
Dec
Adults and children who deal with ADHD on a daily basis know how frustrating and problematic it can be. ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It is usually diagnosed in children around the age of seven. ADHD may cause a person to feel extremely restless, impulsive, and they may have an extremely hard time focusing. It has also been shown to increase mood instability, depression, and anxiety.
Currently, the only FDA approved medications for ADHD are stimulants, non-stimulants, and anti-depressants. Side effects of these medications can cause weight loss or weight gain, sleeplessness, increased risk of heart problems, and addiction. For these reasons, many people and parents of young children with ADHD in particular, are open to trying alternative forms of medicine. CBD has been in the spotlight recently for its many health benefits, but is treating ADHD one of them?
Related: How CBD Gummies Can Help Treat Anxiety
Does CBD oil help with ADHD?
Satives is a medicinal marijuana product that has been studied as a treatment for ADHD. Researchers concluded that it helped with symptoms like hyperactivity, but there is limited research specifically regarding CBD oil and ADHD.
That being said, CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety, which may help people with ADHD. It has also been said that CBD can help increase levels of dopamine in the brain. It is common for people with ADHD to have lower levels of dopamine, which is responsible for regulating mood, memory, and attention.
CBD Oil and ADHD research
There was a study done on the experiences of parents who gave CBD oil to their children who had ADHD. This study was done in 2018 and published in the Swiss journal “Frontiers in Pharmacology.” In the study, 53 individuals between the ages of four and 22 took CBD oil orally for 66 days. The research concluded the following:
- Rage and self-injury improved for 68% of the individuals, but got worse for 9%
- Hyperactivity decreased in 68%, remained the same in 29%, and increased in 3%
- Anxiety was reduced in 47% of children but increased in 24% of adults
Another study conducted in 2019 and published in the same journal studied how CBD effects mice. Researchers found that CBD attached to the region of the brain responsible for spacial learning and adaption, and decreased hyperactivity when placed in a new environment. This evidence shows that CBD could reduce hyperactivity in the brain, which could be extremely beneficial in people with ADHD.
CBD dosage for ADHD
One parent who had given her son CBD oil to help reduce symptoms of ADHD had to go through some trial and error before finding the correct dosage. Before giving him CBD oil she said, “he was a nightmare for the school and daycare, got suspended twice, and almost kicked out.” After giving her son CBD oil, he was more calm, and the teachers in his daycare were much happier with his overall performance. However after a few weeks, his ADHD symptoms came back. She switched the brand of CBD oil, and once again her son’s symptoms were manageable. Her son had built up a tolerance to the CBD oil, and therefore was back his old behaviors. She concluded that every few weeks, she’ll have to try a new brand of CBD oil once her son’s body build up a tolerance. In her opinion, this is a much better option that mainstream medications for ADHD.
Overall
Although there has been limited research, studies show promising results that CBD oil helps with focus and could be a good treatment for people with ADHD. Hopefully there will be more studies conducted in the near future regarding these claims.
*If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, you should talk to your health care provider regarding treatment options. The claims made in this article are in no way meant to dismiss or disregard current FDA approved treatments for ADHD.
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