{"id":2267,"date":"2021-11-08T19:57:01","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=183619"},"modified":"2021-11-08T19:57:01","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:57:01","slug":"cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=2267","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis and perimenopause\u2014it\u2019s a hormone thing"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cannabis and perimenopause\u2014it\u2019s a hormone thing – Leafly<\/title> <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.2 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ --> <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --> <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) --> <title>Leafly<\/title> <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title> <title>Loading\u2026<\/title> <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You’re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>When Amber Dawn Mailhoit, 38, recently missed a period she immediately thought she was pregnant, even though her husband\u2019s vasectomy was years ago. \u201cStranger things have happened,\u201d says the Kelowna mother of two teens. <\/p>\n<p>She started noticing other symptoms, too: sleep disturbances, body aches and cramping that \u201cjust came out of nowhere.\u201d When Mailhoit experienced a second missed period, accompanied by dizzy spells and strong cramps, she knew there was something more going on. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, I Googled until there were no menopause sites left for me to read and eventually came to the conclusion that I was, indeed, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/perimenopause\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20354666\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">perimenopause<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"696\" alt=\"Handwriting text Hormones. Conceptual photo regulatory substance produced in organism transported tissue fluids\" class=\"wp-image-183672 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-1.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-1.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-1.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-1.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Perimenopause is a precursor to menopause, where hormone changes cause a variety of side effects. (Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/health\/cannabis-and-endometriosis-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Living with endometriosis<\/a>, Mailhoit is used to dealing with a measure of pain about three weeks out of every four\u2014a ripping, burning feeling all around her abdomen area. In her experience, cannabis has been the most effective in relieving endometriosis symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>Since Mailhoit already used cannabis to manage endometriosis-related pain, it was her first go-to to ease these new, intense uterine cramps. \u201cI\u2019ll have just a few puffs of a joint and within minutes I\u2019m feeling relaxed, my uterine muscles quiet down, and I can focus on my breathing enough to calm much of the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By self-medicating with cannabis, she says she\u2019s found her own way to get quality of life back, using it on an as-need basis for pain management and to help with sleep. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCannabis has given me a way of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cannabis-101\/how-cannabis-helps-relieve-menopause-symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coping with perimenopause<\/a>, allowing me to be the leader in my life and giving me the ability to manage my symptoms without added medications,\u201d she says, noting she will, on occasion, take Advil as a last resort.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-perimenopause-starts-when-exactly\">Perimenopause starts when exactly?<\/h2>\n<p>Everyone with a uterus\u2014roughly 51% of the global population\u2014knows that at some point in midlife their periods will stop. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menopause.org\/for-women\/menopauseflashes\/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments\/menopause-101-a-primer-for-the-perimenopausal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">North American Menopause Society<\/a>, the average age of menopause is 51. <\/p>\n<p>While Mailhoit may seem on the young side for menopause she is within a normal range for perimenopause, a transition phase that begins anywhere between four to eight years before that final menstrual period, which happens anytime between the age of 40 and 58. <\/p>\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/news-releases\/928358\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Alberta survey<\/a> of 1,500 women\u201468% of whom were peri- or post-menopausal\u2014shared Mailhoit\u2019s symptoms of cramping, lack of sleep, night sweats, hot flashes and muscle aches. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"933\" alt=\"Menopause symptoms and physical changes lettering. Editable vector illustration in doodle style on light background. Colorful hand drawn poster. Creative design. Female health, woman life collection.\" class=\"wp-image-183669 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-2.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-2.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-2.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-2.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Confusion surrounding menopause is common and frustrating. (Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The top-five reported reasons for using cannabis included sleep (65%), anxiety (45%), muscle or joint aches (33%), irritability (29%) and depression (25%). <\/p>\n<p>Coleen Nolan, medical program director for <a href=\"https:\/\/aqualitas.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aqualitas<\/a> and a registered dietician, says one-third of the perimenopausal group also reported using cannabis for symptom management within the last 30 days. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis Canadian survey found similar results to a previous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.contemporaryobgyn.net\/view\/cannabis-for-managing-menopause-symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">smaller study done in the US<\/a> with 232 perimenopausal military veterans, 27% of whom reported using cannabis to ease symptoms with another 10% saying they wanted to try it,\u201d says Nolan. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-the-evidence-says-for-now\">What the evidence says\u2014for now<\/h2>\n<p>While there is a growing body of anecdotal information supporting cannabis use for perimenopausal symptoms, Nolan says scientific research just isn\u2019t there yet with demonstrated safety and efficacy. <\/p>\n<p>This explains why some healthcare professionals might be hesitant to suggest cannabis for symptom management. Nolan said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33759668\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent review by Canadian researchers<\/a>, just three small cannabis-perimenopause studies were available for them to examine. <\/p>\n<p>Their conclusion? \u201cMore research is needed.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Some medical doctors are, however, warming up to cannabis for easing the years-long transition into menopause. California-based integrative gynecologist Dr. Felice Gersh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/why-some-experts-say-cannabis-can-be-effective-in-treating-menopause-symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has been quoted saying<\/a> \u201ccannabis products do offer an alternative to what\u2019s out there.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>Related articles<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>And by \u201cout there\u201d she means hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Mainstream medicine\u2019s go-to offering for relief of menopause-related symptoms. Another option is anti-depressants. Both of these medicines come with considerable side effects. <\/p>\n<p>As medical director for Aqualitas, Nolan stresses that people experiencing perimenopausal symptoms should first consult a healthcare practitioner to determine if cannabis is a good fit. <\/p>\n<p>Not only are major cannabinoids <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/predicting-cannabis-strain-effects-from-thc-cbd-levels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">THC and CBD<\/a> tolerated differently by everyone, but it\u2019s also a good idea to rule out more serious conditions that could be causing symptoms. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-where-does-cannabis-fit\">Where does cannabis fit?<\/h2>\n<p>Anecdotal evidence suggests hormones influence how cannabis is felt in the body. Ashleigh Brown, patient advocate and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/shecann\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SheCann Cannabis<\/a>, says 92% of SheCann\u2019s membership base have reported both symptom variation and a changed response to cannabis, based on where they are in their cycle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ebb and flow of reproductive hormones definitely have an impact on our patient population and their symptoms. Over the years, SheCann has noticed patterns in the way that our members\u2019 bodies respond to cannabis during our cycles, too.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Among her SheCann members, which are just over 10,000 strong, Brown says those in perimenopause and menopause have reported parallels between fluctuating hormone levels and felt effects of cannabis. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe combination of the two can be unpredictable, especially when trying to manage symptoms such as insomnia\u2026It\u2019s not something that gets discussed very often, and it\u2019s really validating for us to dialogue on this and learn that we aren\u2019t alone.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe definitely need to see more research and education on cannabis and reproductive hormones.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Experienced female gynecologist is explaining to a woman the concepts of her disease. She is holding and showing a picture of uterus. Young lady is looking at it seriously\" class=\"wp-image-183671 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-3.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-3.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-3.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing-3.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>While more research is still needed, people are finding symptom relief in cannabis. (Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite the lack of conclusive evidence through randomized clinical trials, \u201cthe gold-standard of medical research\u201d says Nolan, thousands are still turning to cannabis to manage perimenopause symptoms. <\/p>\n<p>Apart from re-emphasizing a consult with a healthcare practitioner (who can be a family doctor or someone from a cannabis health clinic), Nolan advises the \u2018start low, go slow\u2019 guidance from Health Canada and other experts are \u201cdefinitely important to keep top of mind.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>A registered dietitian, Nolan also strongly advises maintaining a healthy lifestyle\u2014a <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23553160\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">science-supported<\/a> fact: lowered alcohol intake, exercise, contemplative activities such as a walk in the woods, eliminating cigarettes and a healthy diet can all help alleviate perimenopausal health issues.<\/p>\n<p>As for Mailhoit, she is now getting a full night\u2019s sleep while the cramps, muscle soreness and backaches have all improved dramatically. And while cannabis works well for her, she admits it may not work for others. \u201cI have relatives who prefer estrogen cream and have never tried cannabis of any kind. You do you,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one can tell you what is going to work best for you, but I\u2019d say if you are looking for relief from symptoms of perimenopause, don\u2019t knock cannabis until you\u2019ve tried it, because you just never know.\u201d <\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing.jpg\" alt=\"Colleen Fisher Tully's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Colleen Fisher Tully<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Colleen Fisher Tully is a freelance writer and editor with recent work in Clean Eating, Today’s Parent, The Walrus and Local Love. She posts random thoughts on Twitter @colleenftully<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/colleen-fisher-tully\">View Colleen Fisher Tully’s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly’s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --> <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-11-08 20:11:09 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cannabis and perimenopause\u2014it\u2019s a hormone thing – Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You’re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. When Amber Dawn Mailhoit, 38, recently missed a period she immediately thought she was pregnant, even though her husband\u2019s vasectomy was years ago. \u201cStranger things have happened,\u201d says the Kelowna mother of two teens. She started noticing other symptoms, too: sleep disturbances, body aches and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/cannabis-and-perimenopause-its-a-hormone-thing.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}