canklecat

Try some bromelain. It's an enzyme from pineapple. Or eat more pineapple. Besides helping digestion it's also a good anti-inflammatory. Helped my chronic sinus inflammation better than Prednisone over the winter.

Some folks report cannabis products help with their appetite, digestion and chronic GI problems. Maybe it relaxes the stressed GI muscles and nerves. I'm not sure researchers know for certain how and why it works for some folks, but it does appear to help with a wide range of health issues, from serious seizure disorders to digestive problems to chronic pain.

If you're drug tested at work or prefer to avoid the psychoactive effects of THC (personally I don't enjoy getting high anymore -- I got over that phase in my teens 40+ years ago), you might try CBD. But while it's easy to find potent THC (seems like all my cycling friends have a vape pen loaded with THC nowadays), it's harder to find good CBD that does what it claims.

The best I've found for the money is Lazarus Naturals, but only the high potency full spectrum. The isolates did nothing for me. But the high potency full spectrum has been as effective as prescription pain relievers for my chronic pain (multiple injuries from sports and being hit by cars). The full spectrum has a tiny amount of THC, within federal guidelines (a fraction of one percent), not enough to get high, but enough to produce what the trendy CBD hype marketers call an "entourage effect". Whatever. The tiny amount of THC seems essential to make CBD useful.

For a couple of days this week I was out of CBD while waiting for a new shipment (I can't find any good CBD locally), and had to resort to my prescription hydrocodone and cyclobenzaprine. Not only do those not work as well for me, but they make me groggy and lazy. Good quality CBD doesn't affect my energy level, just leaves me alert but pain-free.

It also helped my appetite last summer. My thyroid was swollen from a tumor (cancer, removed by surgery in November), constricting and deforming my trachea and esophagus. Swallowing solid food caused a gag reflex and put me off my feed. I mostly got by on soft foods and protein supplements. CBD helped tame the gag reflex so I could swallow soft foods and liquids. But it doesn't give me the munchies like weed.

And another friend does use cannabis with THC for his digestive issue (I think he also had diverticulitis, I'll have to ask him). He's self employed so he's not drug tested, but he's very self disciplined. He takes about one puff once or twice a day to ease the GI cramps and relieve pain from various injuries. I've never seen him "high". He says after awhile the body adapts to THC and while it takes more to feel high, it doesn't take more to be effective on his GI cramps and muscle/joint pain. I think he said it takes maybe 3-4 days of regular use before the sensation of feeling high dissipates and he just gets the health benefits.

And, nope, I have no connection with Lazarus. I just acknowledge them for their generous discounts for veterans like me. But even their full prices are among the lowest in the market. And they've dramatically improved their quality the past few months, with much better flavor and odor -- hempy but pleasant. Last year it was kinda fishy smelling.