Could CBD be used as a steroid replacement, read this https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement

1. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement 2/15
CBD FOR STEROIDS
Could CBD be Used as a Steroid
Replacement?

2. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement 3/15
Could CBD be used in place of steroids someday?
Posted by:
Chiara C, today at 12:00am
 55 Views
Could CBD be used as a steroid replacement?
Most of us have had steroids prescribed to us at least one time or another in our lives, whether it was to treat an allergy,
in ammation, or a mysterious rash, the chances you’ve taken at least one type of corticosteroid is pretty high. Since the
late 1940s, steroids, particularly corticosteroids, have become a mainstay in the treatment of in ammation. There are
three types of commonly used corticosteroids: cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone. And while they can be
extremely e ective in treating in ammation and suppressing the immune system (for those with auto-immune
disorders), they also come with a whole range of harmful side e ects that aren’t just unpleasant to deal with but can be
downright life-threatening, too.

3. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement 4/15
Thankfully, due to advancements in cannabis research, scientists have found that Cannabidiol or CBD can be e ective
as a steroid sparing or replacing agent. Of course more research still needs to be done on this, but its potential alone
signals good things for the medical industry and for patients in general. Should CBD end up replacing steroids in
treating a number of diseases and conditions, millions of people who rely on steroids to cope with their diseases will
see huge bene ts.
In 1948, steroids (corticosteroids) made waves in the eld of medicine after they became the main immunosuppressive
treatment for patients with systemic in ammatory conditions and in preventing organ rejection after transplants after it
was used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In fact, its use became so bene cial for patients that the group of doctors
responsible for their discovery and application for rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Dr. Philip Hench, Edward Calvin
Kendall, and Tadeus Rechstein, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1950.
Dr. Hench was the rst one to posit that steroids, the hormones produced in the body’s adrenal glands, could help
alleviate pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. As the pharmaceutical industry developed drugs like cortisone,
hydrocortisone and prednisone (corticosteroid drugs), new and e ective ways of reducing in ammation in the body
were discovered. However, the honeymoon period wouldn’t last long and soon, patients started exhibiting side e ects
from long-term use, including glaucoma, cataracts, uid retention, high blood pressure, mood swings, weight gain,
diabetes, increased risks of infections, osteoporosis, suppressed adrenal gland function, thin skin, and slower wound
healing.

4. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement 5/15
Because of this, doctors started only prescribing steroids for short-term solutions, such as treating sudden are ups in
autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease or to address pain and in ammation quickly.
There is also the issue of withdrawal. Symptoms of weakness, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and headaches have been reported by patients who’ve tried to go o these kinds of
steroids completely. In addition, long term use of immunosuppressants has been linked to a greater risk of developing
cancer in later life.
As a result, researchers started looking into steroid sparing agents, ie. drugs that would allow for a reduction in the
amount of steroids being taken or those that could be used as the primary option for suppressing the immune system.
Some of these include drugs like cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine,
cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and sirolimus. However, there’s one caveat: many of them come with their own share of
unpleasant side e ects.

5. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/could-cbd-be-used-as-a-steroid-replacement 6/15
This is where CBD steps in. CBD’s anti-in ammatory and immunosuppressive properties reduce production of pro-
in ammatory cytokines and inhibit T-cell function. Patients with Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis have reported
improvement in symptoms after taking CBD oil. This has led scientists to explore Cannabidiol’s potential as a steroid
sparing agent.
In a study conducted by Israeli researchers who wanted to look into CBD’s potential for preventing graft-versus host
disease (GVHD) in steroid-resistant patients, nine out of ten subjects responded well to the CBD treatment, with most
achieving a ‘complete response’.
The team behind the study maintain that CBD “either enhanced the therapeutic e ect of steroids or reduced steroid
dosage while maintaining or improving the steroid’s therapeutic e ect.” Even better, patients who were resistant to
steroid treatment also demonstrated signi cant improvement during the CBD treatment.
In another, animal model, study, rats with arthritic knee joints demonstrated signi cant reduction of joint swelling after
having transdermal CBD gel applied to them for four days. There were also indications that they experienced less pain.
Thanks to these results, scientists have begun recruiting for phase two of clinical trials for their research into CBD as a
steroid sparing agent for Crohn’s disease and autoimmune hepatitis patients. In both trials, patients will gradually shift
from their current treatment of steroids or immunosuppressants to a treatment of 300mg of synthetic CBD daily.
According to Chiropractic Economics, by May 2020, there were 629 clinical studies being carried out to look into CBD’s
therapeutic properties, with a number of them delving into its potential as a steroid replacement.
With all this new information and new studies still currently being carried out, new applications of CBD as a steroid-
sparing agent look like they may be on the horizon.
MARIJUANA AND STEROIDS, READ MORE...

6. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
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(https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/combining-cannabis-with-
corticosteroids-good-or-bad)
CANNABIS AND CORICOSTERIODS, READ THIS FIRST! (https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/combining-cannabis-with-
corticosteroids-good-or-bad)
OR..
(https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/5-cannabis-strains-for-asthma)
STEROIDS FOR ASHTHMA THAT CANNABIS MAY REPLACE? (https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/5-cannabis-strains-for-
asthma)
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7. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
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Keep reading... click here
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11. 6/5/2020 Could CBD be Used as a Steroid Replacement?
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