Are patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis at higher risk of developing COVID19 or more severe infection? the role of cbd in COVID19
COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel disease, don't panic
People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) understandably have many questions about the outbreak of SARS CoV-2 infections.
Questions that are sometimes difficult to answer with precision, given the limited hindsight and fragmentary data still available today. One of the first questions concerns the risk of contracting the infection.
"At this time, there is no reason to believe that people with IBD 'inflammatory bowel disease' are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection," reports Dr. Michael Collins, Gastro -enterologist at Saint-Camille hospital in Bry-sur-Marne.
How CBD and its cannabinoids block cell penetration of SARS-CoV-2 and new variants?
Summary from PubMed.gov:
In addition to vaccines, low molecular weight therapies are needed to treat or prevent coronavirus-2 infections in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants that cause COVID-19. Affinity selection mass spectrometry was used to detect plant ligands of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. . In subsequent tests to neutralize the virus, cannabigellic acid and cannabidiol acid prevent infection of human epithelial cells by a pseudovirus expressing the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent live SARS-CoV-2 from enter cells. Importantly, cannabigellic acid and cannabidiol acid are also effective against the alpha B.1.1 and beta B.1.351 variants of SARS-CoV-2. Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, either isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Read more at pubmed.gov
Are IBD patients more likely to have digestive symptoms?
Again, there are few data, but the Secure-IBD database cohort, which was set up at the initiative of the IOIBD (International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ), under the aegis of the ECCO (European Crohn's and colitis organisation), provides some answers.
In this international cohort, which focuses only on documented cases of COVID-19 in patients with IBD, 41 infections have been reported as of March 20, 2020. Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported in 20% of patients, compared to 5 10% among the Chinese.
cohort. “Although there seems to be a greater propensity for digestive problems in Chronic Bowel Disease, the numbers are very different and it is difficult to distinguish between what is due to COVID-19 and what is due to the underlying bowel disease," says Dr. Collins.
About 20% of these patients were hospitalized, with a median duration of five days. There were no intensive care hospitalizations, but two of the patients in this cohort died. One was a 30-year-old patient treated with infliximab and methotrexate for ulcerative colitis. The second, an 81-year-old man, was treated with mesalazine and also had heart disease and Alzheimer's disease...
Find more information on the Vidal.fr website
Learn more by watching this expert video:
Professor Christophe CELLIER
Head of the Hepato-gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Department
Faculty of Medicine Paris Center, European Hospital Georges Pompidou Paris.
http://actus-sante.fr/newsletters/ThermoFisher/2020/Video.mp4
CBD How does it work?
How can CBD help with Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
“Digestive issues are often linked to inflammatory conditions, and CBD can help calm the gut – relieving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and even Crohn's disease.” Both animal and human studies have indicated that ingesting CBD can lead to a healthier gastrointestinal tract
CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation in many types of inflammatory diseases, including IBD.
This happens, among other things, by influencing the normal cycle of our cells. It binds to cellular receptors called A2G adenosine receptors, which control molecules that are produced and secreted by cells in the body [16].
CBD binds to A2G receptors to prevent cells from releasing compounds that trigger and continue the inflammatory process – effectively stopping inflammation at its source.
CBD also reduces inflammation in IBD by acting on CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system itself. Their action on these receptors inhibits the ability of specialized cells known as mast cells to release histamine [17] – a strong inflammatory connection is associated with allergies.
- CBD May Support the Microbiome
Some research suggests that CBD may also interact with the microbiome. A dysfunctional microbiome is believed to be a major cause of inflammatory bowel disease.
Early research has shown that the endocannabinoid system is involved in maintaining a healthy variety of microorganisms in the gut lining [13] – however, more research is needed to understand this effect in more detail.
- THC and CBD can relieve abdominal pain
CBD modulates the sensation of pain by preventing certain neurons from firing.
This occurs between secreted endocannabinoids and their receptors. Endocannabinoids have been shown to indirectly affect opioid receptors, but it is important to remember that endocannabinoids work within their own system and do not interfere with other pain control systems . For this reason, CBD does not have addictive properties known to date as for example morphine [15].
Advice on using CBD for IBD
- Tip Number 1: Choose a Good CBD Supplier that Offers High Quality Full Spectrum Oils, Capsules from Cannabidiol
CBD comes in many different forms - so there's a product for everyone.
If you don't mind swallowing capsules, these are a great option for people with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
CBD oil is another good option because it's easy to dose, takes a long time to break down in the intestinal tract (to ensure it reaches the target area), and has a very long shelf life.
Tip 2: Assess the optimal starting dose
Dosing CBD can be a challenge for new users. You can use our CBD dosage guide to determine the daily dose of CBD based on your weight (see chart below).
When using CBD for the first time, we recommend taking the lowest recommended dose and slowly increasing it over a week. It's a wise thing to do when taking a new supplement to see how it interacts with your endocannabinoid system.
Tip #3: Take CBD for 1 month , then reassess.
Their symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease didn't appear overnight - it took many months or years for it to show up, and the truth is that it will take them a while for it to go away (in part ) . IBD must be managed with patience and perseverance.
It is important to consistently use CBD (or any other medication) when treating IBD is to consult your doctor.
Answer the following questions in your assessments:
- What are your pains on a scale of 1 to 10? (where 10 are the worst pains of your life)
Record your symptoms and how often (eg, bloating, diarrhea, cramps)
- Track your bowel movement frequency to see if there's been a change - how often did you have to use the toilet today?
- Are there any new symptoms?
- Have the symptoms disappeared?
Answer these questions again after a good month of use. Are there any improvements? Is there anything worse?
With regular use of CBD, it will likely take 1-6 months before you notice any noticeable changes. Be patient and persistent.
All this information is given as an indication and cannot replace the advice of a doctor.
Sources:
Vidal.fr
dailycbd.com
[13] DiPatrizio N.V. (2016). Endocannabinoids in the Gut. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 1(1), 67–77. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0001
[15] Manzanares, J., Julian, MD, & Carrascosa, A. (2006). Role of the cannabinoid system in pain control and therapeutic implications for the management of acute and chronic pain episodes. Current neuropharmacology, 4(3), 239-257.
[16] Liou, GI, Auchampach, JA, Hillard, CJ, Zhu, G., Yousufzai, B., Mian, S., … & Khalifa, Y. (2008). Mediation of cannabidiol anti-inflammation in the retina by equilibrative nucleoside transporter and A2A adenosine receptor. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 49(12), 5526-5531.
[17] Samson, MT, Small-Howard, A., Shimoda, LM, Koblan-Huberson, M., Stokes, AJ, & Turner, H. (2003). Differential roles of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in mast cells. The Journal of Immunology, 170(10), 4953-4962.
