How long does cbd oil take to work for anxiety

Today we will be looking at the case of taking CBD for anxiety relief.

We will start by looking at existing research and then explore why dosing and the type of CBD can affect how quickly you feel results.

We will also touch on why your physiology is also a contributing factor.

Why take CBD for anxiety?

As we’ve seen in previous posts, CBD has become popular for providing relief for a variety of ailments including:

Pain
Insomnia
Headaches
Improvement of general well being

Anxiety can be a genuinely debilitating health issue. It often affects sleep, concentration, social interactions, and general well-being.

What does the research show?

A paper produced by academics from the New York School of Medicine and the Institute of Neuroscience at the University Miguel Hernandez, Alicante concluded:

“Preclinical evidence strongly supports CBD as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder when administered acutely” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/

Further studies suggest that general anxiety can be markedly lowered through CBD (taken orally). Results were tested an hour and a half after administering the CBD.

What can affect how quickly I will feel results?

Digestion and Metabolism

Several factors can affect how quickly you will feel the effects of CBD.

Firstly, for any CBD you ingest, the duration of its digestion will speed up or slow down the arrival of the CBD in your system. Some CBD is lost during this stage.

Following digestion, your body will then use or metabolize the remaining CBD. How quickly this is done is again dependent on your individual metabolism or metabolic rate which can be affected by a range of factors including:

Age
Gender
Muscle-to-fat ratio
Physical activity
Hormones

Dosing

Getting the dose of CBD right is important. Taking too little will not have the effect you are looking for and taking too much could cause side effects.

The ideal situation is to find the exact dose that is right for you and provides the relief you are looking for. There are many methods for calculating how much CBD to take – most are based on weight.

You’ll also find recommended dosage indicated on the packaging of most CBD products. The challenge of dosing correctly is that our digestion and metabolism mean that our bodies react to and process CBD differently.

As we have stated in previous posts, we believe you should start with a small dose, monitor how you feel then increase or decrease the dose accordingly until you feel the product’s effect.

Frequency of use

Deciding on how often you should take CBD is also relative to how your body responds to CBD and the ailment you are trying to alleviate.

As an example, if you were taking CBD for regular recurring pain the frequency of the pain episodes would be an important aspect to take into account when deciding how to take it.

Whether you seek advice from a doctor or start with a small amount of CBD at regular intervals, the important thing to remember is the importance of monitoring.

Note down what you take, how much, and how you feel. You can then use the information to adjust your frequency of use.

Type of CBD and Delivery Method

The type of CBD you choose and how you take will also determine how quickly you feel its effects.

For example, CBD oil placed under the tongue will enter your body more quickly than a capsule that has to transit through your digestive system. CBD topicals applied to the skin will also take longer to act as they need to be absorbed.

Although vaping is popular, we do not recommend it due to the numerous health concerns (lung damage) associated with its use. See our article on the pros and cons of the various ways of taking CBD.

Conclusion

Although the research referenced earlier suggests that results can be rapid, you should remember that this is not necessarily the case for all people due to the differences in our digestive and metabolic systems.

Dosing is also paramount, you may need more or less again depending on how your body reacts and processes the CBD. Equally, the type of CBD and the delivery method you choose will also shorten or lengthen the time required for the CBD to enter your system.

Whatever you decide, monitor your usage of CBD and its effect on you, and do not hesitate to consult a doctor if you encounter any serious adverse effects.

If you are suffering from an acute illness we would always advise taking professional medical advice from a physician who is also qualified to advise on CBD.