Time after time, CBD oil has been called a godsend by people who suffer from epilepsy. CBD has been shown through both studies and personal testimonies that it can weaken the effects of seizures and reduce the number of times they occur. But most importantly, CBD has provided relief for those who suffer from a rare drug-resistant form of epilepsy, known as Dravet syndrome. CBD has become a treatment and shined a light on many that felt there was no hope.

First Things to Know About CBD

CBD (cannabidiol) is a chemical compound known as a cannabinoid and is produced in both hemp and cannabis plants. CBD is responsible for many of the health benefits users and studies report when taking marijuana. Unlike THC - another cannabinoid - CBD does not produce a high or any of the classic marijuana intoxication effects. In fact, THC is only found in notable amounts in marijuana. Again, this is unlike CBD which is found in hemp as well. This means CBD oil from hemp can produce similar medical benefits as marijuana but without the high.

Many epileptic patients who use medical marijuana rely on its ability to calm their tremors and seizures to the point that they can just function throughout the day, but that can be hard to do if you’re also high all the time. This is why CBD oil is so incredibly important for medical marijuana users. CBD gives them and you a way to medicate throughout the day with perfect and in many cases improved clarity.

Can CBD Cure Seizures?

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases in the world; 50 million people live with epilepsy worldwide.  While many studies have been done on THC and its effects on epilepsy, it’s actually CBD that has more anticonvulsant properties.

CBD’s anticonvulsant properties work on multiple locations:

• Calcium ion channels
• Glutamate receptor antagonist
• Sodium ion channels
• GATA system and receptor agonists

Much of CBD’s popularity for treating seizures is its ability to help even in the case where the epilepsy is drug-resistant. It’s not known for sure how CBD is able to help those that have Dravet syndrome, but it’s thought that CBD might bind to GPR55 receptors and modulate calcium activity and the excitability of cells.

How Traditional Medicines Can Cause More Harm Than Good

Generally, patients suffering from epilepsy are prescribed multiple anticonvulsants at a time. This includes drugs like primidone, ethosuximide, phenytoin, clonazepam, valproic acid, and many more. The issue with these anticonvulsants is they come with notable side effects, and in some cases simply don’t work at all for the patient.

This is the reason more and more individuals are focusing their attention on CBD as a solution for epilepsy, epically when comes to drug-resistant forms. Common negative side effects of pharmaceutical anticonvulsants include impotence, nausea, loss of hair, headaches, sedation, liver failure, double vision, slurring of speech, irritability, depression, sleep disturbances, weight gain, and mood swings.

Common side effects of CBD . . . *crickets chirping*. Ok, this isn’t 100% true, but it gets the point across that CBD oil is a very low risk. The biggest thing to watch out for is it can affect the metabolization of drugs broken down in the liver. This is no different than what grapefruit does and most don’t consider grapefruit having side effects.

Gaining Momentum in Treating Seizures

Today, a number of lead researchers are focusing much of their attention on the therapeutic effects of CBD and its potential future in treating epilepsy. Unfortunately, these studies will take time, but many are already won over by CBD seizure reducing effects and wouldn’t consider life without it. When purchasing CBD, you’ll want to make sure it’s derived from medical hemp like the CBD oil that is derived from Vita Leaf Naturals. As, well make sure the product label tells you the amount of CBD in the product and that there is little to no THC.

For more information on CBD, click here!