IBS is a chronic life-long condition affecting the bowels. It is often characterised by erratic changes in bowel habit (either diarrhea or constipation) and can cause blood and mucus in the stool.
It causes abdominal bloating and pain, and can have a huge impact on mental health due to the unpredictability of flares.
IBS is the most common disorder of the digestive system and affects around a third of the UK population.
It is slightly more common in women than men, and age of onset is normally between 20 and 40 years.
Diet and lifestyle are the main focuses of treatment, with the most common cause of flares being dietary triggers or stress.
Symptomatic control with medications such as laxatives or immodium can be bought over the counter, as can tablets such as buscopan or peppermint capsules, which aid digestion.
Medical Cannabis is increasingly being explored as a potential treatment for IBS due to its effects on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its ability to influence pain, inflammation, gut motility, and mental health.
While IBS is not considered an inflammatory condition in the same way as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, low-grade inflammation in the gut may play a role in the disorder. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
IBS is often characterized by irregular bowel movements, either diarrhea or constipation, or alternating between the two. Cannabis, particularly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), may help regulate gut motility by interacting with CB1 receptors in the gastrointestinal tract. This can help reduce diarrhea by slowing intestinal contractions, while CBD may have a normalizing effect on bowel movements, helping alleviate both diarrhea and constipation.
As with other chronic illnesses, IBS patients frequently suffer from anxiety and depression due to the impact of the disease on daily life. Medical Cannabis, particularly CBD, interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, which can help stabilise mood and aid better quality sleep.
Suffering from a medical condition can be awful, the last thing you want to do is wait months for treatment.
Making sure you are seen and treated as soon as possible is one of our top priorities.
Start your journey to a better quality of life with CB1 Medical today.
Check if you're eligibleWe are proud of our care and the impact it has on the lives of our patients, it is so rewarding to hear your stories and learn about your experiences with medical cannabis.
May 2024
Where do I start?! I have to admit I was very nervous, considering I have tried numerous treatments for my fibromyalgia and EDS and had a medical prescription 3 pages long and really complex medical issues. I was in an awfully high level of pain, even with all that.
Every single staff member from reception, nurses, pharmacy and my lovely Dr Vanessa Hutchinson have been consistently friendly, professional, helpful and incredibly fast in progressing me from initial online enquiry to receiving my prescription (just under 2 weeks and we had the Easter 4 day break in-between!).
In this very short time, my pain levels have reduced significantly (as have my other medications!). I cannot recommend this clinic enough. Thanks CB1 MEDICAL 🙂
March 2024
Staff really nice, and keep in touch to monitor my progress and any questions I may have. I feel very comfortable talking about my situation as no judgement or negative feedback. I feel like my life, health and symptoms are being taken seriously but with care.
Follow up appointment over the telephone was relaxed, no rushing, he answered all the questions about my medication and progress without prejudice, sarcasm and was so easy and a breath of fresh air. I can say that if you are thinking of treatment and support like nowhere else then you will be in very caring and professional hands that really do make you feel that you are important and heard with respect and understanding. 5 stars are not enough.
October 2024
My life has been transformed since starting medical cannabis with CB1 Medical.
Dr Richard Pertwee was friendly and so knowledgeable. The relief I’ve experienced has been nothing short of miraculous. The quality of life I now have is something I never thought possible, started to smell the roses eg I’m incredibly grateful to you all.
Highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling or has ineffective medication.
April 2024
I know when you pay for an appointment, you expect a different service, but honestly, this is beyond what I expected. The appointments were scheduled quickly, and happened within days, mostly late evenings to fit around my work. The doctors listen and I didn’t feel like I was being judged as just a junkie after pain meds. That’s how I feel in an NHS appointment.
The meds were delivered quickly and I got to using them right away. In the last 11 days, I’ve used painkillers once, and only paracetamol. This is down from multiple painkillers multiple times every single day. And I sleep so much better as well.
