Why Does CBD Oil Give Me Heartburn, GERD or GORD? (Here’s Reasons Why)
Heart burn can be a very painful experience, especially if it’s something that happens to you on a regular basis.
What causes this to happen and is there anything you can do to prevent it from happening?
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid that travels up towards the throat (acid reflux). If this is an ongoing issue it could be symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) or Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)…depending on your geographical location of its spelling.
What happens if you have never experienced this until you have taken CBD? What are the reasons why this is happening?
Let’s take a closer look at this and see how it can be prevented.
Why Does CBD Oil Give Me Heartburn or GERD/GORD?
This can happen for a number of reasons, the most obvious one is down to the quality of the product you are using. With CBD not having any regulation (as of time of writing), means that companies can make products without a quality standard to work towards. Look at what the ingredients are, if there are flavourings and or extra additives in the product, they could be responsible. What is the carrier ingredient of the CBD you are using? This can be another key factor. Full spectrum, broad spectrum, potency and strength are other aspects that need looking into. If you are already on medication for something else or if you have suffered with heartburn before? These can also be accountable or can contribute towards the problems you are suffering from. Let’s take a more in depth look to why this may be the case.
Heartburn is something that affects a large number of people, with one in every four of UK adults and more than 60 million Americans, experience heartburn at least once a month.
Studies have suggested that more than 15 million Americans experience heartburn symptoms each day.
Do You Have Acid Reflux
The main symptoms are:
- heartburn – a burning sensation in the middle of your chest
- an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth, caused by stomach acid
- a cough or hiccups that keep coming back
- a hoarse voice
- bad breath
- bloating and feeling sick
Your symptoms might be worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.
Causes of heartburn and acid reflux
A large number of people get heartburn from time to time and there’s no obvious reason why.
Sometimes it’s caused or made worse by the following:
- certain types of food and drink – such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods
- being overweight
- smoking
- pregnancy
- stress and anxiety
- some medicines, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers (ibuprofen)
- a hiatus hernia – the protrusion of the stomach, through the oesophageal opening in the diaphragm.
Always Check The Label
It’s one thing to have and get heartburn from time to time, it’s another to only have had it since taking CBD, but why is this?
With CBD being unregulated, means that any company can produce whatever they like and not be held accountable.
When buying CBD, it’s not only crucial but a must to check what’s in the product and where it came from.
Always check where the product was manufactured and what extra additives have been added. You also need to check for third party testing with laboratory results. All reputable companies should have these on their website, so look for these.
Companies can sneak in extra additives to reduce the cost of the product with a cheaper alternative.
A good rule of thumb is for the CBD to have three ingredients or less. The CBD extract, preferably hemp oil as the carrier oil and something for flavour would be the third ingredient such as peppermint or cinnamon.
There are a number of CBD carrier oils, so check the label and see whether this is something which you aren’t allergic to.
Some carrier oils include:
- Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil
With regards to the flavouring aspect, make sure it’s natural in its make up and not an artificial sweetened flavouring.
If the oil is very weedy, full of sediment instead of being well strained and swallowed instead of taken sublingually, it can irritate and easily upset your stomach.
Interestingly, preclinical studies have shown that CBD may decrease acid reflux, helping to alleviate heartburn.
When CBD binds to the CB1 receptor, it may decrease excessive gastric acid while helping the lower esophagus to prevent reflux and increase blood flow to the stomach lining.
There is no evidence that CBD oil could make acid reflux or GERD/GORD worse.
The potency of the CBD being used should also be taken into consideration. How dense the dosage of some CBD oil can be varies dramatically.
For example, some oils require you to take an entire dropper to get the recommended dose. While other CBD oil only requires a few drops!
Always read the label and never go over what the manufacturer recommends.
What Type Of CBD Are You Using?
However, with CBD still being such an unknown quantity, it can have various different reactions to certain individuals.
Unlike conventional anti-acid reflux medications, CBD shouldn’t have dangerous side effects and is generally well tolerated in humans in doses of up to 1500mg on a daily basis.
An upset stomach, diarrhoea and gastrointestinal distress are not typically caused by cannabinoid oil itself, but rather by the ingredients used to deliver CBD oil into the body or flaws during the CBD production process.
If you vape CBD, consume it orally, or use it topically, it is completely fine to drink water normally without disrupting absorption.
However, if CBD is consumed sublingually (under the tongue) via a tincture, you should give the tincture at least 60 seconds for full absorption before drinking anything.
Technically, CBD is different from marijuana even though they are closely related.
Both have CBD (cannabidiol cannabinoid) in them as they belong to the classification under cannabis. However, CBD does not contain high levels of THC ((tetrahydrocannabinol).
THC is the most famous compound among all cannabinoids because of its ability to make a person feel “high”.
Specifically, the CBD that is derived from hemp is not considered psychotropic as full-spectrum CBD contains less than 0.3% THC.
Have You Been Here Before?
It goes without saying that if you are suffering from heartburn since taking CBD, it would be wise to stop doing so for a few days to see how your body reacts without it.
If after this period you haven’t had heartburn, then it’s safe to say you need to change the product you are using or stop using CBD completely.
If you are on any other type of medication for something else, its worth looking into the side effects of them to see if they are causing the heartburn.
Another simple thing to consider is your diet, are you eating or drinking any of the food and drink mentioned above?
The majority of food consumed might be completely fine for most people to eat, but to you could be problematic. We are all very familiar these days with various allergies such as peanuts etc.
If you have had heartburn even before taking CBD, then use the process of elimination to find out what the item is that is causing the irritation if you are able.
Its worth seeking the advice of your GP to see where you stand regarding getting blood tests done to see if you are allergic anything in particular.
How does Acid Reflux work?
Acid reflux occurs when the sphincter muscle at the lower end of your oesophagus relaxes at the wrong time, which allows stomach acid to back up into your oesophagus.
This can cause heartburn and other signs and symptoms. Frequent or constant reflux can lead to gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
Unlike the stomach, the oesophagus has no protection against the acid. Many people feel this sensation after eating too fast or consuming greasy, acidic or spicy foods.
From My Research, The Most Common Reason Is…
In my opinion, if you are getting heartburn while using CBD, it would be worth not taking it for a few days to see how your body reacts.
The majority of time there’s CBD related problems for people is purely down to the product they are using, that doesn’t agree with them for some reason or another.
Buying CBD is such a mine field and there’s no telling with some retailers what you are getting. Theres nothing to say a reputable retailers products may not agree with you either.
Theres no easy answer here, there could be some foods that react with the CBD, which is causing the problem.
However, if you are able to send the product back to get a refund, then look to do so and spend some more time researching which CBD or any other alternative may work for you.
Always seek the professional opinion from your doctor before trying CBD or any changes to your diet.
Good Luck.
Until next time, all the best…
