Real Patient Voices: Medical cannabis, menopause, and me

Despite the subject being shrouded in silence for far too long (much like most women’s health conditions) here in the UK, the shelves are packed with products marketed at making the menopause easier to manage, and services are sold to specifically help relieve it’s symptoms. 

But not knowing which ones will work best for you, or which symptoms need treating the most, makes spiralling down into a tornado of treatments is easy to do. 

Many turn to over the counter sleep aids or herbal teas to help them unwind, while taking supplements to help them stay focused throughout the day, paracetamol or ibuprofen for the aches, and HRT - if it’s in stock. It’s also not uncommon to be prescribed an anxiety medication to help regulate the emotional toll of menopause too. 

The seemingly never ending list of products, pills, and patches can feel overwhelming, and it’s no surprise people are looking into complementary treatments that work holistically, impacting multiple symptoms at once - like medical cannabis flower, medical cannabis oil, and medical cannabis vapes. 

At Releaf, we do everything we can to pioneer the voices of our patients, and so, considering it's the start of Menopause Awareness Month, we thought now was the perfect time to share our latest edition of our Medical cannabis and Me blog series: ‘Real patient voices - medical cannabis, menopause, and me.’ 

In this blog, we’ll hear from Tory and Jodie, two Releaf patients who have shared their story with us, explaining the trails and tribulations that led them to Releaf, and, how their cannabis-based treatment plans have made all the difference to their menopause symptoms.

Jodie: medical cannabis, menopause, and sleep

When Jodie went into early menopause as a response to the chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment she’d received to successfully fight breast cancer, HRT wasn’t an option she could consider. But the physical and emotional stress of having cancer, lupus, and going through the menopause all at once was almost unbearable. 

Surviving on two or three hours of sleep most nights, Jodie felt as though she’d lost herself. As a firm believer in holistic approaches and a lover of nature, Jodie was surprised to find out medical cannabis can be prescribed to help manage menopause symptoms in the UK - and she was intrigued to know more. 

Six months after signing up to Releaf, Jodie shared her story ‘Natural solutions for menopause symptoms’ with us, in the hope of inspiring others. 

Jodie told us:

“In the last six months I’ve received three prescriptions from Releaf, so for me, they last about two months on average. I just love the medical cannabis oil. I know when I take the oil at night, I'm going to have the nicest sleep. 

For a number of years, I managed only two, three, or four hours of sleep if I was lucky, and that impacted my work, my self-confidence, and many different areas in my life. 

With the oil, I take a very small dose. I know I could probably take a higher dose and really have a lie in, but at my age, I don’t want to do that. With a small dose I sleep well and in the morning I don't feel groggy; I wake up in a good mood and in a really good place. It's also about the way I fall asleep—nice and gentle—nothing like sleep medications I’ve tried before. It's just a nice, gentle dozing off. 

I now sleep between six and seven hours most nights, and I feel very refreshed during the day: clearer and calmer. Another, unexpected benefit is that the bags under my eyes seem to have cleared up. I think it’s because I'm sleeping so well. 

I use the oil for sleep and then a flower to treat my pain. I have bursitis on my right hip, and part of my job is giving massages and physical therapies. After I've given a lot of massages, by the end of the day, my hip gets very sore. I’ll use my vape pen, and after 20 minutes that pain dissipates, which has really been a game changer. I also love the fact that it's a measured dose, easy to use, and it doesn't leave a smell around the house.”

To read Jodie’s full account, head over to our patient stories page. 

Tory: medical cannabis, menopause, and anxiety

Another one of our patients, Tory, a police officer turned support worker for young adults with autism, came to Releaf originally for support managing anxiety. 

When Tory shared her story, she told us how adding her prescribed cannabis oil to her existing routine with cocoa had some unexpected, but not unwelcome, effects on the menopausal symptoms she’d been experiencing. 

During her interview, Tory explained:

“I'm also not enjoying the whole menopause experience - it has been quite challenging. But the brain fog, that's starting to clear, and cacao's been helping me with that, I just add my oil as well in a very low dose, and I am golden. I am back to myself thinking ‘we can manage this whole thing now’. 

It’s a very unpredictable cycle, so it’s hard for women, we struggle with this quite a lot, but yes, I get relief from brain fog, the night sweats, those horrible hot and cold flushes during the day, and the feeling of just heavy ‘uggh’ -  that's gone…

It's genuinely wonderful. I'm so grateful to feel like me again. I haven't felt like me for about a year before I came here. I didn’t know if this was a good idea or not, but I'm so glad I made the call.”

When asked if she knew that medical cannabis can be prescribed as a menopause treatment, Tory said:

“It was a surprise. I'd not read anything about cannabis and menopause - I've read plenty about supporting anxiety, but not specifically around menopause

I thought, well, this is actually quite wonderful. Now, I combine it with cacao and I think they complement each other rather beautifully.

It's certainly helping my body feel like my body again, and not like some foreign alien thing I'm occupying for a short period of time.

I think between the two combined with meditation and mindfulness, I have found this ability to just detach, to just take one step back and take a look at the bigger picture and slowing down to choosing my response. It's so important, I think, when you have autism in the house that you are mindful of the response that you give…..”

To read Tory’s full story: ‘From policing to finding myself again with medical cannabis,’ head over to our patient stories page. 

Curious to know more?

If this blog has made you wonder if you too could be eligible for medical cannabis, or has made you curious to learn more about how to access legal cannabis treatments here in the UK, Releaf is here to help. 

Our team of excellent patient support coordinators are here to guide you through every step of the journey, while our triage team evaluate your suitability for medical cannabis, prescribed cannabis oil, and THC containing vapes. 

If eligible, you’ll be invited to book in for a consultation with one of our specialist doctors, so that they can get to know you, your symptoms, and your lifestyle before designing your own, personalised medical cannabis treatment plan. 

Assess your suitability for medical cannabis here today.