Hello there people of the world — Lara here, and I have had chronic pain for the last decade. If you haven't heard me talk about my Vagina Problems yet, buckle up, because here we go. This is going to be fun.
The main source of my pain is a lovely disease called endometriosis. It affects approximately 176 million people around the world. That's a lot of people. Over the years, however, that endometriosis has evolved into other conditions that contribute to my daily pain such as Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Insterstitial cystitis, and overall pelvic floor dysfunction. Here's a helpful graphic to help you remember some of them:
TL;DR, my vagina and abdomen hurt pretty much all of the time. Over the last 10+ years, I've tried a lot of different treatments to help ease my pain and give myself an opportunity to lead the most "normal" life possible. But to be honest, no surgery, prescription drug, or any amount of yoga has helped me personally the way that CBD has. And that's why we are here today.
If you don't know what CBD is — here's a little rundown:
CBD (which is abbreviated from Cannabidiol, btw) is one of 100+ naturally occurring compounds in the hemp plant. THC — a compound found in hemp that gets you high, which is what most people think of when they think of cannabis — is another one. Unlike medical marijuana products (which are derived from plants with high concentrations of THC), CBD oil is made from high-CBD, low-THC hemp. In other words, CBD oils can provide medical benefits without making you stoned out of your gourd. Oh, and here's even more information about CBD if you're still curious.
I moved to Los Angeles from the Midwest five years ago, and started using medical marijuana for my pain management shortly thereafter. It helped me A LOT. On bad pain days, when I literally couldn't get out of bed, it gave me relief in a way nothing else ever had before. But, I couldn't very well live my life while stoned out of my mind on a daily basis. So I started looking into CBD. And it has quite literally changed my life.
Some of my biggest problems associated with my pain are as follows:
# Zero appetite due to an almost constant state of nausea
# Inflammation all over my body causing severe aches and pains in my legs and lower back specifically
# Shooting pains in my abdomen
# ~ Vaginal Pain ~
# And trouble sleeping due to all of the above!!!!!!!
Like I said above, CBD has truly changed my life, and I would be remiss if I did not share this with the world in the hopes that at least one person can find some sort of relief from CBD like I have. However, it's worth mentioning that everyone's bodies are different. CBD has certainly worked for me — but it might not work for you.
So, without further ado, here are the products I have found that I use and love.
1. First and foremost, I take 4-6 of these Citizen CBD soft-gel capsules every single day.
2. I also take 1-3 of these Sagely CBD + Turmeric Capsules a day. The added turmeric can help reduce inflammation.
3. I've also used Charlotte's Web CBD capsules before, and I like them, though they aren't as strong as the ones above. They are a more affordable option, though!
4. I also use this Select CBD Peppermint Vapor Pen almost daily. It's compact and easy to use basically no matter where I am.
5. I put this Papa and Barkley Releaf Balm directly onto my abdomen and lower back. It smells AMAZING and gives me an almost instant sense of relief when my uterus is trying to kill me.
6. And since a lot of my pain stems from my vagina, I tend to experience a shooting pain through my body when I attempt to do anything sexual. The best thing I've found for this is Foria Wellness Awaken, which is a natural arousal lube.
7. A pretty common complaint a lot of people with chronic pain have is TENSION HEADACHES. We clench our jaws a lot, and are generally kinda stressed out. That's why I love, love, love Sagely's Relief & Recovery Headache Roll-On.
8. There are few things in life that are as satisfying as a hot bath when you are in pain. I love to use Kush Queen's "Relieve" CBD bath bomb for added relaxation. It just feels fucking amazing.
9. If you aren't really a bath bomb person, Theramu's "Soothe" CBD-infused bath crystals also do the damn thing (and smell good, thank god.)
10. Shea Brand's CBD Balm is another balm I rub directly onto my abdomen and lower back constantly. I like the texture and smell of this, and I also like the shape of the container because it easily fits into my purse or back pocket if need be.
11. Andddddd one more rub I also like to use (this one specifically on my legs after a long flight or after sitting on a hard surface for too long) is the Extract Labs Muscle Cream.
