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Kidney stones, also called urolithiasis or renal calculi, are mineral and salt deposits in the kidneys. Healthline says they can also arise in the bladder, ureters, and urethra.
Many people with kidney stones have claimed that medical cannabis relieves their nausea and discomfort.
According to a medical publication, "the two separate types of receptors, CB2 and CB1 that are triggered by the medicinally active elements of cannabis have been identified in several tissues, including the kidneys." Obtaining medical marijuana is simple if you have a KIF medical marijuana card.
Furthermore, experimental research studies suggest that activating these receptors with drugs or naturally occurring ligands may have harmful and advantageous effects on the function of the kidneys, according to receptor distribution, type of renal insult, or timing of activation during chronic or acute states of kidney injury.
Here, we have discussed kidney stone causes, treatments, and reasons for their occurrence, as well as the role of medical cannabis in treating the disorder.
Kidney Stones: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
There are four forms of kidney stones: struvite, uric acid, calcium, and cystine. As previously said, passing kidney stones causes significant pain, particularly in the side and lower back i.e. behind the ribs.
Pain radiating to the abdomen and groin, a burning sensation while peeing, a high body temperature, nausea, and vomiting are typical signs of kidney stones. Keep an eye on your kidney health by staying hydrated and being mindful of these warning symptoms.
Some of the major risk factors for stone development are:
- Diabetes, obesity
- High blood pressure
- Metabolic disorder
The conditions result in High blood pressure, persistent kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease.
Larger kidney stones, in particular, are notoriously uncomfortable, with symptoms including pain, inflammation, bleeding, or infection. However, these symptoms normally do not appear until the stone has begun to migrate through the urinary system.
Dehydration, a lack or excess of activity, weight loss surgery, obesity, or ingesting foods heavy in salt and glucose like high fructose corn syrup are all probable reasons for kidney stones. Infections and a family record of renal illness may be important factors for some persons.
Probable Treatments
Kidney stone treatments vary widely. Smaller kidney stones can be addressed by consuming lots of water and painkillers. However, larger kidney stones may require additional surgery.
- Other therapies for kidney stones can involve diuretics such as tunnel surgery, tamsulosin, and lithotripsy, which utilizes sound waves to break up calcium formations, all adapted to the type of stone.
- Infections caused by kidney stones may turn severe, necessitating IV antibiotics or possibly hospitalization.
Interestingly, a Korean scientific investigation on a terpene-combination medicine called "Rowatinex" found it more successful than standard tamsulosin and painkillers in expulsing more stones from the kidney remnants 4 weeks following shock wave lithotripsy.
A meta-analysis has also confirmed this. This medication comprises terpenes such as camphene, pinene, fenchone, anethole, borneol, and cineol, all found in medicinal cannabis. Rowatinex, like terpenes and cannabinoids, does not yet have FDA authorization and needs additional research.
Many individuals suffering from terrible symptoms and adverse effects of diminished kidney function have reported anecdotal relief from medical marijuana—or medical cannabis. What study has revealed regarding the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in renal function?
Can Cannabinoids Help With Kidney Stones?
Some medicinal cannabis users claim to have used the plant to ease the pain, vomiting, and nausea associated with kidney stones. Some people opt to utilize medical cannabis instead of opioid drugs given for the intense pain caused by kidney stones.
Excruciating pain, vomiting, nausea, a high body temperature, chills, and blood in your urine are all symptoms of kidney stones. Significant evidence suggests that medical cannabis can help with three associated symptoms: discomfort, nausea, and vomiting.
The Kidneys and the ECS
The endocannabinoid system is composed of specialized, fat-based chemical messengers that are stimulated when cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, such as cannabidiol and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, interact with both the distinct kinds of cannabinoid receptors-CB1 and CB2. Cannabinoids may also act on receptors other than CB1 and CB2 in our bodies. These receptors can be present in various tissues, particularly the kidneys.
Renal Pathology: The involvement of the ECS in renal pathology, which involves identifying and characterizing kidney illnesses, is a new area of study. It has mostly been investigated in the setting of CB receptors. According to current research, addressing the ECS may have diagnostic and therapeutic significance.
Involvement in physical activities: Endocannabinoids, such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol or 2-AG and anandamide or AEA, are involved in several bodily activities. These procedures include sleep, perception of pain regulation, and immune system modulation to reduce inflammation.
Emerging investigations using isolated cells, models of rodents, and human studies have indicated an important part of the endocannabinoid system in kidney health and disease, according to a review of current results relating to CB receptors in the kidneys. Medications modulating CB1 and CB2 activity in renal illness could prove clinically useful.
More research is required in this area to lessen the adverse implications of cannabis while increasing its potential therapeutic effects on the renal system in many types of kidney disorders.
Medical Marijuana and Persistent Pain Management: Opioids Replacement
Chronic pain is common in people with kidney stones and other renal disorders. It is frequently treated with opioids or paracetamol, which the individual's physician recommends.
Both brief and chronic opioid use have been linked to increased morbidity and death, highlighting the need for alternate pain treatment techniques. Access to medical cannabis is linked with a reduction in prescriptions for opiates as well as dose reductions. Acetaminophen, or Tylenol, is a good alternative to opioids; nevertheless, it can be highly dangerous and deadly at doses of more than 4 grams daily.
The National Academies decided that considerable evidence supports using cannabinoids and cannabis to alleviate persistent pain while generating no fatal overdoses.
Cannabis has traditionally been prescribed for various conditions, including as a spasmolytic—a medicine that relaxes relaxed muscle spasms—for cases of renal colic, the discomfort caused by urinary stones blocking part of your urinary tract. Bigger kidney stones are more likely to cause renal colic.
Parting Thoughts:
The historical record of medical cannabis usage also indicates that it was employed to help patients excrete tiny kidney stones.
Terpenes in Rowatinex and cannabis, such as borneol, camphene, and cimeole, exhibit antispasmodic actions in some of the rodent smoothness muscle experience. If you have a KIF medical marijuana license, you can opt for legal cannabis to help with kidney stones. Although marijuana and terpenes may have a medicinal effect in managing persistent pain, more clinical trial research is required.
FAQs
Is it okay to smoke if I suffer from kidney stones?
- With such serious kidney risks, smoking is dangerous and should be avoided. Chronic renal disease damages the kidneys irreversibly, leading to end-stage kidney damage or failure.
Can you consume cannabis if you have kidney failure?
- According to Miller Hedin, current studies, including NIH-funded studies, have demonstrated the efficacy of cannabis use among CKD patients. According to a March 2020 publication in Nephrology & Hypertension, cannabis may offer medical benefits for relieving symptoms of severe CKD and end-stage renal disease.
Is 6 mm considered a large kidney stone?
- Any stone that is 4 mm smaller in length will usually pass on itself within 31 days. Only 60% of 4 mm to 6 mm will pass without medical attention, and take an average of 45 days to leave the body naturally.
