Study: CBD May be Effective in the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

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Study: CBD May be Effective in the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

According to a new study being published by the journal Brain Research, and epublished online by the National Institute of Health,  cannabidiol (CBD) ” may be effective in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy “.

“Most diabetic patients describe moderate to severe pain symptoms whose pharmacological treatment is palliative and poorly effective”, states the study’s abstract. “Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown promising results in painful conditions.” With this in mind, researchers “aimed to investigate the potential antinociceptive effect of CBD over the mechanical allodynia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DBT) rats, as well as its involved mechanisms.”

For the study, “Wistar adult male diabetic rats were treated acutely or sub-chronically (for 14 days) with CBD (0.1, 0.3 or 3 mg/Kg, intraperitoneal; i.p.) and had their mechanical threshold assessed using the electronic Von Frey. ” Acute treatment with CBD (at doses of 0.3 and 3 mg/Kg) “exerted a significant anti-allodynic effect, which is not associated with locomotor impairment. “The antinociceptive effect of CBD (3 mg/Kg) was not altered by the pre-treatment with CB1 or CB2 receptor antagonists (AM251 and AM630; respectively; both at a dose of 1 mg/kg, i.p.) nor by glycine receptor antagonist (strychnine hydrochloride, 10 μg/rat, intrathecal, i.t.).”

“However,”  the study states, “this effect was completely prevented by the pre-treatment with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100135 (3 μg/rat, i.t.). Sub-chronic treatment with CBD (0.3 or 3 mg/Kg) induced a sustained attenuation of the mechanical allodynia in DBT rats.”

DBT rats “presented significantly lower spinal cord levels of serotonin, which was prevented by the daily treatment with CBD (0.3 mg/Kg).”


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Taken together, the data “suggest that CBD may be effective in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy and this effect seems to be potentially mediated by the serotonergic system activation through 5-HT1A receptors.”

The full abstract can be found below:

Most diabetic patients describe moderate to severe pain symptoms whose pharmacological treatment is palliative and poorly effective. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown promising results in painful conditions. Then, we aimed to investigate the potential antinociceptive effect of CBD over the mechanical allodynia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DBT) rats, as well as its involved mechanisms. Wistar adult male diabetic rats were treated acutely or sub-chronically (for 14 days) with CBD (0.1, 0.3 or 3 mg/Kg, intraperitoneal; i.p.) and had their mechanical threshold assessed using the electronic Von Frey. Acute treatment with CBD (at doses of 0.3 and 3 mg/Kg) exerted a significant anti-allodynic effect, which is not associated with locomotor impairment. The antinociceptive effect of CBD (3 mg/Kg) was not altered by the pre-treatment with CB1 or CB2 receptor antagonists (AM251 and AM630; respectively; both at a dose of 1 mg/kg, i.p.) nor by glycine receptor antagonist (strychnine hydrochloride, 10 μg/rat, intrathecal, i.t.). However, this effect was completely prevented by the pre-treatment with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100135 (3 μg/rat, i.t.). Sub-chronic treatment with CBD (0.3 or 3 mg/Kg) induced a sustained attenuation of the mechanical allodynia in DBT rats. DBT rats presented significantly lower spinal cord levels of serotonin, which was prevented by the daily treatment with CBD (0.3 mg/Kg). Taken together, our data suggest that CBD may be effective in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy and this effect seems to be potentially mediated by the serotonergic system activation through 5-HT1A receptors.

This abstract, and a link to the full text, can be found on the National Institute of Health’s website at the following link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30898678

3 Comments

  • david colllins
    March 29, 2019

    I am looking for a CBD oil for the treatment of neuropathy in the legs.

  • No Marketing
    April 1, 2019

    My personal experience is that CBD alone won’t cut it (I tried 20:! and 18:1). I need 1:1 or higher CBD to THC content to work. I also found that the most effective thing was to get a good 1:1 RSO that used food grade extraction (so that it could be used orally as needed as we). I melt organic coconut oil on low heat and stir in my oil. I then pour it in a wide mouth glass container and as needed, take out half what I think I’ll need and reseal the jar to avoid cross contamination. I then mix that in my hands with an equal amount of extra strength Ben Gay and apply topically. WARNING: Depending on your tolerance levels, the amount of skin you’re applying it to, and the THC content of your oil, you can experience psychotropic effects with topicals. However, most people I know get their most extreme symptoms at night, and I haven’t experienced a high in my sleep–I just sleep, which is impossible without effective treatment for nerve damage.

  • Kevin Murphy
    April 8, 2019

    What a better way to help diabetic patients? More studies like this! Great post!

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