Anorexia
Holistic Medicine, LLC
Holistic Medical Services located in Gambrills, MD
Anorexia is a potentially life-threatening condition that can be difficult to overcome, but research suggests medical marijuana may help balance neurological deficiencies common among eating disorders. At Holistic Medicine, LLC, in Gambrills, Maryland we provide written recommendations for patients seeking medical cannabis treatment for anorexia and other eating disorders. If you need safe access to medical marijuana for an eating disorder, call Holistic Medicine, LLC, or book an appointment online today.
Anorexia Q & A
What is anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves extremely low body weight, a distorted perception of body size, and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Like other eating disorders, anorexia can quickly take over your life and be difficult to recover from.
To prevent weight gain, people with anorexia typically place rigid restrictions on the amount and type of food they eat. Anorexia may involve other means of losing weight such as excessive exercise, vomiting after eating, or misuse of laxatives to avoid food absorption.
Regardless of how much weight is lost, they may continue to restrict calories until the condition becomes life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of anorexia?
The physical signs and symptoms of anorexia are similar to those of starvation, but this disorder also has emotional and behavioral components. Even if they’re extremely thin, a person with anorexia may call themselves fat and show a strong fear of gaining weight. They may also lie about how much food they eat and avoid eating in public.
Physical symptoms of anorexia include:
- Extreme weight loss
- Abnormal blood counts
- Fatigue and dizziness
- Thin or breaking hair
- Absence of menstruation in women
- Constipation or abdominal pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Dry or discolored skin
How does medical marijuana help anorexia?
To understand how medical marijuana treats anorexia, it’s helpful to first learn how your brain’s endocannabinoid system relates to eating disorders.
Eating food elicits a pleasure response in the typical human brain. Scientists believe this pleasure response evolved because eating food is necessary for survival. Studies show that your endogenous cannabinoid system plays a critical role in signaling reward from behaviors such as eating or restricting food.
A 2011 study of 30 anorexic and bulimic patients shows that people with eating disorders may have underlying imbalances within their brains’ endocannabinoid systems. This study suggests medical marijuana can be a valuable therapeutic treatment to restore balance to this system.
Another study shows promising results, with anorexic patients gaining an average of 1.6 pounds more than placebo on a synthetic THC medicine with no adverse reactions.
If you struggle with an eating disorder and want compassionate care with medical marijuana, call or click online to get a recommendation from Holistic Medicine, LLC today.