Nausea is something that all of us experience at one time or another, often as the precursor to vomiting.  But, some people experience frequent or chronic nausea, which can severely disrupt their daily lives. If nausea is present, a person can be in enormous discomfort, struggle to eat anything, and have a hard time concentrating on anything but that awful feeling. And, some people are uniquely prone to chronic nausea, including those who are pregnant, and those taking certain medications, which cause nausea as a side effect.

Thankfully, there are certain treatments out there for nausea. One option that has become extremely popular in recent years is CBD, which is derived from hemp, a member of the cannabis genus. We’ve known for decades that marijuana can be effective against nausea, but CBD is a single compound that’s nonintoxicating, making it a great choice for those who struggle with nausea but don’t want to have to take something psychoactive in order to get relief.

What is Nausea?

A person who is experiencing nausea will often feel like they could vomit at any time, and this often prevents a person from having an appetite for food. It can range from mild to severe, and a person’s nausea can be intensified if they smell food that doesn’t appeal to them.

Causes of nausea include:

• An Infection: Certain infections list nausea as one of the common symptoms, including a variety of digestive infections, as well as the flu
• Medication: Certain medications can cause chronic nausea, including chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients
• Pregnancy: Many women experience frequent nausea while they’re pregnant, due to changes in their hormones
• Premenstrual Syndrome: It’s common for women to experience nausea shortly before they begin menstruating, due to hormonal fluctuations
• Smelling/Tasting Something Unappealing: People may become nauseous as a result of an unpleasant taste or smell
• Dehydration: Nausea is a common symptom of being dehydrated
• Migraines: Nausea is a symptom that often accompanies migraines
• Acid Reflux: Nausea can result from acid reflux, as the regurgitation of stomach acid can cause a nausea response
• Stimulation of the Gag Reflex: Our body’s gag reflex can produce nausea when stimulated, such as when swallowing a large pill, or sticking a toothbrush too far back in the mouth
• Consumption of Alcohol: Many people experience nausea either while drinking alcohol, or afterwards, during a hangover
• Motion Sickness: Motion sickness is a condition in which a person’s equilibrium is thrown off while they’re in motion, like in a car, on a boat or on a carnival ride. This can cause dizziness and nausea as the inner ear that keeps us balanced tries to recalibrate itself
• Pain: Severe pain felt anywhere in the body can cause nausea as a physiological response to intense pain
• More Severe Underlying Conditions: Nausea can, in rare cases, indicate a more serious underlying condition, such as cancer or heart disease

Because nausea has so many causes, we recommend seeing a medical specialist if your nausea is particularly severe or chronic. Your doctor will be able to diagnose the cause and hopefully suggest an effective, personalized treatment plan.

What many people don’t know is that the neurotransmitter serotonin plays a large role in our nausea response. When the body believes that it has consumed a poison, whether or not that’s actually the case, serotonin production increases to initiate diarrhea, in hope of ridding the body of that which is causing it distress. Once a high amount of serotonin is in the bloodstream, this can induce our nausea response.

Treating Nausea: What Works?

By and large, treating nausea involves addressing the root cause, of which there can be many, as seen above. These are the most common treatments for nausea.

• Medication: Nausea can be treated as a standalone condition through certain oral medications
• Motion Sickness Medications: There are also medications administered specifically for motion sickness, including Dramamine
• Hydration: If a person’s nausea is caused by dehydration, then replenishing the body with water and electrolytes can alleviate the symptoms
• Pain Medications: If nausea is caused by severe pain or migraine, then a pain medication may be prescribed
• Natural Remedies: There are a number of natural remedies for nausea, and ginger is one of the most common options, due to its antiemetic properties that can settle a person’s stomach
• Acid Reflux Medications: If nausea is caused by acid reflux, then a person may be prescribed a medication for this digestive condition
• Switching Medications: If nausea is a side effect of a certain medication, a doctor may switch the patient to a new one

Cannabidiol (CBD)

That brings us to CBD, or cannabidiol, which is quickly becoming a go-to for nausea relief. CBD is the dominant, naturally occurring compound present in the flowering buds of the hemp plant. Hemp is a member of the cannabis genus, as is marijuana. But, hemp is nonintoxicating, and because of that, it’s completely legal. Therefore, CBD is very easy to find online, without requiring any kind of prescription.

CBD was first discovered in the 1960s, when scientists began to prioritize cannabis research, to uncover its potential therapeutic uses. Since then, decades’ worth of research has been done to confirm the many valuable effects of this compound. CBD is a cannabinoid, of which there are over 100 in any given sample of cannabis. Cannabinoids are a distinctive type of compound that work with the body’s endocannabinoid system, much like the cannabinoids produce in the body of mammals.

Another thing to mention is that CBD is fully nontoxic, which has a lot to do with its popularity. It comes with just about no side effects, as the most commonly reported side effect is short-lived drowsiness. This means that nausea sufferers can feel comfortable taking CBD, even in large doses, in an effort to find relief.

CBD and Your Endocannabinoid System

As we said, CBD is a cannabinoid, which is a unique type of compound found abundantly in cannabis – both hemp and marijuana. Because it’s a cannabinoid, its job is to attach to cannabinoid receptors located in all systems of the body, which enables regulation of bodily processes. People have found all kinds of uses for CBD, including help with sleep, stress, physical discomfort, digestive troubles, low appetite, and more.

These cannabinoid receptors which regulate our physiological processes belong to the endocannabinoid system, which is a complex system of the body found in all mammals. The endocannabinoid system was only discovered in the 1990s, and finally served as an explanation for why cannabis is capable of addressing so many needs throughout the body. The endocannabinoid system has the job of keeping us in homeostasis through these widespread regulatory actions, and like we touched upon earlier, actually produces its own cannabinoids. However, many of us need an extra boost in cannabinoids, due to an inability to produce enough to keep us in homeostasis. So, taking cannabinoids like CBD can help with a host of complaints, including nausea.

Does CBD Oil Help with Nausea?

So, will CBD help with nausea? According to lots and lots of studies, the answer is yes. In fact, CBD’s antiemetic (anti-nausea) properties are some of the most studied out of all of the cannabinoid’s properties. And, it’s not surprising either, as cannabis has long been used as a natural nausea treatment.

We know that cannabidiol has a regulatory effect on our nausea response, and regulates serotonin, which plays a major role in inducing nausea. At this stage, a multitude of clinical trials have been conducted on human participants to demonstrate just how effectively CBD has been able to reduce nausea when compared to a placebo.

So, what about CBD for motion sickness? While less research has gone into this specific area, we do know that there are cannabinoid receptors in the inner ear, which again is what is disturbed when a person is experiencing the symptoms of motion sickness, including nausea. In fact, many people use cannabidiol for dizzy spells, showing that it has the strong potential to be effective against motion sickness.

It’s worth pointing out that cannabidiol may also be hugely effective against a wide range of pain-related issues, as research has consistently pointed to the cannabinoid’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. We said earlier that severe pain can induce nausea, so CBD may be effective in this regard as well.

CBD Gummies for Nausea

The key to addressing nausea with CBD is to choose an internal delivery method, rather than a topical one.  And, one of the most popular options is edibles, like CBD gummies. CBD gummies are fruity gummies that are infused with hemp extract that’s naturally high in CBD. Their effects usually take 1-2 hours to kick in, so keep that in mind if you’re in a hurry to get relief during a nausea episode. At the same time, the effects can last for up to 8 hours, which is much longer than any other delivery method, so that can be very helpful if you experience nausea for the duration of the day. Gummies come in a variety of milligram strengths, with each piece containing an equal amount of the cannabinoid, making them very easy to take routinely.

CBD Oil for Nausea

There’s also CBD oil, taken as a tincture, which comes in a dropper bottle. This is a way to get the cannabinoid into the system sublingually (below the tongue), as the dropper is poured under the tongue and held for about 60 seconds prior to swallowing. CBD oil works more quickly than edibles when taken as a tincture, usually requiring an average of 30 minutes before the effects are first felt.  Its effects are also shorter-lived than edibles, by about half.  And, many people find that CBD in tincture form offers slightly more potent effects than when the cannabinoid is ingested.

CBD for Nausea: Dose

Now, let’s cover the CBD dosage for nausea. As you’ll see, coming up with the perfect, across-the-board dosage for all nausea sufferers is easier said than done. That’s because there are a number of factors that all influence what the most effective dose may be for each individual. These factors include:

• Body weight
• Tolerance to cannabidiol
• How new you are to CBD
• How your endocannabinoid system is built (some people naturally have more cannabinoid receptors than others, affecting how sensitive they are to their effects)
• The severity of the nausea
• The cause behind the nausea

One key thing to remember is that cannabidiol is a nontoxic compound, which means that if you want to take a higher-than-average dose of it, you can without any real concern. The worst that will happen, usually, is that you’ll feel a bit groggy or drowsy for a few hours at most. Overall, we suggest starting out with a dose of 25-40mg of CBD.  Keep in mind that you can take a higher dose than that, but you may not need to.

Also, it’s perfectly fine to take more than one dose of CBD in a day. For instance, if your nausea is persistent, you can take a dose in the morning, and again several hours later. 

How to Use CBD Oil for Nausea

It’s hard to argue with the many studies and anecdotal stories about CBD being highly effective against nausea. Still, if you’re not using it properly, you’re not going to get the result you’re looking for. When taking cannabidiol to manage nausea, there are certain things you need to keep in mind.

Try Taking it Daily

Many people don’t realize that cannabidiol works with the body cumulatively – in other words, the more consistently you take it, the more CBD builds up in the system so that its effectiveness can be maximized by the endocannabinoid system. This is why we strongly suggest taking CBD as part of a daily routine, rather than taking it only when nausea becomes severe. When taken daily, it may be helpful at addressing nausea as well as preventing acute episodes.

Be Mindful of Interactions

One thing to keep in mind is that CBD may interact with certain medications, which is why we urge you to talk to your doctor if you are on medications, before taking the cannabinoid. CBD is metabolized via an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is also the same enzyme that breaks down a number of commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. If the body’s CYP3A4 is getting used up to metabolize CBD, these drugs may accumulate in the bloodstream rather than breaking down as they’re supposed to, and in rare cases they could accumulate in toxic levels.

Give it Time

We said before that CBD works cumulatively with the body, building up over time. Because of this, it can take a couple of weeks before the cannabinoid is fully effective, similarly to what happens when we begin taking a vitamin to correct a deficiency. If you’re not getting instant results, then consider taking it daily for a couple more weeks before deciding if you need to up your dose.

Choose the Right Source for Your CBD Products

The bottom line is that if you’re buying low-quality CBD, it doesn’t matter how much you take – you’ll never get the results you want. The efficacy of a CBD product depends on all kinds of things, like the quality of the raw hemp material, the extraction method used, the age of the extract, and the other ingredients in the formula. Because of this, we urge you to be mindful when choosing a company to buy from.

For one thing, we strongly recommend buying CBD online, rather than from a local store, since local stores typically maintain lower standards due to less visibility and demand. Online stores also have a wider selection of products, and a faster product turnover rate due to getting more daily visitors, which keeps inventory fresh and effective.

Also, look at reviews of a company before buying, and look at the product’s third-party lab reports, which come from an unbiased, state-authorized testing facility to prove the product’s purity, potency, quality, safety, and authenticity.

Play Around with Your Dosage

We recommend increasing your dosage by about 10-15mg increments if you’re not getting the results you want after 2 weeks of daily use. Many people respond more to higher doses for the reasons we listed above.

What’s the Best CBD Oil for Nausea?

If you’re ready to start taking CBD oil for nausea, we recommend the CBD oils at Kore Original, which come in a variety of milligram strength options so that you can select the best potency level for your needs. Our CBD oils are made with minimal, all-natural ingredients, containing only CBD-rich hemp extract, MCT oil as a carrier oil, and natural flavoring (we also offer an unflavored option). A single dropper a day may very well be what you need in order to manage symptoms of nausea, and our third-party lab reports and reviews confirm that our products are the real deal.

Is CBD Good for Nausea?  Research Says Absolutely!

Nausea can be downright debilitating, interfering with our ability to focus, function and eat enough food to stay healthy. Thankfully, in many cases, nausea can be managed to minimize the impact that it has on our lives. If you want to go the natural route, then CBD may be exactly what’s needed to get the help you deserve. And, at Kore Original, we’re proud to offer a number of top-notch CBD formulas, including gummies and oils, that have what it takes to bring you sweet relief from nausea, along with all kinds of daily complaints.  Explore our collection today!