Traveling with Ease: Overcoming Digestive Issues with CBD Solutions

When packing your suitcase for a trip, one of the things that you should never forget to include are medications—specifically for your digestive health. After all, digestive problems like diarrhea, indigestion, and constipation are common among travelers, especially when you’re exploring high-risk areas. These gut problems may be caused by poor food hygiene and handling, which leads to the growth of bacteria like E. coli, C. jejuni, Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp., to name a few. In addition, some stomach upsets may be attributed to the disruption of natural rhythms, especially digestion. Traveling may lead to altered eating schedules and impaired sleep due to jet lag, and people with already sensitive stomachs are most prone to these problems. 

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Whatever the cause is, it is undeniable that an upset stomach will leave you feeling weak in the knees and prevent you from enjoying your most awaited trip. Fortunately, it is possible to overcome these digestive issues with the use of premium CBD products. 

Traveler’s Diarrhea: What It Is, What Causes It, and How It Can Be Managed and Prevented

Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD) is the most common digestive issue experienced by travelers. Fortunately, though, TD is not a serious cause of concern in most cases—but it is still unpleasant and a cause of discomfort.

The typical signs and symptoms of TD are:

• Abrupt onset of the urge to pass three or more loose watery stools per a day
• An urgent need to defecate
• Painful abdominal cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Dehydration

These symptoms usually improve within 1 to 2 days without treatment, but if you notice blood in your stools or diarrhea persists for more than two days, you should schedule a checkup with a doctor.

Cause

Traveler’s Diarrhea is usually due to an infection caused by eating food or drinking water tainted by bacteria or intestinal parasites. When traveling to high-risk areas or places where the climate or sanitary food handling differs from what you are used to at home, you may have an increased risk of developing traveler’s diarrhea. In some instances, it may be triggered by a change in environment or stress in people with sensitive stomachs.

Prevention

The simplest way to prevent traveler’s diarrhea is to avoid consuming contaminated food and water. The best way to distinguish whether the food is safe to eat is to look at the surroundings where it is prepared. Is it clean and sanitary? If not, you might want to consider if you are still willing to taste the food prepared there. It is also crucial to practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and clean water, especially before you eat. Aside from that, here are the other tips to prevent TD:

• Never ever drink tap water. Always opt for factory-sealed bottled drinking water, especially when traveling in developing countries.
• Always use bottled water when brushing your teeth.
• Avoid iced drinks because the ice used may come from unclean water.
• Watch what you eat. Opt for foods that are cooked or boiled and served hot.
• Do not eat moist foods at room temperature or food that has been sitting for hours on a buffet.
• Avoid consuming street food from street vendors.
• Avoid unpasteurized milk and dairy products.
• Don’t eat raw or undercooked meat, fish and shellfish.
• Wash and peel the fruits and vegetables with bottled water before you eat them.
• Use alcohol or hand sanitizer if you cannot wash your hands with soap and water.

Management

Most cases of diarrhea are self-limiting—meaning they resolve on their own after a day or two. But you can take these steps to reduce the discomfort you feel:

• Avoid dehydration by replacing lost fluids. Drink plenty of bottled water and sports drinks that contain electrolytes.
• Take anti-motility agents like loperamide (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate). These medications provide fast but temporary relief by reducing muscle spasms in your gut, which helps reduce the movement of loose, watery stools. These also ease cramping.
• Consume products infused with Cannabidiol (CBD), as it can help ease symptoms like abdominal pain, intestinal inflammation, and hypermotility.

How CBD Can Help  

Cannabidiol (CBD) is touted for its many benefits—the most popular ones being its anti-depressant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and antiemetic effects. But little do people know that CBD can also help relieve stomach upset, especially for those suffering from diarrhea, because it can decrease gut motility or the movement of the chyme (digested food) in the digestive system. CBD does this by modulating the smooth muscle contractions of the intestine, thus reducing the frequency of bowel movements. Thus, CBD can be taken as an alternative to over-the-counter antimotility agents like synthetic opiates, diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil), and loperamide (Imodium). 

Dosing Guidelines

When using CBD oils, you can mix them in food preparation or take them sublingually for faster onset. All you have to do is to put 2 to 3 drops of the CBD oil under your tongue, hold it there for a minute, then swallow. It would take at least 15 minutes for the CBD to take effect. 

It is recommended to begin at the lowest dosage of 50mg and then gradually increase the dosage as needed. The effective dosage may vary from patient to patient because of individual differences in pharmacodynamics or how the body processes the Cannabidiol. You can increase the dosage every 30 to 45 minutes until you feel relief from the abdominal cramps. There are patients who felt the effects at 250mg, so the dosing range is from 50 to 250 mg. 

Once you experience the desired effect, it is important to take note of the dosage at which you stopped and how long it took for the effects to kick in. The next time you use CBD to relieve traveler’s diarrhea, use the dosage that worked for you last time. 

Possible Side Effects

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is well-tolerated by the body, and it poses little to no side effects at doses of up to 1,500 mg per day. However, at ultra-high doses, it can cause dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness, and fatigue. 

Possible Drug Interactions

Cannabidiol may interact with certain medications, so it is best to consult your physician before taking CBD products if you are currently on the following medications:

Anticonvulsants 

• Phenobarbital
• Lamictal (lamotrigine)
• Onfi (clobazam)
• Dilantin (phenytoin)
• Tegretol (carbamazepine)
• Trileptal (oxcarbazepine)

Antidepressants 

• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Celexa (citalopram)
• Remeron (mirtazapine),
• Tofranil (imipramine)

Antifungals

• Ketoconazole

Antipsychotics

• Haldol (haloperidol)

Benzodiazepine sedatives 

• Klonopin (clonazepam)
• Ativan (lorazepam)
• Valium (diazepam)

Erectile dysfunction drugs

• Viagra (sildenafil)

Immune-suppressants 

• Sandimmune (cyclosporine)

Macrolide antibiotics

• Clarithromycin 

Opioid painkillers

• Morphine

Drugs used to treat tuberculosis

• Rifampin
• Rifampin-based drugs

Statins 

• Lipitor (atorvastatin)
• Zocor (simvastatin)