Will expensive CBD relieve my sore legs? DR MARTIN SCURR answers your health questions –

I have had arthritic pain in both legs for several years and pain relievers have had only limited effect, so now I take 10mg CBD capsules four times a day. But they are not cheap. Am I wasting time and money?

Frank Johnson, Rothwell, Leeds.

Most of us have seen advertisements promoting cannabidiol (CBD), and its proponents claim it can treat everything from depression to chronic pain and even cancer.

But can the products you buy from the High Street really help?

There are hundreds of active compounds in the cannabis plant, many of which have been researched for their potential health benefits, but it’s CBD that gets the most attention. This is partly due to high-profile cases of children with epilepsy.

CBD is used to make a drug called Epidyolex, which is licensed for use in treatment-resistant epilepsy. However, this is different from CBD, which you can buy without a prescription.

While there is some evidence that CBD has pain-relieving effects from animal studies – thought to act on receptors in the brain – it’s unclear whether the same is true in humans.

Human studies performed often involve much higher doses than those found in High Street products, and use formulations that produce ‘high’ containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant. why could it be. The CBD products currently available on the High Street contain almost no THC.

Considering this and the lack of evidence, I can’t say for sure whether the capsules you’re taking will help, but if they haven’t helped yet, it seems highly unlikely that they will help in the future.

Additionally, although CBD itself is not thought to cause serious side effects, it can interact with prescription medications, particularly heart medications, blood thinners, and immunosuppressants.

I’m sorry I didn’t get more encouraging news.

Considering this and the lack of evidence, I can’t say for sure whether the capsules you’re taking will help, but if they haven’t helped yet, it seems highly unlikely that they will help in the future.

Even if I take a daily “water pill” prescribed by my doctor for fluid retention, my legs and feet swell a few minutes after I get up in the morning. I walk as much as I can, but I have shortness of breath. Is there a solution?

M. Petty, Waterlooville, Hants.

Judging by the list of medications you take that you mentioned in your longest letter, it sounds to me like you’re being treated for heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Heart failure doesn’t really mean the heart is failing, it just means that the blood isn’t pumping as efficiently as it should. Meanwhile, atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder. In other words, the heart does not beat well.

This allows blood to pool in the heart, increasing the chance of clot formation. This can travel to the brain and cause paralysis.

That’s why you use the blood thinner apixaban. You’ll also take ramipril and isosorbide to dilate blood vessels for healthy blood flow, and bisoprolol, a type of beta-blocker to keep your heart rate steady.

When you have heart failure, your body gradually stops excreting fluid and salt as usual, which causes buildup, which is why your feet and legs swell.

If you go to bed at night, the fluid will migrate to your legs due to gravity, but in the morning it will go down again.

A diuretic (i.e. the “water pill” you take) helps the body get rid of excess fluids, even if you still look like you’re holding on too much and therefore seem to be out of breath during exertion. Some of the fluid may be in the lungs, which act like sponges and absorb all the fluid.

My first recommendation would be to consult your doctor to see if it is possible to increase your diuretic dose.

However, living with heart failure means that, despite medication, some degree of ankle swelling is almost inevitable. More important is whether there is fluid in your lungs that can cause shortness of breath.

You may need to investigate with a chest X-ray and possibly an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

When you see your doctor, be sure to highlight any concerns you have about your breathing problems, rather than focusing on ankle swelling, which is a troubling but minor symptom.

With adjustments appropriate to your treatment regimen, you should be able to walk more freely.

write to scer

Write to Dr Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin @dailymail. co.uk – provide your contact details.

Dr. Scurr cannot access personal communications. Answers should be taken in a general context and always consult your doctor if you have any health concerns.