• CBD has anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential(1). These purported therapeutic benefits may help with pain flares caused by medical conditions like GCA or giant cell arteritis. 
  • GCA is a form of vasculitis, an inflammation in the blood vessels. GCA causes pain and inflammation(2).
  • CBD has a favorable safety profile, and humans, in general, may tolerate it(3). However, no scientific data directly suggests that CBD may help control GCA pain flares.
  • Blindness is a possible complication of GCA(4). A study suggests that CBD may elevate eye pressure(5). Significantly high eye pressure is the primary risk factor for glaucoma(6). 
  • Glaucoma is a condition that can lead to vision loss and blindness(7). Since CBD may raise eye pressure, it may worsen eye conditions like glaucoma. Still, more studies are necessary to substantiate these findings. 

The Effects of CBD on GCA Pain Flares 

Cannabidiol or CBD is one of the active cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary psychoactive compound of cannabis, CBD does not cause mind-altering effects. 

Furthermore, CBD has purported health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties(8). These therapeutic potentials may help with pain flares associated with medical conditions like GCA or giant cell arteritis. 

What Is GCA?

Vasculitis is an inflammation in the blood vessels. GCA, a form of vasculitis, causes pain and swelling in the tubes that transmit blood to the body(9).  

Primarily, the condition affects arteries, the largest blood vessels that take nutrients and oxygen away from the heart to the body’s tissues. 

CBD Oil for GCA: Can CBD Help With GCA Pain Flare Management?  

No direct research suggests that CBD can help with GCA, particularly pain flare management. 

However, a study from the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology indicated that CBD may directly affect isolated arteries, leading to acute and time-dependent vasorelaxation(10).  

Vasorelaxation means reducing the tension in the blood vessel walls. 

Meanwhile, a 2020 study from the journal Antioxidant hypothesized that CBD may have anti-inflammatory properties(11). This putative health benefit of CBD may help alleviate swelling in the blood vessels. 

Some individuals with GCA may experience headaches, particularly tenderness and severe pain over their scalp and temples(12). 

CBD has shown promise as a potential therapeutic agent to help with chronic pain(13). Still, it is early to recommend using cannabidiol alone in chronic pain management since it is always administered with THC(14). 

However, it is worth noting that the inclusion of CBD may diminish the psychoactive effects of THC, potentially lowering the possibility of drug abuse(15). 

In addition, the experts from Syracuse University who conducted an experimental pain study of CBD in humans hypothesized that the compound’s potential pain-relieving properties are likely due to its pharmacological action and psychological placebo effects(16). 

A 2021 article from Harvard Health Publishing mentioned that the placebo effect is more than believing that a treatment will work. It is about creating a connection between the brain and body and how they work together(17).

Other pain-related conditions may also co-occur with GCA, like polymyalgia rheumatica, characterized by stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders, and hips(18). 

GCA and rheumatoid arthritis may also appear concomitantly or consecutively(19).  

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune illness that causes swelling, pain, and inflammation in and around the joints. 

A 2020 study from Cell and Death Disease suggested that CBD may be a potential therapeutic adjuvant agent in rheumatoid arthritis(20). 

An adjuvant is a drug that improves the duration and speed of immune response. 

Aside from severe pain, other classic symptoms of GCA include stroke, depression, and blindness(21). 

A study from the journal Pharmaceuticals suggested that CBD may have therapeutic potential in ischemic stroke(22). 

Ischemic stroke (clot) happens when something obstructs the vessel that supplies blood to the brain. According to the American Stroke Association, clots account for about 87% of all strokes(23).

A 2021 review article suggested that the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis must be taken into account in the case of acute ischemic stroke(24). 

Meanwhile, a review from CNS and Neurological Disorders Drug Targets indicated that CBD may have antidepressant and anxiolytic (antianxiety) effects(25). 

Furthermore, a 2020 study from Biomolecules suggested that CBD may be a potential new alternative to help with mental health issues, like anxiety, psychotic disorders, and depression(26). 

Notably, a study from Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science suggested that CBD does not lower eye pressure; the nonpsychoactive compound raises it. On the other hand, THC may decrease eye pressure by up to 30% within 8 hours(27). 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, high eye pressure is the leading risk factor for glaucoma(28), a condition that damages the optic nerve.

The CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that glaucoma can result in vision loss and blindness(29). 

Giant cell arteritis affects older men and women and causes severe visual loss in affected individuals if not treated(30). 

Usually, doctors prescribe steroid tablets to GCA patients(31). However, the required long-term treatment with steroids (corticosteroids) may lead to severe systemic complications, such as high blood pressure and diabetes and ocular complications like glaucoma(32). 

CBD may not help with glaucoma(33). Still, CBD is relatively safe(34). Although using CBD is not risk-free, its typical side effects are minor, including drowsiness and diarrhea(35). 

Furthermore, a study from JCI Insight suggested that a single dose of CBD may help alleviate blood pressure(36). Giant cell arteritis may cause acute hypertension(37). 

Meanwhile, a study from the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology hypothesized that CBD may positively affect the cardiovascular system(38). 

The study suggested that CBD may have cardioprotective effects due to its direct action on the heart or its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms(39). 

Although GCA primarily affects the blood vessels in the head and neck, the condition may also be associated with inflammation of other blood vessels, including the aorta, the main artery from the heart(40). 

The putative usefulness of CBD, particularly for inflammation and pain, is plausible considering its pharmacology. The compound’s other potential therapeutic properties also seem promising in helping with GCA symptoms. 

Still, a direct study regarding the benefits of CBD on GCA is necessary to elucidate whether products like CBD oil can control GCA pain flares and manage other GCA symptoms.


  1. Cannabidiol
    https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cannabidiol
  2. What Is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)?
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/giant-cell-arteritis-gca/
  3. An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/
  4. Giant Cell Arteritis
    https://www.hopkinsvasculitis.org/types-vasculitis/giant-cell-arteritis/
  5. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Differentially Regulate Intraocular Pressure
    https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2718702
  6. CBD Oil May Worsen Glaucoma
    https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/cbd-oil-may-worsen-glaucoma
  7. Don’t Let Glaucoma Steal Your Sight!
    https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/glaucoma-awareness.html
  8. Cannabidiol
    https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cannabidiol
  9. What Is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)?
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/giant-cell-arteritis-gca/
  10. Is the Cardiovascular System a Therapeutic Target for Cannabidiol?
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3579247/
  11. Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023045/
  12. What Is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)?
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/giant-cell-arteritis-gca/
  13. The Role of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Chronic Pain Management: An Assessment of Current Evidence
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-020-0835-4
  14. Ibid.
  15. Cannabinoids in the Management of Difficult to Treat Pain
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/
  16. Research Shows Pain-Relieving Effects of CBD
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210423130221.htm
  17. The Power of the Placebo Effect
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect
  18. Giant Cell Arteritis
    https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Giant-Cell-Arteritis
  19. Giant Cell Arteritis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and Late-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can They Be Components of a Single Disease Process in Elderly Patients?
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5473456/
  20. Cannabidiol (CBD): A Killer for Inflammatory Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41419-020-02892-1
  21. Giant Cell Arteritis
    https://www.hopkinsvasculitis.org/types-vasculitis/giant-cell-arteritis/
  22. Therapeutic Potential of Non-Psychotropic Cannabidiol in Ischemic Stroke
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036658/
  23. Ischemic Stroke (Clots)
    https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/types-of-stroke/ischemic-stroke-clots
  24. Minor Ischemic Stroke and a Smoldering Case of Giant-Cell Arteritis: A Case Report
    https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.035432
  25. Antidepressant-Like and Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Cannabidiol: A Chemical Compound of Cannabis sativa
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24923339/
  26. Cannabidiol: A Potential New Alternative for the Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Psychotic Disorders
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7699613/
  27. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Differentially Regulate Intraocular Pressure
    https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2718702
  28. CBD Oil May Worsen Glaucoma
    https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/cbd-oil-may-worsen-glaucoma
  29. Don’t Let Glaucoma Steal Your Sight!
    https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/glaucoma-awareness.html
  30. Visual Performance in Giant Cell Arteritis (Temporal Arteritis) After 1 Year of Therapy
    https://bjo.bmj.com/content/83/7/796
  31. What Is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)?
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/giant-cell-arteritis-gca/
  32. Visual Performance in Giant Cell Arteritis (Temporal Arteritis) After 1 Year of Therapy
    https://bjo.bmj.com/content/83/7/796
  33. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Differentially Regulate Intraocular Pressure
    https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2718702
  34. An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/
  35. What Are the Benefits of CBD — And Is It Safe to Use?
    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/is-cbd-safe-and-effective/faq-20446700
  36. A Single Dose of Cannabidiol Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Volunteers in a Randomized Crossover Study
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5470879/
  37. Giant Cell Arteritis Causing Aortic Dissection and Acute Hypertension
    https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.39503.769225.BE.full
  38. Is the Cardiovascular System a Therapeutic Target for Cannabidiol?
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3579247/
  39. Ibid.
  40. What Is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)?
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/giant-cell-arteritis-gca/
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