For years, I have read posts on support groups from people who use CBD oil to help their pain. Until recently, I hadn’t tried it. So when Dragonfly got in touch to ask if I would be interested in trying their CBD oil in the hope of it helping my pain, I jumped at the chance. They sent me a bottle as a gift in exchange for writing a fair and honest review. They have also kindly given me a discount code which I can pass on to my readers. You can find details of that below.
Although this product was a gift from Dragonfly, all opinions in this review are my own and are not influenced by the company at all. Please read my full disclosure here.
What is CBD?
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical in the Cannabis sativa plant, also known as marijuana or hemp. Over 80 chemicals, known as cannabinoids, have been identified in the Cannabis sativa plant. While delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the major active ingredient in marijuana, cannabidiol is also obtained from hemp, which contains only very small amounts of THC.” – from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
In contrast to THC, CBD is non-psychotropic. Therefore, even though it comes from marijuana plants, CBD doesn’t create a “high” effect or any form of intoxication.
The first question many people ask about CBD is, “Is it legal?” Obviously, I can’t answer for every country, but it is legal in most countries nowadays. Here, in the UK, it is legal as long as it does not contain THC.
About Dragonfly CBD Oil
The facilities owned by Dragonfly are government–licensed. This means that the company and its products are subjected to stringent quality measures. For me, this is important as I want to know that something is safe before consuming it.
Dragonfly owns its production from seed to shelf and the manufacturing process is carefully monitored throughout. They select specific strains of seed that yield high-quality cannabis and use an extraction process that guarantees consistent quality. The company offers the highest level of transparency with batch-specific lab reports available on their website.
As well as oil, Drangonfly also produces a CBD skincare range – face cream, body moisturizer and lip balm. Dragonfly ensure that all of their products are vegan, organically grown, gluten-free and GMO-free.
Customers of Boots (UK’s largest pharmacy and beauty chain) voted Dragonfly CBD oil as the Best CBD Oil of 2020.
My Review of Dragonfly CBD Oil
After speaking to the company, Dragonfly very kindly sent me a bottle of their 1000mg strength CBD oil. It arrived in an attractive box with the oil contained in a brown glass bottle with a dropper inside the lid.
Details about the oil are written clearly on the box and on the bottle but more information can be obtained from the company’s website. Dragonfly suggests starting their oil by using 3 drops of the oil initially after which, the quantity can be increased but no than 40 drops per day should be taken.
The drops can be used sublingually (under the tongue), added to food or drink or applied topically. However, Dragonfly’s website explains that to maximize absorption, you should use the drops sublingually because this means that the CBD enters the bloodstream in around 15 minutes.
I Hoped That Dragonfly CBD Oil Would Help My Pain
I have to admit that I was very keen to try my Dragonfly CBD oil because I was going through a particularly bad spell with my back and rib pain. So I wasted no time in starting as soon as it arrived.
I placed 3 drops under my tongue as per the suggestion on the box. Unfortunately, that made no impact on my pain, however, when I took the same amount at night, it did seem to help me to sleep. When you sleep better, it is normally easier to cope with pain. So the oil receives a thumbs up for that reason alone.
The Effect Dragonfly CBD Oil had on My Trigeminal Neuralgia
A few days after receiving the Dragonfly oil, I started to get very severe cheekbone and teeth pain due to my trigeminal neuralgia. This was over and above my normal TN pain. Usually, when it starts, it can continue on that level for hours or sometimes several days. I wouldn’t normally take pain medication for that type of pain because normal painkillers do not help it.
I took 5 drops of CBD oil and I did notice that the pain started to decrease slightly but my TN was still very painful. An hour later, I took another 5 drops and the pain eased off some more. My pain didn’t stop completely, but there was a definite reduction which was very welcome. I continued to use it every few hours and my pain seemed to stay at that lower level.
The Effect Dragonfly CBD Oil had on My Headaches
I live with chronic headaches as well as my other pain. Sometimes my headaches are in the background and allow me to function, despite the pain. But sometimes I need to sleep them off in a dark room. Sometimes normal pain killers or migraine medication help, sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes my headaches just don’t want to go away. They might last for a day but more often than not, several days. When I have those long, lingering headaches, they normally also affect my trigeminal neuralgia.
While trialling the CBD oil, I woke one morning with a headache. It felt as though it would be persistent and would possibly linger for days. I knew it would then cause my trigeminal neuralgia to become worse. Since I was already suffering from higher than normal pain in my back and ribs, I really didn’t need a severe headache and flare-up of my TN. So I took 5 drops under my tongue to find out if it would help. At that point, I didn’t notice a difference. But I noticed a difference when I took another 5 drops about two hours later. The headache didn’t go completely but the level of pain reduced. It stayed like that for the rest of the day and my TN didn’t flare. The headache had gone by the next day. That felt like success to me.
I had a similar experience a few days later. But on that occasion, as well as the headache starting when I woke up, I had severe trigeminal neuralgia pain in one tooth in particular. I immediately placed some drops under my tongue and onto the gum where I had the pain in my teeth. It started to calm down quickly, but it didn’t go away. I took some more drops a couple of hours later. My headache and tooth pain reduced soon afterwards to a more normal level. I continued to use the drops throughout the day in the hope that it would keep the pain at bay and it seemed to do so.
Had the CBD Oil Helped or was That Reduction in Pain a Coincidence?
Throughout my trial, I still had my everyday level of facial pain but my headaches did seem to reduce and the trigeminal neuralgia flares calmed down.
Those were positive results for me but the million-dollar question is, did the oil help or would the pain have eased on its own? I really don’t know for sure. However, I do know that my pain is normally very persistent, therefore, I believe that the oil played a role in helping.
What the Oil Didn’t Help
I took the oil regularly in the hope that it would help my back and rib pain, but unfortunately, I found no difference. I had to take strong prescription painkillers for that pain. But, as I said earlier, it did seem to help me to sleep, so that was a positive.
The Only Downside to CBD Oil is the Price
When purchasing CBD oil, you need to ensure you buy a quality oil from a company that is transparent and shows all their facts and figures. Buying a cheap product might mean a low-quality product. And, unfortunately, high quality tends to come with a high price tag. This means that it may be unaffordable for some people.
This is not a black mark against Dragonfly because I checked their prices against similar companies. Other CBD oils of the same strength and quality are similarly priced.
The good news is that Dragonfly are offering my readers a 15% discount. You can find the details below.
My Overall Thoughts On Dragonfly CBD Oil
I am glad that I tried the oil. Dragonfly CBD oil isn’t a magic cure (it doesn’t claim to be) but I believe that it helped some of my pain. Chronic pain is difficult to live with therefore any amount of relief is welcome, no matter how big or small. Any relief is better than none.
I would not remove my prescribed medication to use CBD oil instead. I see it as an added extra rather than a substitute. For me, it’s something to keep in my chronic pain toolbox to use on those days and nights when my pain levels go up a notch.
Dragonfly CBD Discount Code
Dragonfly has very kindly offered my readers a discount of 15% on their products. To use that, please type the discount code DESPITEPAIN when asked.
If you live with pain, this could be a good way to try Dragonfly CBD oil without having to pay the full price. If you do try it, I really hope it helps you.
Final Thoughts on CBD Oil
Just like any other medication, the results of using CBD oil can vary from person to person – what helps one, might not help someone else and vice versa. But, I would definitely say that it’s worth trying.
This is my personal experience and is not medical advice. If you have questions or concerns it’s always best to consult your medical practitioner.
I love being able to learn about new brands as the field of CBD is rapidly expanding. Dragonfly is a new one to me and you’ve done a fantastic job of introducing them. It’s also really good to hear they own their product production process. Not all brands do, and others can be sketchy on where the CBD is actually sourced (which doesn’t bode well!) Transparency is a big tick in the right boxes here.
Lots of brands are getting in on skincare now, too. Personally I’ll probably always prefer regular oil drops (or muscle rubs, which can be great). Like you, I didn’t find any impact on pain but I do think it did something with anxiety/heart-rate and resulting sleep. I still take it from time to time and it seems to have the same impact, so when my heart’s racing and I’m faffing all over the place not able to sleep because of pain, it does have some positive effect, even though not for pain itself. To have this may any difference, even a teeny tiny bit, to your TN pain is pretty impressive. Maybe even some benefit with headaches as well, though it sounds like you do need more drops a little while after the first ones to get the effect. Still, even if it’s a marginal difference to any symptom, it’s not a bad tool in the toolkit when there’s so little else to help us manage such symptoms – Every little helps 😉
It certainly seems like a good brand to try, and they have a decent range judging by their website so I’ll keep them in mind. Fantastic review, Liz, incredibly helpful!
Caz xx
Thank you for this review. I always have doubts when buying CPD. I prefer oil taken sublingually. Dr. Ginevra Liptan recommends taking it with Low Dose Naltrexone, which I take, do I’m thinking of giving it a try again.