REVIEW: CBD Living Suppositories for Pain

I turn 41 this year. I've been excited about being an aging fat femme. One of the things I've been incredibly excited about is convincing myself of all the money I will save when I no longer bleed from my core. For now, Aunt Flo is a regular visitor tap dancing on my uterus.

And as my homegirl KF reminded me years ago, nobody likes tap dancing. I mean, I haven't liked tap since Gregory Hines died! Anyways, the tap dancing on my uterus is painful! This pain has shifted and intensified as I've aged. This is one of the things I dread now as a part of aging: the pain in the body that comes with the liberation.

I moved to Oakland, CA last year to be with my partner who was raised in the Bay Area. Upon this move I was able to find different therapeutic and less invasive options for pain management. Most of them did not work. As someone who is six feet tall and identifies as fat, when companies test their products, rarely is it on bodies like mine. It's a lot of trial and error with items that often don't always work.

For the past three years I've tried three different kinds of CBD suppositories. The first two were not impressive. I was using the first suppository while I was grieving the death of my mom and all it helped me do was feel warm. No help with sleeping, no help with pain, no help with being back in my body. A year later I tried another for menstrual cramps. Those didn't work well either.

Then CBD Living reached out to me and invited me to try their product. This is a review of the CBD Living Suppository. The suppository has nano-CBD. I didn't know what that was so here's what they shared on their site:

CBD Living’s proprietary nanotechnology method, which uses ultrasound waves to break down CBD molecules into nanoparticles 1/1000 the size of a red blood cell. At this tiny size, CBD is able to easily penetrate the blood membrane, allowing for increased absorption and faster effects. The body also absorbs much more of the CBD this way, meaning consumers often require lower doses of CBD Living products than of those manufactured without using nanotechnology.

As a new California resident I was frustrated with the limited options available for topical needs, especially for menstrual pain. It was only in Portland, OR where I had found the first suppository three years ago to try. The second suppository I found in California, and purchased it to try as this was the first and only suppository I had found distributed in my area. CBD Living is a California based company and there are dispensaries in my area that sell some of their products.

I received my sample via UPS in an unmarked box. Inside was the small box of 10 CBD suppositories. Each suppository has 50mg of CBD for a box of suppositories being 500mg. Often I've seen only certain items, such as patches, up to 100 CBD for sale because of state laws. However, as more research, laws, policies, and care being done we are seeing more of an expansive option for the amount of CBD available for purchase. For example, today I can easily find capsules that are more than 100mg for sale for a variety of needs: sleep, anxiety, etc.

I waited until I was menstruating to take try the suppositories. But the flu arrived before Aunt Flo. I was in so much pain physically: headaches, chest pains, sinus pressure, back pain from coughing, body aches from fever. There was such limited relief during that week. Three days in my partner said "Let's try those suppositories you received to review." And I'm so glad we did!

My partner put on a latex glove and inserted the suppository rectally.

I'm going to pause here to talk about how the suppository looks and feels and some challenges with insertion. My partner helped me because I was in such pain. If I did this on my own it may also be a challenge. I am very proportional with long arms to match my long legs, so reaching around to insert a tampon would not be a challenge, however what would be is inserting the suppository high enough that it absorbs into my mucus membranes BEFORE seeping out as it melts because of my body heat and ooze out of my vagina. Push that suppository as far up as possible rectally or vaginally! You need to use your hands and fingers as there is no applicator included (some applicators come with yeast infection over the counter medication and if you don't use them then you could try to use them here. I have not tried, and the CBD suppositories I have used are all slender).

The suppositories are very fragile once they are exposed to body heat. This means that the first time I opened a suppository three years ago it had a coconut oil base and it began to melt in between my fingers. This made the whole process odd and slippery by myself. The same happens to my partner when inserting into me, even wearing latex gloves! So be prepared for a bit of a melting experience, but not one that slides down your hand. It will only be on your fingers if you are quick and ready for insertion. CBD Living suggests running the suppository under cold water for it to harden for easier insertion.

Insertion requires you are comfortable touching yourself, mainly your vaginal canal and/or anus. If that's not you, or if you physically can't for whatever reason as I couldn't at first because of illness, you must be comfortable with others touching those body parts. If you are not, this may not be the best product option for you. This is the main way to insert the product.

In less than 30 minutes I was able to breath without pain in my chest and my back pain was able to subside in between coughing. I slept well for several hours and felt rested. I immediately knew the CBD Living Suppository was the TRUTH!

When I recovered from the flu, of course I bled right after from my core. When the day came that my cramps became more painful I inserted a suppository and in 20 minutes there was relief. I was so happy that my pack of 10 suppositories from CBD Living would last enough for three cycles.

Then my partner started to use them too. We quickly went through the suppositories within a month

between the two of us. We used the suppositories mainly for pain in our core and back. This has been the most useful and impressive form of care I've experienced from a variety of CBD products! I'm so thankful for this product to be offered to me to sample! It's one that works for bodies large like mine, and the comfort and relief it offers is one that does not distort my perception of the pain or of my surroundings.

Find our more about the CBD Living Suppository and other products at their website. It is $60 for a pack of 10.

This review was due to a free sample given to me by CBD Living and includes only my perspectives and opinions.

Review & Giveaway: Minna Limon

Just in time for showing yourself some love this month here is our first review and giveaway for 2015! Minna Life, a tech organization with the belief that "technology should make the world less complicated," has generously offered one of their many luxury, high-tech products to a LatinoSexuality reader...for FREE! Details below after my review.

Now, the Limon looks just like it sounds (especially for our Latinx and Spanish speaking readers): a lemon. It fits in the palm of your hand, comes in 2 different colors (mine is pink), is rechargeable, waterproof, offers a variety of vibrations, and is programmable to the vibration and pulsation you set! This is really the future of sex toys and it is incredibly exciting to witness and experience.

One of the first things that made me instantly fall in love with Limon was that it came 100% charged out of the box! I know some folks may not understand how important this is, after all there are many great toys that you just have to plug in and enjoy, or add batteries and go for it. However, my experience with luxury sex toys has been they come completely under-charged; which means it could take hours (and in one of the last reviews up to 16 hours) for the initial charge. This is ridiculous, to be honest, I mean this is the future! Why do we have to wait 16 hours for a toy to charge?

In any event, that is not the case with Limon. I figured it wouldn't be so when I opened the cylinder box holding the toy (yes even the box is posh). Inside the Limon will greet you with the pointed part facing upward. Remove the toy and underneath is the charger, cord, instruction manual (in various languages), and a carrying pouch. The charging dock is easily plugged into an outlet or your USB on the computer or another charging plug. When the Limon is fully charged you will see a red light appear in a particular way, when it is needing to be charged you see the light reflect this as well.

Realizing that the Limon was ready to go so was I! It took me a moment to read over the manual, but not too long as there are many images and clear directions on how to care for the product and use it, especially the recording feature.



The vibrations and sequence of which you may choose among are a good variety. They gradually become more and more intense with various pulsating components. Honestly, I went straight for recording my favorite vibrations before trying what they all offered. At this point, I know what I dig and what is not strong enough for my tastes. If you are new to such luxury toys I would encourage you to take some time with each vibration and get focused on what you want the Limon to remember as your recorded vibration and pulsation.

The results were great! I really am impressed something that fits in the palm of my hand, that I can sneak into so many different spaces, but also not too loud (a huge thing for strong vibrations), and waterproof is so powerful, posh, easy to clean, and keep. I was concerned about traveling with the Limon, that if I packed it in a suitcase or carry on that even if I put it on the off setting it would be pressed and result in the vibrations occurring. However that did not happen. Also, I was able to see if the vibrations lasted a certain amount of time, and they last long enough, about 4 hours, before I needed to recharge.

The only challenges or downsides of the Limon is that if you want something that offers vibrations in a variety of body parts, this is smaller and won't be able to cover a ton of space. However, if you into certain parts of your body to focus upon, this is a great option. The other challenge is the price, for sale at $119, it's an investment. Now, sometimes we don't always have this kind of money to invest in our sexual pleasure or sex lives. In many ways this makes me angry and frustrated. Not just those with disposable income or wealth deserve sexual pleasure, we all do!

That is why I'm happy to share that the folks at Minna Life have offered a giveaway of the Limon to Latino Sexuality readers! Here's how it works to be considered for the prize:

1. Make sure you follow Latino Sexuality on twitter @LatinoSexuality
2. Make sure you follow Minna Life on twitter @Minna_Life
3. In less than 2 tweets of 140 characters or less, tell me why you want to try the Limon
4. This will be a challenge as you'll need to @ both of us in your tweet as your tweet is your entry
5. You may tweet to us as many reasons as you like to increase your chances of winning this free luxury high-tech toy!
6. I will select folks using a random number selector
7. You will need to send me a mailing address (no PO boxes) so that the Minna Life team can ship your item
8. If you wish, consider writing a review about your Limon experience and share on social media!

Send in your items by Friday at midnight EST. I'll select the winning (self) lover and announce February 14, 2015!

Looking forward to hearing all the ways you will advocate for your sexual pleasure and self care! Good luck!

Giveaway & Review: Stronic Drei Pulsator by Fun Factory

I told ya'll more reviews and giveaways were coming our way! This time I'm all about offering luxury sex toys to folks who deserve them: and that's all of us! Sure, some of us may be able to afford them on our own, but others of us, could never dish out $200 for a sex toy. So, enter this sex toy giveaway of the Stronic Drei. Check out this video below and then read my review.

So, it's been about a month or more since I received my Stronic Drei to review. Let me say, it's been difficult to focus on writing this. I'm already best friends with my toy and I'm greedy and territorial about it too!

The video is a great introduction and primer for your toy. There is very little language/words in the pamphlet and mostly instructions via images. This was a bit tricky for me to follow. I did a lot of trial and error before figuring out how it worked. I even had to look up other sites that reviewed the toy to understand how to get it to work! Yet, it's accessible and user friendly.

First, you'll notice the packaging, it's beautiful and Eco-friendly. My Stronic Drei is blue and just holding it in my hand was erotic. The lines and crafting, curves of the pulsator are brilliant. I often am worried that the controller of the toys are too heavy and will be a challenge to use by myself as they will tip out, you know gravity isn't always on our side.

The great thing about the Stronic Drei is that it does not require batteries, which often lead to the heavy base. Instead, it is the future of sex toys! It is rechargeable through an outlet or through the computer. It is also magnetic in that nothing plugs into the toy, so be careful you have both magnetic pieces touching the parts that it needs to touch. You'll see the red light as outlined in the pamphlet when it's properly connected.

Your first initial charging will take over 10 hours, 16 to be exact. This, for me, meant I had to plug it into an outlet because I take my laptop around with me. But the good thing was I plugged it in when I woke up and by the time I was ready to relax and get settled at the end of the day it was charged. This is just a one time charge to my knowledge. Also, what better way to really bring home the self-care rituals that help me relax and experience pleasure?!

Like many rechargeable toys, this one you can tell it needs recharging when the pulsating gets less intense. However, there are over 5 different pulsating effects, intensity, and sensations. The images in the pamphlet demonstrate the intensity and vibrations of each sensation. They are actually pretty on point too!

So the pulsating is really dynamic. I've experienced nothing like it with a crafted item. It really is worth the price tag! Do you feel like a cyborg if you are the one using it on a partner? Do you reach the right areas for which you are searching? You'll have to decide on your own. But what I can offer you is my honesty that comes with my realization that caring for myself, centering my pleasure, has always had positive consequences.

Make sure to clean your item as suggested in the pamphlet. Consider using a condom for easier clean up, and if you choose to share this toy with partner(s) as you may use it in an anus or vaginal canal. 

The best part of this toy: you have the opportunity to get your own, for FREE direct from the manufacturer! What better way to wrap up Latinx Heritage Month?!

You have a change to win your own Stronic Drei! Here's what you need to do:

1. Follow @LatinoSexuality on Twitter
2. Follow @FunFactoryUSA on Twitter
3. You must be following BOTH accounts to be considered for the giveaway. Do this by Friday October 17, 2014
4. Tweet/retweet about the giveaway*
5. Be open to writing your own review of your experience with the Stronic Drei
6. If you win, you'll need to provide your government name, address (no PO Boxes)
7. Enjoy!

*Winners will be randomly selected based on their retweets which include both twitter handles for @LatinoSexuality and @FunFactoryUSA. Winners announced Friday October 17, 2014 by 10pm EST.

Of course, you don't have to enter to win, instead you can purchase your own right now! 

Review: A Cup Of Water Under My Bed by Daisy Hernández

Usually when I begin a book I've been longing to read I may finish that book in a week. I received Daisy's book 2 weeks ago and I am still only 1/3 of the way through (pg 70 right this second). This is not because the book is a difficult read, poorly written, or lacking in any way. Actually, the opposite!

Reading Daisy's memoir has been too close to home to rush through. It's been one of those books that when you read a few sentences that reach deep into you, you pause. I paused so many times in the first several chapters. Although I do not ethnically closely identify with Daisy, or have immigrant parents with a similar background (our immigration stories as Puerto Ricans are similar but not very much in the same way, it's complicated!) a lot of what she shares is an experience I have lived too.


(Author Daisy Hernández foto credit Jorge Rivas)

What is giving me pause are the ways Daisy explains her transformative experiences as a young woman growing up in the US. How she realizes what she reads in books assigned by US educators and what is taught in her classrooms distances her from her mother, but also she comes to realize she is learning what her mother has already known because she has lived those experiences. This is especially clear when Daisy discusses going to college and reading Anzaldúa's work on Borderlands and language and her mother's response to her readings. Her mother has lived what Anzaldúa writes.

I also struggle with memoirs about Latinas and their mothers. The long sentences/discussions about memory and remembering are the most challenging. This is something that is quickly leaving me as my mother dives deeper and deeper into her Alzheimer's and dementia.What does it mean when someone says the body remembers, or what our memories exist for if the lived reality is one of losing those memories in every way possible?

I appreciate how Daisy's story is continuing the legacy of authors of Color who challenge the linear narrative. Yes, we follow her evolution from girlhood to adulthood, but we are not always on a straight or rigid path. We read a story that is complicated and layered. A story that is not going to easily fit into a linear western way of thinking and reading about time, place, space, love. Daisy introduces her experiences with Catholicism and Santería through her adolescence throughout the book. It is really not just a book, but a form of media where you go along with Daisy as she relays her experiences, almost as if she is interviewing herself. How certain memories lead to other stories that may not have taken place at the same time, but are vital to the story nonetheless.

What I am most looking forward to, and a part of her narrative that has yet to be discussed in the parts of the book I've read, are Daisy's discussions of sexual orientation. It is rare when we have a book that centers and discusses a Latina who identifies as a child of immigrants and bisexual that a leading publisher has supported. Daisy is continuing the legacy of those beloved queer authors of Color, paving a way for those of us to come, to share, and to build together. To expand and challenge the ideas folks have about bisexuality, love, intimacy, and life!

I shall update this when I have completed the book. In the meantime, the generous folks at Beacon Press have offered one free copy of Daisy's new book to a reader of The LatiNegr@s Project for Latinx Heritage Month. Visit us there to learn more about the amazing giveaways we have for celebrating all of us!

Author photo credit goes to Jorge Rivas. Cover art credit goes to Beacon Press.