2. Fibromyalgia (FM)
More and more patients with FM are finding
effective relief from cannabis.
So say the results of a recent online survey of
over 1,300 subjects conducted by The
National
Pain
Foundation
and
NationalPainReport.com.
Among those surveyed, 379 subjects said that
they had used cannabis therapeutically.
62% of them rated the substance to be “very
effective” in the treatment of their condition.
By comparison, among those FM patients
who had used Cymbalta (Duloxene), only 8%
rated the drug as “very effective,” and 60%
said it did “not work at all.”
Among those who had used Lyrica
(Pregabalin), 10% said that drug was “very
effective,” versus 61% who reported no relief.
Among those who had used Savella
(Milnacipran), 10% rated the drug as
effective, and 68% said it was ineffective.
Commenting on the survey results, Dr. Mark
Ware — associate professor in family
medicine and anaesthesia at McGill
University in Montreal — told the National
Pain Report,
“We desperately need someone to step up and
explore this potential for the efficacy of
cannabis.”
Dr Ware, whose own clinical research has
demonstrated inhaled pot’s efficacy in
subjects with hard-to-treat refractory pain,
added: “The scientific rationale is there. There
are some early preliminary, proof-of-concept
clinical trials that demonstrate cannabis may
be effective.
Now your study adds additional weight that
patients are reporting that cannabis may be
better than the existing therapies.
I think that this really should provide
incentives for researchers to take a hard look
at clinical trials to really explore that in much
more detail.”
Some investigators already have.
In 2006, German scientists reported that the
administration of oral THC significantly
reduced both chronic and experimentally
induced pain in patients with fibromyalgia.
Subjects in the trial were administered daily
doses of 2.5 to 15 mg of THC, but received no
other pain medication during the study.
Among those participants who completed the
trial, all reported significant reductions in
daily pain and electronically induced pain.
More recently, Spanish researchers assessed
the use of cannabis treatment of
Fibromyalgia.
A cursory review of the results indicates why
so many FM patients are preferring pot over
pills.
Investigators reported, “The use of cannabis
was associated with beneficial effects on
some FM symptoms. … After two hours of
cannabis use, VAS (visual analogue scales)
scores showed a statistically significant
reduction of pain and stiffness, enhancement
of relaxation, and an increase in somnolence
and feeling of wellbeing.”
3. Epilepsy
By far the most common approach to treating
epilepsy is to prescribe antiepileptic drugs.
Commonly prescribed drugs include
clonazepam, phenobarbital, and primidone.
Some relatively new epilepsy drugs
includetiagabine, gabapentin, topiramate,
levetiracetam, and felbamate.
Many medications amplify side effects such
as fatigue and decreased appetite.
Epilepsy medication also may predispose
people to developing depression or
psychoses.
Several lines of evidence now suggest that
cannabinoid compounds are anticonvulsant
and empirical evidence in many children is
establishing conclusive evidence that
cannabinoid therapy may be the most
effective treatment available for epileptics.