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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:41
Seems that marijuana does ease neuropathic pain from surgery and other causes, promotes sleep, helps depression, anxiety. Who would have thought. Phillipa
From Medscape Medical News
Smoking Marijuana Eases Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Fran LowryAuthors and Disclosures
August 30, 2010 Smoking cannabis reduces chronic neuropathic pain and also improves sleep, according to new research published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
A single inhalation of 25 mg of 9.4% tetrahydrocannabinol herbal cannabis 3 times a day for 5 days was sufficient to achieve these outcomes, lead study author Mark A. Ware, MBBS, from McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada, told Medscape Medical News in an interview.
"Patients have been reporting that cannabis helps control their pain, and they have been saying so for a long time," Dr. Ware said. "At the time that we had secured the funding and began the trial, there had been no clinical trials that had established this or investigated it."
In addition, a large body of scientific knowledge is emerging abound the role of cannabinoid receptors and cannabinoid ligands in the human body, providing a potential scientific explanation as to why cannabinoids would be analgesic, he added. "So the 2 main supports came together, and in Canada at the time, there was an environment where we were able to secure funding sufficient for studies of this."
Posttraumatic and Postsurgical Neuropathy
The study included 21 individuals older than 18 years (mean age, 45.4 years) with posttraumatic or postsurgical neuropathic pain lasting for at least 3 months. They were randomly assigned to receive cannabis at 4 potencies 0%, 2.5%, 6%, and 9.4% tetrahydrocannabinol during 4 periods in a crossover design. Each period lasted 14 days and began with 5 days of cannabis use followed by a 9-day washout period.
The cannabis doses were delivered in a single smoked inhalation using a titanium pipe. Patients self-administered the first dose of each period under supervision and were instructed to inhale for 5 seconds while the cannabis was lit, hold the smoke in their lungs for 10 seconds, and then exhale. They self-administered the remaining doses for each period at home.
The participants were allowed to continue their routine medications, and the use of acetaminophen as breakthrough analgesia was also permitted.
Pain intensity was measured using an 11-item numeric rating scale that used "no pain" and "worst pain possible" as anchors.
The study found that the higher dose of cannabis was the most efficient in reducing pain. The average daily pain intensity was 5.4 with the 9.4% tetrahydrocannabinol cannabis dose compared with 6.1 with the 0% or placebo dose (95% confidence interval, 0.02 1.4; P = .023).
In addition, participants reported significantly more drowsiness and reported getting to sleep more easily, faster, and with fewer periods of wakefulness when taking the 9.4% dose than when taking the 0% dose (P < .05). The higher dose also improved anxiety and depression compared with the placebo dose.
Blind Held; Studies Feasible
"It was feared that participants would know right away if they were smoking cannabis because of the acute psychoactive effects of the drug, but our results do not support this," Dr. Ware noted. "They do show that short-term placebo-controlled trials of smoked cannabis are feasible."
He would like his study to act as a stimulus for other studies on cannabis and pain relief.
"Studies of this kind can be done. Ours was difficult to do because it was the first time we had done anything like this. We were breaking new ground with regard to regulations and so on, but it is possible. Having done it once, it's not as difficult to do it again. So our results raise the possibility of extending the study for a longer duration, or being able to look at safety issues, and so on. It is possible to do a scientific trial with this compound. Your political views shouldn't matter. This is just good science," Dr. Ware said.
In a related commentary, Henry J. McQuay, DM, from Balliol College, Oxford, United Kingdom, writes that the study authors should be congratulated for tackling the question of whether cannabis helps in neuropathic pain, "particularly given that the regulatory hurdles for their trial must have been a nightmare."
He concludes that the study "adds to the trickle of evidence that cannabis may help some of the patients who are struggling at present."
Dr. Ware has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Dr. McQuay reports financial relationships with Reckitt Benckiser, Pfizer Data Safety and Monitoring Board, Archimedes, Esteve, Sanofi, Ratiopharm, Sandoz, and Grunenthal. He has received royalties for a textbook on the subject of pain.
CMAJ. Published online August 30, 2010.
Posted by weatherfreak on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:41
In reply to Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2010, at 21:43:18
I personally, whole heartedly, completely disagree with that study on so many different levels.
Not one for me
Posted by ed_uk2010 on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:41
In reply to Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2010, at 21:43:18
We have Sativex oral spray now in the UK. It is a mixture of two cannabinoids.
Sativex is approved for...
'Sativex is indicated as add-on treatment, for symptom improvement in patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS) who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medication and who demonstrate clinically significant improvement in spasticity related symptoms during an initial trial of therapy.'
Posted by weatherfreak on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study » Phillipa, posted by weatherfreak on September 1, 2010, at 2:11:33
To clarify for myself, in regards to smoking it. It gives me the worst anxiety/panic attacks and severe paranoia.
Posted by linkadge on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study, posted by weatherfreak on September 1, 2010, at 8:28:11
When I did use it, just two puffs or so was enough to ease anxiety and insomnia associated with my depression. I'm glad the research is happeneing, this will help document the true incidence of side effects.
As weatherfreak has pointed out, not everbody expeiriences an antianxiety effect from MJ.
Linkadge
Posted by weatherfreak on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study, posted by linkadge on September 1, 2010, at 13:28:19
> When I did use it, just two puffs or so was enough to ease anxiety and insomnia associated with my depression. I'm glad the research is happeneing, this will help document the true incidence of side effects.
>
> As weatherfreak has pointed out, not everbody expeiriences an antianxiety effect from MJ.
>
> LinkadgeExactly Link, everyone is different. Did I mention the horrid akathesia too, pounding heart and pulse off the charts. It's just something my body rejects.
Posted by linkadge on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study » linkadge, posted by weatherfreak on September 1, 2010, at 20:18:11
hmm sounds like my response to prozac.
Linkadge
Posted by TenMan on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study » linkadge, posted by weatherfreak on September 1, 2010, at 20:18:11
> > When I did use it, just two puffs or so was enough to ease anxiety and insomnia associated with my depression. I'm glad the research is happeneing, this will help document the true incidence of side effects.
> >
> > As weatherfreak has pointed out, not everbody expeiriences an antianxiety effect from MJ.
> >
> > Linkadge
>
> Exactly Link, everyone is different. Did I mention the horrid akathesia too, pounding heart and pulse off the charts. It's just something my body rejects.
>I get the same exact response as you. I would love to know what the mechanism is behind this.
Posted by sigismund on September 3, 2010, at 19:06:42
In reply to Re: Marijuana eases neuropathic pain Canada Study, posted by TenMan on September 2, 2010, at 17:14:08
>pounding heart and pulse off the charts.
If I have too much (more than the tiniest bit) I get some of that.
Other than that, it is as useful for pain as anything I'm likely to get from a doctor. And some help with deepening sleep.
This is the end of the thread.
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