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Know the benefits of Cannabis treatment in Multiple Sclerosis
Nearly 3 million people live with multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide. Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with the disease. The numbers are from the third edition of Atlas of Multiple Sclerosis, released in September 2020 by the International Multiple Sclerosis Federation (MSIF). The report also shows that people diagnosed with MS face barriers to accessing complementary therapies in 7 out of 10 countries — a scenario that needs to change, given the benefits that adjuvant therapies can provide these patients, such as, for example, medications Cannabis base.
A lifting done with Brazilian doctors and patients shows that most people with MS are between 18 and 34 years old and 77% of them have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, which is the most frequent form of the disease.
As for symptoms, fatigue was cited as what most impairs quality of life (by 74% of respondents), followed by pain (42%), difficulty concentrating, cognitive problems (both by 37%), difficulty walking (35%), imbalance and tendency to falls (35%) and sexual and urinary problems (24%).
What is the potential of Cannabis in multiple sclerosis?
pain and spasticity
Baclofen, dantrolene, diazepam and gabapentin are currently the main medications used to treat spasticity and pain during the course of the disease, however results are modest —all of the above options are found to be ineffective in approximately 40% of cases.
Manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals and launched in 2005 in Canada, Sativex® was the first cannabis-based medicine approved by several regulatory bodies in the world. The drug contains similar proportions of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and has been registered to treat symptoms of muscle stiffness and spasticity related to multiple sclerosis. Twelve years later, the medicine arrived in Brazil and was the first cannabis-based medicine to have registration approved by Anvisa, under the name of Mevatyl®, in 2017.
>> Read More at: https://wecann.academy/cannabis-anvisa
Several works in the literature have validated the benefits of medicinal Cannabis to treat spasticity, exploring the therapeutic benefits of both the use of isolated cannabinoid THC and whole plant extracts such as Sativex®.
>> See at: https://bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-021-02246-0
The papers reflect the results that patients with MS experience when using medical cannabis. Take, for example, this Connecticut clinic, which interviewed 115 individuals being treated for MS who were enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Marijuana Program (CTMMP). Patients answered a questionnaire of 36 questions about cannabis use, including frequency, effects on symptoms, and changes in administration of prescribed medications.
Benefits have been reported with regard to sensory symptoms such as pain, cramps and muscle spasms. A significant proportion of respondents said they had discontinued or reduced previously used medications, mainly opioids, benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants and other pain medications. The research was published in February 2021.
sleep disorders
Connecticut patients also cited reduced insomnia as an advantage of medical cannabis treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Another study performed with patients at the University of British Columbia Hospital (UBCH) showed that 95% of them had improvement in sleep and pain with the use of Cannabis. Most respondents did not report adverse effects (56%), but 20% had the perception of memory disturbances and 18% of mental confusion.
>> Read more at Cannabis-based product use in a multiple sclerosis cohort
urinary symptoms
There are findings that suggest positive clinical effects of Cannabis in relation to urinary incontinence in MS. For a 2006 study, 630 patients with the disease were divided into groups that each received CBD-predominant Cannabis extract, THC alone or placebo.
Those who received the Cannabis extract had a 38% reduction in incontinence episodes; those who used THC alone, 33%; while the placebo group had only 18%.
>> Check it out: The effect of cannabis on urge incontinence in patients with multiple sclerosis: a multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled trial (CAMS-LUTS)
Adverse effects
Most reviews of Cannabis use in multiple sclerosis have identified similar adverse effects, usually described as mild to moderate in intensity. They are: dizziness, dry mouth, euphoria, diarrhea and difficulty concentrating. Overall, there was no significant impact on cognition.
There are several studies that show the potential of Cannabis in the adjuvant treatment of MS. It is worth remembering that plant substances also act as neuroprotectors, neuro antioxidants and neuro anti-inflammatories. At the same time, they have a low toxicity and adverse effect profile.
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