Cannabis won't make you unstable on your feet - you'll likely be more comfortable on a sofa however! Older people can benefit greatly since they develop many ailments that cannabis can help with. If you live in a medical marijuana state then you really should take advantage of it as legal access is still quite rare in this world.
It is amazing the rubbish people talk when you mention the word cannabis. MS sufferers in the UK have been using the medicine Sativex for 4 years. Sativex is made from cannabis. Sativex may be of use for Parkinson's and epilepsy and can be obtained from your doctor..
I am trying to organise patient trials but if you have a positive response while using it please let me know. Thank you
Hi,
There are many "legal high" alternatives to cannabis available from numerous sources.They don't exactly do the same job however.Plus,there has been a major push to put a stop to these also,following a few fatalities.
Think I'll move to the states
Titan
There are two questions concerning Cannabis.
If you want to "get high" then buy some cannabis from you local dealer and smoke it.
if you feel that cannabis may help you medically, then the only legal way that you can get this in the UK is by asking your doctor to give you some Sativex.
Sativex is authorised for MS sufferers but may have an effect on Parkinson's and epilepsy.
BubbaKush
I think you may be on here as a MJ advocate because it is seems that you may not have Parkinsons.
I too am not totally against MJ but like any medication it has side effects and potential interactions with other medication so i look forward to safety information specifically in relation to Marjuana use in Parkinsons. I didnt wade through the very large file, i only want PD relevant research such as the recent Israeli report.
The cardiovascular effects are worrying especially the probable increased risk of stroke.
I keep hearing and reading about this, I wish someone in the medical profession would come up with a definitive answer. I am a life long non smoker so it would need to be in pill form from a GP if it proved useful and safe. I would love some release from the muscle rigidity. The tremors are a nuisance, but not as much as the pain.
hi saturn .sativax is spray form
Thanks Gus I shall make enquiries when I see the consultant on Tuesday.
let me know.
Sorry for the delay in replying. No, I do not have PD but my mother has PD and I have asked her to try Sativex. What is interesting about Sativex is that it works with MS and as a product is just liquid cannabis made from a strain of cannabis that is low in THC, so it will not make high. There is a lot of information on the internet about cannabis and PD. I have suggested to Parkinson's UK that they organise a trial, but so far no reply.
Hi Gus,
I asked my consultant about Sativex. He knew about it, but said it was just being used for MS at the moment.
He upped my Madopar meds. I wait to see what happens.
Morph.
most probably the best option ! morph
Hi Hikoi,
The israeli study you mention is quite flawed. It states that out of 3,880 men and women in the study, 124 said they had smoked (marijuana) within the year before they had the heart attack. It seems difficult to show correlation, let alone causation with data like that, yet the media will spin it into something more sensationalised to sell papers. In regards to the stroke study, the only one I could find that supposedly linked cannabis to an increase in stroke used only 160 patients who suffered a stroke and had their urine tested within 72 hours, 16% had traces of marijuana, however the test could not differentiate between tobacco and marijuana, as all but one patient showed signs of nicotine. Again, it would be difficult to show correlation, let alone causation with data like that.
My husband has pd and has smoked canabis he says it helped him relax and forget about pd he is trying to stop as he doesn't think it's helping at all does it not have an adverse reaction with the medication he takes it didn't seem to help his symptoms life is hard for him at moment he feels hid meds are doing no good I work to keep our heads above water he works when he can it got to the stage it was a problem financially sleep problems etc what is satifex ?
Sativex is cannabis in a spray form, people with MS can be prescribed it but it may also be helpful for PD sufferers.
More info can be found here: http://www.gwpharm.com/Sativex.aspx
Hi folks,
I asked my neurologist for advice on medical cannabis.
He said it can be helpful to alleviate the cramping and pain which come with MS related dystonia, but he was not keen to discuss the issue in depth. He was of the opinion that it is ineffectual in treating the symptoms of PD.
However, my neurologist does not endure the distressing symptoms of advancing PD and prescribes mind altering chemicals, which he has never himself ingested, that can send you off your trolley.
I speak from experience with regard to the trolley episodes.
Most people get worried by the legal implications of being in possession of cannabis and of course
if you buy it on the street, you will not know it's origin, purity or exact chemical composition.
A counter opinion came to me from an associate whom was undergoing significant discomfort from
an inoperable brain tumour. Ten years back he had undergone an op in the U S of A where they
removed what they could of his first tumour growth.
UK medical advice at that time was that it was too risky to intervene surgically.
However he found that for a mere 120,000 dollars, his US based surgeon was prepared to try.
His USA operation went well and gave him another ten years on planet earth.
The advice he gave me when I told him of my PD problems was,
"Never give up and smoke plenty of weed."
This guy was no hippy. He was a mega successful owner of many businesses and a straight and true character.
Cannabis will not control the symptoms of PD. It will not help with balance, tremor or
motor control. Nor will it stop the progression or deal with the weird and wonderful side effects
caused by the L-Dopa and other alchemy that we all ingest.
What it will do is to give you several hours of respite from the distress of PD, guarantee a good night of sleep, make you laugh again and if you tremor, it somehow enables you to forget this for a while.
No one has ever died from an overdose of Puff.
One caution: moderation in all things.
Arsene
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Hi,
This discussion about cannabis has been going on for 3 months, did anybody manage to get any Sativex from their doctor and did it have any positive effect?
Hi all,
Today we became aware of some research news which may be of interest, you can read the full story here:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/276046.php
Some evidence for multiple sclerosis
Researchers at the American Academy of Neurology have produced a review of all available evidence on the use of marijuana to treat neurological conditions.
This review – by the world's largest association for neurologists – was written to help neurologists and their patients understand the current research on medical marijuana (including the cannabis-based oral spray, Sativex) for the treatment of certain conditions.
They found that marijuana is beneficial for managing pain in people with Multiple Sclerosis, but emphasized that the side effects of the drug - including seizures, dizziness, thinking and memory problems, and depression - should be taken into consideration when prescribing.
Marijuana and Parkinson's
Research so far into using cannabis to manage symptoms of Parkinson's is minimal. And from the evidence available the review concludes that marijuana has no impact on the involuntary movements, called ‘dyskinesia’, caused by some Parkinson’s medication.
At this stage there isn’t enough evidence to be sure how marijuana can affect people with Parkinson’s. Much more in depth research is needed before we can be sure it is both safe and truly beneficial.
Best wishes
The Research Team
Ok lets do some research!
I am sure that it is possible to find 30 PD sufferers in the UK who are prepared to try Sativex and the producer will probably supply the drugs free of charge. Lets keep it simple and just ask the sufferers to keep a diary for one month before the trial and for one month while taking Sativex. If we get any interesting results we can then do a double bind etc trial.
Obviously it would be sensible to have your doctor's consent.
If anybody is interested in being involved in the trial please send me an email:
maybe Parkinson's UK would pay for a research assistant to follow and collect the results?
[The email address has been removed from this message. You can contact Phil by personal message. Thanks - Ezinda]
I'd be very interested to know if anyone in the UK has been prescribed Sativex for PD?