"I’ve heard of a woman that delayed the progress of Parkinson’s with cannabis. Is this possible? Could cannabis help delay the onset and/or delay the use of standard meds?"
Cannabis has neuroprotective properties and has been found to subjectivley alleviate the movement disorder associated with Parkinson’s disease. More research needs to be done to determine if cannabis confers a benefit in disease progression.
Because Parkinson’s effects the entire body, a systemic (i.e. inhaled, ingested) form of cannabis would likely be the most helpful in treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
dredmunds
There is very little data available to answer your questions. Most of the studies have been conducted to determine if cannabis is helpful for Parkinson’s-associated dyskinesia, with mixed results. Cannabis is known to have neuro-protective effects; therefore, it is possible that cannabinoids may have a roll in preventing / delaying progression of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s. The decision to initiate treatment with well-established drugs for Parkinson’s disease should be determined by the neurologist and patient at a time when symptoms are significantly affecting activities of daily living and lifestyle.
dredmunds
I would try a CBD-rich tincture with a ratio of anywhere from 60:1-15:1 CBD to THC. Start with a small dose and observe for improvement, and increase the dose as needed. Cannabis is very helpful in treating the symptoms of parkinsons disease, and may even slow its progression by protecting neuronal degeneration. You might also explain to your mom that cannabis is a natural plant medicine, that has been used for thousands of years, and some people interpret the bible as saying that cannabis use is good for humans.
andrewvanmd
Marijuana can help with your symptoms but why stop with symptom relief, why not try to put your disease in remission. You are likely very allergic to glutamates and glutamates are neurologically toxic. You are also reactive to chemicals like glyphosates found in products like Roundup. You need a body, cellular detox like calcium-d-glucarate but do not take extra calcium otherwise. Please, consider using CBD to support your genetic chart since CBDs do methylate and that does help your body and brain. Also, consider reading "Feel Good" by Dr Amy Yasko and then consider obtaining your genetic chart with a methylation analysis to stop the influx of toxic chemicals and start to reverse your disease. You can just treat with cannabis but I would like for you to experience the healthiest you can be rather than just covering up symptoms. It may seem complicated but once you are more aware of what is going on to cause Parkinson’s disease, it may propel you forward on a path to get well and also relieve your symptoms. Good luck, this is a great education about you so it will be fun to learn how to help yourself. Take your high CBD twice or 3 times daily to improve your long term health but a good Indica may also help your sleep.
drolson
A whole plant cannabis tincture with a predominance of CBD (and some THC) would be a great place to start. Start with a small dose and wait for an hour for results, and increase as needed. Vaporizing provides more immediate relief and can be easier to dose.
andrewvanmd
Hello there! Unfortunately, the internet is full of unsubstantiated claims concerning cannabinoids and PD (Parkinson’s Disease). While there is a definite interest in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) for EC1 and EC2 receptors being found in high concentration in basal ganglia, there is a dearth of good clinical research data that shows that med cann was useful for movement disorders, or for delayingthe onsent of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Here is a quote from the Medical Director of the National Parkinson’s Foundation: "Marijuana should never be thought of as a replacement for dopaminergic and other approved therapies for Parkinson’s disease," said Dr. Michael S. Okun, NPF’s National Medical Director. I personally think that cann can help with some of the side effects of medication but one has to also take into account possible loss of executive function(higher reasoning function) and changes in short/ long term memory. I personally would not use cann to delay the use of traditional dopaminergic/ non-dopamindergic pharmaceutical agentws. I hope that this helps!
drpark
Yes cannabis can help treat the symptoms associated with parkinsons disease and may actually help to slow the progression. Many patients have reported success with using cannabis. I would try a sublingual tincture of cannabis that contains a whole plant extract containing CBD, THC and the other cannabinoids. Cannabis is very safe and should not interfere with any other medications.
andrewvanmd
I know that CBD can as in the dozen cases that I have treated. One patient did fail to have improvement out of the 12. Only low doses are needed in most cases.
drblair
If you want to know about Parkinson’s disease in detail, read this post-
potvalet