Cannabis Spray Demonstrates Long Term Efficacy In Neuropathic Pain

snickelfritz

From NORML



Thursday, September 11, 2008
Cannabis Spray Demonstrates Long Term Efficacy In Neuropathic Pain, Study Says
Category: News and Politics
Porter Down, United Kingdom: Long-term administration of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of whole plant cannabis extracts, reduces neuropathic pain compared to placebo, according to clinical trial data released this week by the biotechnology company GW Pharmaceuticals.
Forty-one patients with multiple sclerosis and central neuropathic pain completed the double blind, placebo-controlled "randomized withdrawal" study. Volunteers in the study were administered either Sativex or a placebo daily for four weeks following their long-term use of the cannabis spray.
"In the patients who were randomized to Sativex pain scores remained stable," the company announced in a press release. "In the patients randomized to placebo, pain and sleep scores deteriorated. … The results of all other symptom-related endpoints showed that Sativex patients maintained or improved their response whilst the symptoms of those who switched from Sativex to placebo worsened in the four weeks following cessation of active treatment."
Previous open-label extension trials of Sativex have reported that patients required fewer daily doses of the drug and reported lower median pain scores the longer they took it. This trial is the first placebo-controlled trial to confirm the efficacy of Sativex long-term.
Last month, clinical investigators at the University of California at San Diego reported that inhaled cannabis significantly reduces HIV-associated neuropathic pain. The study is the third clinical trial published in the past 18 months demonstrating that inhaling cannabis ameliorates chronic neuropathy.

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wb456

I wonder if it has the same effect on diabetes caused neuropathy. I want summa dat.

gabrial

Hi,
I've been using Med MJ and am slowly discontinuing narcotics. But I pay for them and this, with proof, my insurance will pay for.
Gabrial

wb456

Hey Gabrial that article is from the UK and wouldn't do you any good unless that is where you are.

snickelfritz

__________________

What gives a government the right to outlaw nature?



War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is. Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.

Snick's MySpace Page

Storm Crow

In my list there are many studies about neuropathic pain being stopped or lessened by cannabis. Here's couple, but take a peek at my list for more!

Smoked cannabis in painful peripheral neuropathy and cancer pain refractory to opiods.
Clinical Studies and Case Reports

Whether whole plant Cannabis extracts can improve intractable neurogenic symptoms?
http://www.ukcia.org/research/WholeP...icSymptoms.pdf



And since you're a diabetic (me, too!), thought you might find these interesting-

Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes
Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes, Study Says - NORML

Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy
Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy

Cannabidiol reduces the development of diabetes in an animal study
IACM-Bulletin

Getting Eye On Cannabinoids
Getting Eye On Cannabinoids: The Hempire - [cannabis, legalise]

Marijuana compound could prevent eye damage in diabetics
Marijuana compound could prevent eye damage in diabetics: The Hempire - [cannabis, legalise]

There's more of those, too. Just click the link in my sig.

Granny

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"If the truth won't do, then something is wrong!"
Granny's Grandpa- Rev. John Schwabenland

Need MMJ studies? try here!
http://www.greenpassion.org/f11/granny-storm--list-2009-a-8010/

For the up-to-date "Granny's Master list"-
http://medicalmarijuanapatient.com/f...hread.php?t=65

scott06

This comes recommended on this and other sites

http://www.greenpassion.org/f11/cann...red-dose-5041/

Cannimist - portable descrete oral measured dose
This isa very nice way for a portable discrete oral administration of a measured dose

VICS Cannamist/Tincture Recipe,
and Instructions on How to Convert THCA Into THC
A tincture is an alcohol-base solution of a non-volatile medicine (in this case cannabis). In this case alcohol is not only the solvent used to separate cannabinoids from the plant matter, it is what makes this type of application (particularly in fine-mist form) more bio-available and therefore effective.
In whole-plant cannabis, THC content is expressed as THCA (tetrahydrocannabolic acid) prior to decarboxilation into THC, which takes place when cannabis is heated during cooking, and smoked or vaporized ingestion. THCA is a mild analgesic and anti-inflammatory but does not have good affinity with our CB1 receptors, so in order to make a THC-rich tincture that has many of the same therapeutic effects as smoked ingestion (including rapid absorption, quick relief and ease of self-titration), we must convert the THCA in the plant matter into THC prior to extracting it through an alcohol soak.
Below are detailed instructions based on a unique VICS research project that will allow you to convert the THCA from your bud or high quality leaf material into more usable THC with very little loss through vaporization.
Dry heat conversion of THCA into THC:
Preheat oven to 325°f exactly (purchase an oven thermometer if you're not sure).
Take cannabis leaf or bud and spread in a thin, 1 inch layer on a clean cookie sheet.
Put in the oven for 5 minutes exactly, remove, and transfer to glass or ceramic container to cool.
Tincture/Cannamist Recipe:
Pack a mason jar loosely but completely with converted cannabis product; add a few sprigs of fresh organic mint.
Add alcohol (50% is preferred, but 40% vodka works just fine) until the jar is full.
Seal, shake and put in a dark, cool place for 2 weeks.
After 2 weeks, strain mixture through fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Add 2-4 tablespoons of organic honey (to taste, but without over-sweetening the mixture).
Pour into bottles fitted with fine mist spray tops.
Dosage:
Initial Dosage: Spray two times on the inside of the cheek, and wait 30 seconds before swallowing. Wait ten minutes and if desired effect has not been reached, repeat on the opposite cheek. Wait ten minutes, and repeat until desired effect is achieved. Dosage will vary between users, but should remain fairly constant once established.
Effect will last for between 1-2 hours. Repeat use as needed.
If you feel dizzy or disoriented, immediately discontinue use. Do not operate heavy machinery or drive during use of this product.

gabrial

Sorry, have not been here in about a month so this reply is very late. The study seems to have all the correct scientific parameters. Double blind, long term range, data collection, control group in the form of placebo for comparison. I have not read the study, but what was published here suggests that it was a study accepted for publication and is now a reasonable and responsible part of the scientific literature, regardless of where it was published. What I think this means if I am trying to get a medication where it is reviewed for efficacy and lack of “side effects” VS the alternatives (Neurotinin, lyrica, hydrocodone, morphine derivatives) that have all extraordinarily poor choices due to serious side effects. So while it will be a fight because the mediation is much more expensive then the others, given the negative effects which have been documented in the medical record, I suspect that I will win in the long run. Complicating it is that this is a worker’s comp ongoing treatment. The insurance company fights like hell to avoid paying anything. I will tell you all what happens as it goes along. Gabrial

jangel

Gabrial, please let us know as this is why we are here, to help others. What you report will help many. Good luck and I truely hope it is an answer for you.

Peace

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Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

gabrial

Hi j-angle,

I am happy to give you all the info I get and any pointers I pick up along the way. What follows are the first steps in trying to get workers comp to pay for a Med MJ derived treatment. I will try to make any further responses more to the point, hopefully having taken up the major themes and cautions at the start it will give what follows a context. Also Med MJ works great, but there are Med MJ treatments which will deal with the pain but do not make you as high, which is very good if you don’t walk around blasted all day. Not a moral judgment, just a pragmatic one.

Research. I have been doing to do research via Pub Med and will need to go to get some of the articles from the UCSF med library when the articles are not available on line. A friend who works for UCSF as a statistician who has access online is helping but I do not want to impose too much.

Once I have the research done, at least enough to present a basic literature review (admittedly a lay one, but my friend the statistician offered to help with a meta analysis to make my case) I will write it up. It will not have the scope and quality that a scientific research fellow could provide; my background is in another area, but there seems to be enough info to support Med MJ derivatives as viable alternatives. This will be presented to the doctor who oversees the office and I will get his feed back about going forward. There is a tentative meeting at the end of the month.

A few words of warning:

Do not get too hopeful if you want to follow suit. All the neuropathic pain medications along with all the narcotic medications produced severe side effects when I took them so there is a good reason and a well-established record supporting a switch to a new medication that has a different base then the commonly used ones. I made an effort to document the side effects repeatedly so there is a history of complaints within the medical notes going back several years.

What is important is that if you have problems with medications begin documenting them now (NOW!) with your doctor. And if you have a reaction to a medication contact your doctor right away. Do not wait until your next appointment. If it is a bad reaction the ins. co will use the delay as a reason to say the reaction was not bad and you are just engaging in drug seeking behavior.

You need to have some basis for requesting a change for a new medication. Don’t lie but read the data sheets that come with your meds. My wife told me that she got concerned when I was sleeping 15 hours a day and looked at the data sheet and saw that sleepiness was a side effect. I thought I had a bug. With the medication discontinued sleep returned to normal. Also look at places like Wikipedia because I was able to verify symptoms I was having that were not in side effects were listed in the warnings. Terabit upon terabits of warnings here, the drug companies have broad powers when it comes to how warnings are placed in the box, do some extra research on user driven sites to help yourselves.

As this goes forward I will post updates and provide the research in PDF format or send it directly depending on what the admins of the site say. But lets wait to see if it does any good first.

I’ll make updates as they happen, but be patient, there is a long hard fight in the offing.
gabrial

PS sorry j-angle, I missed your email and am getting around to it somewhat belatedly.