Parkinson's Disease Support Group
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder often characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement, and in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinsons are due to excessive muscle contraction, normally caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the dopaminergic neurons of the...
My super big brother was finally diagnosed with PD after 2 years of saying may this or maybe that. The disease hit him hard and fast, very faint tremors but the soft voice, stony facial expression and most devastating is the bradykinesia. They prescribed Levodopa and it did not make any difference other than the nausea if he ate or drank certain things too soon after taking it so they took him off of it and ran more tests to rule out things like MS. A couple of months ago they confirmed the original PD diagnosis and doubled the levodopa. The freezing has only gotten worse as well as the nausea. This is very draining on him and his wife. I have end stage COPD and have been battling one flare up after another for the past 2 months and also live too far away to be much help.
Is there anyone out there that has had any luck with other medications that will help?
I read that there were studies being done at one of the universities in Colorado (we live in Canada) of the benefits of medicinal cannabis helping with the mobility in PD patients. Has anyone heard or read anything about it? We do have access to medicinal oil and I am going to try it for my anxiety which brings on my shortness of breath etc. I know he tried some brownies but did not find them helpful, don't know if it was medicinal or recreational or when ingesting them there is no control over amount taken as there is with the oil.
Any suggestions? My heart is aching for both him and his dear wife.
Thanks
Is there anyone out there that has had any luck with other medications that will help?
I read that there were studies being done at one of the universities in Colorado (we live in Canada) of the benefits of medicinal cannabis helping with the mobility in PD patients. Has anyone heard or read anything about it? We do have access to medicinal oil and I am going to try it for my anxiety which brings on my shortness of breath etc. I know he tried some brownies but did not find them helpful, don't know if it was medicinal or recreational or when ingesting them there is no control over amount taken as there is with the oil.
Any suggestions? My heart is aching for both him and his dear wife.
Thanks
watch u-tube.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En5HJBxstVk
The use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent for various medical conditions has been well documented.
METHODS:
Twenty-two patients with PD attending the motor disorder clinic of a tertiary medical center in 2011 to 2012 were evaluated at baseline and 30 minutes after smoking cannabis using the following battery: Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, visual analog scale, present pain intensity scale, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, as well as Medical Cannabis Survey National Drug and Alcohol Research Center Questionnaire.
RESULTS:
Mean (SD) total score on the motor Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale score improved significantly from 33.1 (13.8) at baseline to 23.2 (10.5) after cannabis consumption (t = 5.9; P < 0.001). Analysis of specific motor symptoms revealed significant improvement after treatment in tremor (P < 0.001), rigidity (P = 0.004), and bradykinesia (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
There was also significant improvement of sleep and pain scores. No significant adverse effects of the drug were observed. The study suggests that cannabis might have a place in the therapeutic armamentarium of PD.(Clin Neuropharmacol. 2014 Mar-Apr;37(2):41-4)
Cannabis was used commonly in the 19th century to treat PD, but it was taken orally as an alcoholic tincture of Cannabis indica. See the following website for a summary on the medical use of cannabis for treatment of movement disorders.
http://thepotbook.com/potbook/additional_chapters_files/Sanche-Ramos-Final.pdf(Parkinsons Research Foundation)
In 2002, Dr. Evzin Ruzicka, a neurologist at Charles University in Prague, reported his findings in Movement Disorders after investigating the effect of marijuana use by those suffering from Parkinson's disease. After requesting patients with Parkinsons complete a questionnaire asking about their cannabis use and particular Parkinson's symptoms, 39 patients (46 percent) reported their disease symptoms were relieved in general after they started using cannabis. More specifically, 26 respondents (about a third) reported an improvement in tremor while at rest, and 38 patients (about 45 percent) experienced a relief of bradykinesia --- extreme slowness of movement. Relief of muscle rigidity was reported by 32 respondents (38 percent), while 12 patients (14 percent) said they had an improvement in levodopa-induced dyskinesias (involuntary movements).
Researchers who worked on a study published in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience came up with the most advanced understanding of Alzheimers mechanics and how cannabis demonstrates efficacy without toxic side effects. Their study was preceded by similar ones showing cannabis efficacy for Alzheimers.
Gary Wenk, Ph.D, professor of neuroscience, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State University, told Time Magazine:
Ive been trying to find a drug that will reduce brain inflammation and restore cognitive function in rats for over 25 years; cannabinoids are the first and only class of drugs that have ever been effective.
Lets hope our brain dead, oppressive government and medical system wakes up to raw cannabiss medical potentials.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/cannabis-takes-alzheimers-dementia-successfully-story-studies/#ixzz3oh6ih5sZ
Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel recently published a cannabis study in the Journal of Neuroscience Research. Their findings indicate that low doses of cannabinoids, in particular ultra-low-dose tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), exerts a protective effect against cognitive deficits from brain inflammation.
Recently, another study revealed significant improvement in specific motor symptoms after treatment with Cannabis. In addition, CBDs possible anxiolytic, antidepressant, antipsychotic and sedative properties could explain the reports of improvements in emotional well-being, daily life activities and, hence, quality of life, they summarized.
And thats not all. Though scientists havent figured out exactly how it works, animal studies suggest compounds in marijuana may be able to slow the progression of Parkinsons and other neurodegenerative conditions as well.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/cannabis-can-restore-memory-nervous-system-normality-cognitive-capacity/#ixzz3oh7IqFjW
SYDNEY -- Smoking cannabis appeared to reduce tremor and pain and improve sleep among Parkinson's disease patients, researchers from Israel reported here.
Overall, patients' scores on the standard Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) averaged 33 before they smoked cannabis in the laboratory and averaged 24 after 30 minutes (P