The results of an Israeli observational study show that fibromyalgia patients who had self-medicated with cannabis improved their symptoms of pain and were able to reduce the painkiller dose.

Fibromyalgia, a fibre-muscle pain, is a very complex pain syndrome. Those affected suffer from muscle and connective tissue pain in various parts of the body. Pressure pain above certain pain points can also occur. In addition, affected people often report other complaints such as exhaustion, headaches, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems.

The cause of fibromyalgia has not yet been fully clarified. It is assumed that various factors play a role in its development. For example, disturbed pain processing or altered nerve fibres in the muscle tissue can be the cause. In addition, various psychological complaints can also promote the disease.

Patients can alleviate symptoms with the help of movement therapy and relaxation techniques and are often prescribed painkillers or antidepressants.

Observational study in Israel

The doctors of the Laniado Hospital in Netanya and the Hospital of Nazareth observed a total of 101 fibromyalgia patients. 73% of the participants were female. The average age was 45 years old. Pure cannabis was smoked by 54% of the participants. Only 18% of the participants vaporized cannabis and just three participants used cannabis oil. The remaining participants medicated themselves with different combinations.

The results show that 47% of the participants did not take any further medication to alleviate symptoms due to self-medication with cannabis. 51% were able to reduce the dose of pain medication. Only one participant stopped medication with cannabis.

In addition, the doctors reported that pain symptoms and sleep improved by about 77% among the participants. The average daily cannabis consumption was relatively low. It was less than 1 gram.

From the results, the doctors concluded that cannabis may be an effective treatment for fibromyalgia.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32431124/

The active ingredient, haloperidol, is a highly potent antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drug that is approved to treat acute mania, acute chronic schizophrenia and for tic disorders (Tourette’s syndrome). However, consumption of the drug is associated with severe side effects. These include long-term movement disorders and late dyskinesias.

Researchers from Lagos have now been able to show in animal models that the simultaneous administration of haloperidol and cannabidiol (CBD) could prevent these side effects.

How does Haloperidol work?

The nerve cells in the brain communicate via different neurotransmitters (messenger substances). These can be roughly divided into two groups: While some messenger substances such as norepinephrine have an activating, excitatory and stimulating effect, other messenger substances such as serotonin, the “happiness hormone”, trigger calming and attenuating effects.

Haloperidol is prescribed when an excess of the messenger substance, dopamine, is detected in patients. Dopamine is also known as the “happiness hormone”. An excess of this can trigger schizophrenia, psychosis, delusions and loss of reality.

The active substance haloperidol binds to the dopamine receptors and blocks them so that the dopamine signals are not transmitted. As a result, the high levels of dopamine normalise.

In Parkinson’s disease, patients show a lack of dopamine so that the body’s movement patterns are disturbed. Since haloperidol blocks the dopamine signals, movement disorders may also occur. These are known as extrapyramidal motor disorders and can manifest themselves in the form of an urge to move, restlessness and involuntary movements.

Haloperidol in combination with cannabidiol

The researchers investigated the effects of CBD on haloperidol-induced extrapyramidal motor disorders. There were a total of six experimental groups with rats receiving different combinations of oral cannabidiol with 5 mg/kg haloperidol.

The researchers concluded from the results that haloperidol in combination with CBD could alleviate motor impairments and prevent long-term movement disorders such as acute dystonic disorders.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32264772/

A report by “Medical Xpress” states that roughky 75,000 Australians are suffering from a chronic bowel disease known as Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis. These are caused by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, those affected often suffer from diarrhoea, constipation, pain and weight loss, which has an enormous impact on the quality of their everyday life.

The report also states that recent research by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney shows a quarter of those affected in Australia use illegal cannabis for treatment. A total of 838 patients were interviewed, 25.3% of whom reported using cannabis to treat their symptoms. Only 1.4% received legal medical cannabis.

The principal researcher and academic director of the Lambert Initiative, Professor Iain McGregor, stated according to the report:

“The survey was inspired by the experiences of the Taylor family from the Blue Mountains: father Steven Taylor was arrested for growing cannabis to alleviate the suffering of his daughters Morgan and Taylor who suffered from severe IBD and found great relief from non-intoxicating cannabis leaf juice preparations”.

McGregor further explained that this case shows that many patients suffering cannot adequately treat their disease with common medication and therefore turn to alternative treatment options.

Survey: Cannabis relieves symptoms

More than 90% of those affected said that cannabis helped improve symptoms such as pain and cramps. The quality of sleep and anxiety symptoms also improved. In contrast, the benefit for other symptoms such as bleeding, stool frequency, consistency and urgency is smaller.

Furthermore, patients receiving medical cannabis therapy were reported to have significantly improved their quality of life. In addition, cannabis clients reported that they were able to reduce the doses of their prescribed medications and needed specialist treatment less frequently.

The patients were also asked about side effects of cannabis use. These were minor and mainly limited to drowsiness and memory disorders.

Source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-survey-results-reveal-australian-usage.html

Various studies have already shown that cannabidiol (CBD) can have anti-inflammatory properties. According to a media report, researchers from Tel Aviv University are now conducting several clinical studies to investigate the use of CBD in the respiratory disease, COVID-19.

As COVID-19 affects the respiratory system, researchers will administer CBD-enriched exosomes to affected patients through an inhaler. Previous studies have already shown that CBD can possibly help to regulate the immune system and inhibit inflammation. The researchers assume that the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD could repair the damaged cells through a synergistic effect. 

Another clinical trial is being conducted in COVID-19 patients currently being treated at Rabin Medical Center in Israel. Here, the researchers will combine inhalable steroids with CBD, as CBD may be able to improve the effect of the steroids. 

In addition, it will be investigated whether cannabis, with all its cannabinoids, might possibly be able to slow down or stop COVID-19. 

Source: https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/COVID

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have conducted a survey of 200 people who used opioids and cannabis in the past four weeks

The results show that 125 people (62.5%) benefited from cannabis in opioid withdrawal symptoms. Women reported a greater positive effect than in men. In particular, symptoms such as sleep disturbance, trembling and anxiety were improved by the use of cannabis.

In contrast, 12 people (6%) reported that opioid withdrawal had worsened as a result of cannabis use. They reported an increase in symptoms such as watery eyes and a runny nose.

According to the researchers, the results of the study suggest that cannabis can improve opioid withdrawal symptoms and that the effect is clinically significant. The researchers further explain that cannabis only worsened the symptoms in the minority. This justifies prospective studies that investigate the effects of cannabis in opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Source:

Bergeria CL, Chicken AS, Dunn KE. The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal. J Subst Abuse Treat 2020;113:108005

Staphylococcus aureus bacterium can colonise in several people without causing any disease. However, in some cases, especially when the immune system is weakened, the bacterium can cause wound infections, pneumonia and meningitis. A particular problem here is that some variants of the bacterium are resistant to antibiotics.

In order to circumvent this resistance and increase the antibiotic effect, researchers are looking for new approaches. One of these approaches is to use so-called helper substances that are assumed to increase the effectiveness of an antibiotic.

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark recently discovered that cannabidiol (CBD) in combination with the antibiotic bacitracin may be able to fight the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.

In conclusion, this CBD-bacitracin combination was able to prevent the bacterium from dividing, resulting in an unstable bacterial membrane. According to the researchers, the reduced administration of antibiotics could prevent further resistances.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32139776/