The neurodevelopmental condition Tourette syndrome (TS), which usually manifests in childhood, is characterized by verbal and physical tics. The first-line therapies for tics include behavioral therapy and antipsychotic drugs. There are very few further therapy alternatives available, including deep brain stimulation, for individuals with severe and complicated TS who do not react to conventional therapies. As a result, a large number of patients seek alternative therapies, such as medications based on cannabis (CBM). The benefits of pure delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis.
Cannabis & Tourette Syndrome
There has been an increase in questions regarding using cannabis (medical marijuana) to treat Tourette Syndrome symptoms. While some adults in our community have said that taking medicinal marijuana has lessened their tics, others have said that it has had the opposite effect or had no impact at all.
The two main chemical constituents of medical marijuana are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In small-scale research, patient testimonies, and anecdotal case reports, medical marijuana and cannabis-based drugs that include THC and cannabis extracts have been shown to lessen symptoms of Tourette Syndrome. They are now utilized in Germany, Israel, and Canada to treat adult patients. The evidence for CBD's efficacy as a Tourette Syndrome therapy alone, without THC, is insufficient.
Across the past ten years, CBD-based oils, pills, treats, and other formulations have gained popularity and are now sold all over the nation and online. The FDA authorized one CBD-based medication in June 2018 particularly to treat two uncommon kinds of epilepsy, making it the country's first officially recognized medical application for CBD. The NIH database shows several studies on CBD as a possible treatment for neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, dyskinesia, dystonia, and anxiety. The FDA has sponsored research on CBD-based drugs,
The Tourette Association of America established the Cannabis Consortium, which consists of top physicians and researchers in the area, to better understand the function of medicinal marijuana in treating Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders. They assessed the currently available research and data on the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana and cannabis-based medicines and advised us that the scientific evidence is insufficient to draw a conclusion regarding the safety and/or the efficacy of medical marijuana for the treatment of Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders due to the lack of randomized, large scale, placebo-controlled clinical studies. They are particularly worried about the use of medicinal marijuana to treat children and adolescents in the lack of clear medical studies.
Clinical Research And Results
Clinical results, which were published online ahead of print in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, show that inhaled cannabis is efficacious and well tolerated in individuals with Tourette's Syndrome. The safety and effectiveness of inhaled cannabis in 19 TS patients were evaluated retrospectively by a team of researchers at the University of Toronto.
All trial participants received clinically substantial symptom improvement, according to researchers, who also noted decreases in impulsivity, anxiety, irritability, and anger outbursts as well as obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In 18 out of 19 individuals, the intensity of their tics lessened. The research participants usually well tolerated cannabis. Overall, these research participants reported significant improvements in their symptoms, they said in their conclusion. Given that virtually all patients had failed at least one anti-tic drug treatment, this is very noteworthy. In summary, cannabis appears to be an effective therapy for tics and related symptoms.
Oral THC dose also reduces tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior in TS patients, according to prior placebo-controlled research. However, patients who use cannabis inhalation have often seen higher overall recovery.
A large number of Tourette's sufferers also have sleep problems. There hasn't been any research done explicitly on the impact of cannabinoids on people with TS's sleep difficulties, but there is a ton of anecdotal evidence that cannabis can help with this element of TS as well.
Conclusion
There has been an increase in questions regarding using cannabis (medical marijuana) to treat Tourette Syndrome symptoms. The two main chemical constituents of medical marijuana are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In small-scale research, patient testimonies, and anecdotal case reports, medical marijuana and cannabis-based drugs that include THC and cannabis extracts have been shown to lessen symptoms of Tourette syndrome.
Tourette Association of America established the Cannabis Consortium to better understand the function of medicinal marijuana in treating Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders. The scientific evidence is insufficient to draw a conclusion regarding the safety and/or the efficacy of medical marijuana for the treatment of Tourette's Syndrome. Patients who use cannabis inhalation have often seen higher overall recovery.
Comments